The VGC is affiliated to the Dutch Budgerigar Society (NGC-DBS).

The show took place in the parish hall in Oelegem, west of Antwerp, Belgium.

Twenty two members participated and benched a total of 231 birds.

Results

The major results were as follows:

• Best in Show & Best Any Age in Show- JJC Budgies
• Best Young Bird in Show – Paul De Cuyper
• Best Opposite Sex Young Bird – JJC Budgies
• Best Opposite Sex Any Age- Rijndorp Partnership

Judges

The judges were:

• Jan Van Meeteren (NL)
• Geoff Bowley (UK)

Photographs

All photographs below were kindly supplied to us by: Didier Mervilde

Click on any image to enlarge it.

Best in Show
Best Any Age in Show
JJC Budgies

Best Opposite Sex Any Age
Rijndorp Partnership

Best Rare in Show
Best Rare Young Bird
JJC Budgies

Best Rare Opposite Sex
Paul De Cuyper

Best Young Bird in Show
Paul De Cuyper

Best Opposite Sex Young Bird
JJC Budgies

Here are the results and photos.

The winners were as follows:

Any Age

• Lutino – Ian Fordham
• Yellow-wing – Guppy & Barnes
• White Wing – Guppy & Barnes
• Crest – Mick Widdowson
• Green Spangle – Jerry Donovan
• Dominant Pied – G & J Al-Nasser
• Recessive Pied – G&P Norris

Young Bird

• Yellowface – Jerry Donovan
• Crest – Mick Widdowson
• Dominant Pied – Rick Watts
• Lutino – Ian Fordham
• Albino – M & M Chapman
• Yellow Wing – Guppy & Barnes

Rares

• Best English Fallow – Mick Anzara
• Best Texas Clearbody – T Sadler
• Best Slate – Mick Widdowson
• Best Rare Young Bird – Texas Clearbody – T Sadler
• Best Easley Clearbody – Mrs J A Hill
• Best Rainbow – Findlay & Flavell

Judges

The judges were:

• Alan Adams
• Ian Ainley
• Ian Clarke
• John Cosby
• Jac Cuyten
• Mick Freakley

Photographs

All photographs below were taken by and kindly supplied to us by: Terry Tuxford

Gallery – Any Age

Click on any image to enlarge it.

Any Age Lutino – Ian Fordham

Any Age Green Spangle – Jerry Donovan

Any Age Dominant Pied – G & J Al-Nasser

Any Age Recessive Pied - G&P Norris

Any Age Yellow-wing – Guppy & Barnes

Any Age White Wing - Guppy & Barnes

Any Age Crest – Mick Widdowson

Gallery – Young Bird

Click on any image to enlarge it.

Young Bird Lutino – Ian Fordham

Young Bird Albino - M & M Chapman

Young Bird Yellow Wing – Guppy & Barnes

Young Bird Crest – Mick Widdowson

Young Bird Dominant Pied – Rick Watts

Young Bird Yellowface – Jerry Donovan

Gallery – Rares

Click on any image to enlarge it.

Best Slate – Mick Widdowson

Best Rare Young Bird – Texas Clearbody – T Sadler

Best Easley Clearbody – Mrs J A Hill

Best English Fallow - Mick Anzara

Best Texas Clearbody – T Sadler

Best Rainbow – Findlay & Flavell

The awards were placed by none other than world famous budgerigar breeder Jac Cuyten from Holland assisted by, his friend and fellow breeder, Rinus van den Broek.

There was a entry of 120 birds from 17 different exhibitors from Counties Dublin, Cork, Carlow, Wexford, Clare, Wicklow, Kildare, Kilkenny and Louth.

Best in Show went to a superb grey cock bred by John O’Neill from Naas, County Kildare.

Best Opposite Sex in Show was awarded to a super cinnamon grey green hen from the partnership stud of Mark & Tony Rodgers.

The same partnership also took the coveted Best Breeder in Show award with a stunning spangle hen.

The remaining classes were awarded as follows:

Best of Colour Any Age

• Normal Green: Brian Flynn
• Normal Blue: Gerard Lanigan
• Normal Grey or Grey Green: John O’Neill
• Opaline: Peter Mc Cabe
• Cinnamon or Opaline Cinnamon: Mark & Tony Rodgers
• Albino: David Hennessy
• Spangle: James Sidney
• Any Variety Pied: Noel Kelly

Best of Colour Breeder

• Normal Green: Gerard Lanigan
• Normal Blue: Brian Flynn
• Normal Grey or Grey Green: Mark & Tony Rodgers
• Opaline: Mark & Tony Rodgers
• Cinnamon or Opaline Cinnamon: Darragh Frawley
• Lutino: Ron Thompson
• Spangle: Mark & Tony Rodgers
• Pied: Mark & Tony Rodgers
• A.O.C: Brian Flynn

Note: The above information supplied by Gerard Lanigan.

From Daniel Lütolf, Switzerland

I just visited quickly your website.

Well done, big compliment, lots of useful information.

Concerning the information for budgerigar breeders, as it develops, it may already be the universal site for the worldwide budgerigar hobby.

I can imagine, you are quite tired after that big effort, but it was really certainly worth it!

From Jac Cuyten, The Netherlands

As we can expect from a man like you, another super initiative for all budgerigar breeders all over the world.

Of course you may place the Cuyten DVD trailer on your website and it will be an honour to see you in Holland some time.

A lot of winning birds you will not see from me, because my pleasure from the hobby is directed to the breeding side. This is the great challenge for me.

Of course I can send you pictures of my best birds and I will see to that later.

Quality wise I feel I am making another step forward this year.

From Steve Bailey, United Kingdom

Congratulations with the new international website. I am sure the whole hobby worldwide will get involved within it under your stewardship.

I am delighted to be back in this great hobby after several years of absence and would like to take this opportunity to personally thank you for your help getting me started again. I have achieved considerable success at top level shows with your birds (as is fairly well known) and have now built up a very good stud of birds in which I take great pride.

Once again, I wish you every success with your new venture.

From Larry Moore, United States of America

My friend you have done it again!

The new website is exactly what this hobby has needed for a very long time.

We can always count on you to come up with something innovative that will benefit everyone in the hobby.

Continued good luck.

From Casper Maree, South Africa

Congratulations with your new site.

I have already spent some time on it and it proves to be THE site for the future.

All the best for the future.

From Matt Welchman, Australia

Congratulations on a fantastic site and a great idea.

The WWW is the key to the continuation of this wonderful hobby.

I recently started a web page for the Central Coast Club and have had great feedback – The Internet is an invaluable tool for the hobby today.

From Ron Payne , United Kingdom

Congratulations on the new web site, I spent a couple of hours going through it last night and didn’t realise time could go so fast!

Perhaps the word on the street should be “Binks has put his far-reaching thinking cap on again!”

From Jane Todd, South Africa

Your website was forwarded to me by the Budgerigar Society of South Africa today.

I just went to have a quick look and was amazed at the extent of information on it!

I now live in South Africa but originated from Hertfordshire and have recently become a “budgerigar fancier”! I started off with larger parrots such as African Greys, Amazons etc but find the budgerigar far more endearing and intend extending my collection.

Thank you for your website, I will view it often.

From Jim Marshall , Canada

I have just visited your new website and may I congratulate you on a very friendly and most comprehensive information bank regarding our great hobby.

The world wide web is a boon for the “Global Budgerigar Fraternity”.

Thank you for sharing.

From Didier Mervilde, Belgium

Like always with you, a very nice website and an “A+” for the hobby.

I am looking forward to the articles. Congratulations.

From Maurice Laker, United Kingdom

AT LAST a website for the hobby.

I am looking forward to spending some time on it.

Well done and congratulations on this new venture.

Any help I can give you please ask.

From Jos Reynders, Ireland

Congratulations on a job well done.

I heard about it so I was looking forward to seeing it for the last few weeks.

I was greatly surprised. I expected quality, but this is outstanding.

A great stimulous to the hobby worldwide.

Again thanks very much.

From Michael & Dean Borcherds, South Africa

Firstly congratulations on a truly brilliant website & the thinking & marketing behind it.

It is inspirational.

Wishing you & hopefully the hobby all the very best through its pages.

From Javed Khananza, Pakistan

Excellent site with tons of information.

We can say it’s an encyclopedia of information for fanciers.

From Alan Taylor, Spain

As an ex-budgerigar breeder now living in Spain, the web is my only way of keeping in touch with the fancy.

In my involvment with the fancy I was subscription secretary for the V.B.C. and show secretary for both the L.C.N.W.B.S.and Merseyside B.S.

I would like to congratulate you on the website – it is certainly one of the best that I have seen.

Best wishes for the breeding season.

From Prof. Maher Hamed, Egypt

Congratulations and thank you for launching such a valuable, helpful and interesting new website.

I enjoy reading the information, advice and articles in it. Many thanks.

From Ralph Jenne, Germany

Thank you for this really good website! You have clearly invested a lot of time.

I hope that this international website takes our wonderful hobby even further forward!

Greetings from Freiburg!

From Gary Sutton, United Kingdom

The Budgerigar hobby has been in need of just this type of website.

Congratulations to all involved.

The VGC says:

The VGC have, for some time now, planned to organise an annual contact day.

One day on which all breeders can subscribe to various topics – such as innovations and other issues related to our hobby. It is also a day to optimise relationships in an atmosphere of conviviality during lunch or in the café.

Our parent club, the Dutch Budgerigar Society (NGC), held a major budgerigar symposium in October 2008 and in imitation of this great initiative we have now introduced it in Belgium. So our first annual contact day will be a budgerigar symposium.

Full details of the symposium can be found onthe VGC website, here: VGC Budgie Symposium

Applications to attend the symposium close on Sunday, February 21st, 2010.

A View To The Future

One of the many highlights at the symposium, is the premiere of “Jac Cuyten & Co, A View To The Future”.

This is a new film, by leading Dutch film maker Harry van Doorne, of Jac Cuyten, the Dutch champion breeder, author of “All About Feathers” and someone with a great vision of the modern bird.

A preview of the film can be viewed here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI3ISJq58Cs