Yet again, the National Exhibition raised the curtain on the Lizard canary show season.  The 2026 edition was the first to be organised under the new APHA regulations, but things went smoothly and around 80 birds awaited me for judging.  They had a high standard to maintain after last year’s winner, a lovely non cap gold hen by Carlos de Santa Ana, went on to win Best Canary.

Best Lizard was awarded to Noel Sidney’s natural coloured broken cap gold hen, a well proportioned bird that displayed a classic combination of excellent spangles (including the head), profuse rowings and good colour.  Second Best Lizard was another broken cap gold hen, this time a colour-fed bird benched by Nick Rayson.  She was a similar type of bird and gave the winner a run for her money, but her spangles, although distinct and well aligned, showed slight frosting at the edges – a colour fault in golds.  

The award for Third Best Lizard went to a clear cap gold hen benched by George Loines.  She was by far the best of the Novice birds and held her spangling throughout the morning, while many good Champion birds had become tired by the time I came to judge the Specials.  It just goes to show that stamina is a major asset in a show bird.

The fourth Best Lizard was another Nick Rayson bird, this time a non cap gold cock with neat spangles and good rowings for a cock.  Alas he was past his best when I judged the Specials. 

Bob Bullock’s broken cap silver cock won Fifth Best Lizard.  This was a confident bird with consistently straight spangles, but he lost a few points on rowings and grizzled flight feathers.

The biggest loser on the day was Mick Tiffany’s colour-fed broken cap gold cock, a bold bird with deep colour and excellent spangles.  I had earmarked him as a potential winner when I judged the classes, but he was another that faded towards the end.  Hopefully he will come good later in the season.

While the top birds were well up to scratch, there some disappointments lower down the ranks. It may have been a consequence of an extremely hot summer, but many birds from respected breeders were too small to do their markings justice.   Rowings were often lacking, and many birds showed lightness between the legs.  Lizards with such shortcomings will invariably fall short when competing at this level.

The Lizard section was hosted, as ever, by the LCA.  My thanks to Andy Beesley the section secretary, Chris Jordan the section manager, and stewards Mick Tiffany and Bob Bullock for making my workflow so straightforward.

The will be greater challenges to come, but the 2026 Lizard show season has got off to a good start.