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 Once again, I visited the National Poultry Show at Stoneleigh, one of the largest poultry shows in the UK with over 5,000 exhibits and more than 130 breeds of Large Fowl, Bantams, Ducks, Geese, Turkeys, eggs and even poultry photographs on display. The Poultry Club of Great Britain now being led by their new president, Chris Parker seems to be doing a great job in continuing the good work, putting on a great weekend for poultry fanciers and families alike.
This year, the BBC were filming some birds at the show and talking to the Battery Hen Welfare trust's Ian Farrar for a program called "The Secret Life of Chickens" which is due to be broadcast in
February (so they have told me but it can move) with Jimmy Doherty. Apparently, in an attempt to reveal just how closely a chicken's brain resembles our own, Jimmy will conduct an MRI scan on a chicken for the program... Hmmm, rather strange but I'm sure will be interesting to watch.
It was good to talk to a number of companies selling their products at the show, who were all very positive about the visitor numbers this year. It's always interesting for me to see what new products have come onto the market and this year, I spent some time looking at the plastic polypropylene nest boxes and show cages that you can now buy. Not a bad idea for a red mite problem I thought.
Photographing some of the winning birds is always a challenge, especially on a budget without having a stand and lights, so I am very grateful to Rupert Stephenson for yet again providing me with some very professional photos. Thank you Rupert!
 National Poultry Show 2009 Results
The best in show, supreme champion and champion bantam hardfeather went to Peter Watkinson with his Black / Red Modern Game Bantam Pullet (shown right, click to enlarge - photo Tim Daniels.).
Reserve champion, best large fowl (male), best opposite sex, best ladies exhibit and best champion large / heavy breed went to Clare Curtis with her black Croad Langshan.
Best Trio went to Grant Brereton with his Partridge Wyandotte Bantams - certainly not an easy task to get male and females right!
Best Large Light Breed and Best Large Fowl (female) went to Rob Walker with his Black Minorca.
Champion Bantam and Bantam Heavy went to B.G. Ward with his White German Langshan.
Champion Eggs went to to G.C. Taylor.
Champion rare breed went to Tinson and Hidden with their Red Saddled Yokohama.
Champion combining Utility and Exhibition qualities went to J. Crawt with his male Barnevelder.
Champion LF Hard Feather went to Peter Watkinson with his Old English Game (Grey).
Champion Turkey went to Oliver Fower with his Narranganset Stag.
Best Waterfowl went to J. Kay and sons with their Black East Indian duck
Best Juvenile went to C.D. Lewis with his Black Orpington hen.
Best Junior Handler went to P.J.R. Short with a lovely White Pekin.
Hopefully I haven't left anyone out!
The next few pages have some photos of the National....
Here are a selection of photos of the National Poultry Show 2009. You can enlarge an image by right clicking and selecting view image if you like.
All of these photographs are Courtesy of Poultry Photographer Rupert Stephenson, to whom we are very grateful.
Photos are in no particular order!
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Best in Show, Supreme Champion &
Champion Bantam Hardfeather
Black / Red Modern Game Bantam Pullet - Peter Watkinson
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Mr P. Watkinson receives Best In Show from
Chris Parker, the new president of the
Poultry Club of Great Britain.
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Champion Rare Breed - Yokohama
Tinson-and-Hidden
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Champion Ancona
Mr. C.Marles
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Best Light Breed - White Leghorn
Mr. Ian Mills
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Championship Row Judge Colin Clarke |
More photos on the next page!
Again, all of the photos on this page are courtesy of poultry photographer Rupert Stephenson.
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Best Asian Malay-stag
Martin-Stephenson
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Reserve Silkie Champion
Louise-Hidden
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Best Blue Australorp
Chris Burrows
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1st - Silver Sebright
J. Kestrell
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1st - White Crested Cuckoo Polish
Amelia Richardson
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1st - Nankin (Male)
P.M.Fieldhouse
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More photos on the next page!
Again, all of the photos on this page are courtesy of poultry photographer Rupert Stephenson.
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Best Black Australorp
Gordon Walker
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Getting the birds to pose for the camera!
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Best Old English Game - Pile
Mr. Austinshaw
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Fiona Stobinski - First lady judge of the Orpington Club
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The Battery Hen Welfare Trust Stand
Ian and Mollie.
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Champion Trio - Partridge Wyandotte Bantams
Grant-Brereton
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