Show report courtesy of Andy Early, Secretary of the London Fancy Canary Club:

A last minute change of heart by Gary Cook had a big impact on the London Fancy section at the 2025 National Exhibition.  He sent a WhatsApp message to me on the Thursday before the show asking if he could bring four birds on the Sunday morning.  Not wanting to turn down another four birds and an extra exhibitor, I agreed.  The message back from Gary was ”I have a good un”, and when I saw it on the Sunday morning I was very glad that I’d agreed.  One bird stood out, and I had a gut feeling that it would prove to be the best London Fancy canary.

Gary’s entry brought the total number of birds entered to 29 (25 benched).  More importantly, the overall quality of the London Fancies was probably one of the best I have seen at the National.  I was judging the Irish Fancy section, and left David Sheppard and Gary Cook to assist this year’s judge Kevin McCallum.  Huw Evans, Club President, was also on hand to lend support if needed, but he said that the lads were clearly on top of things so he left them to it.  It was a great learning experience for them. Kevin McCallum is a very experienced COM judge and knows his stuff.  I was confident he would point out things he had spotted with certain birds, sometimes things exhibitors hadn’t spotted themselves.  A bird in a show cage is completely different from one in a stock cage.

Once I had finished my commitments with the Irish Fancy section, I returned to the London Fancies.  My first impressions had been correct.  Gary Cook’s clear or nearly clear bodied unflighted bird had indeed won the award for the Best London Fancy canary.  I never asked Gary what sex it was, but it looked like a mealy cock. Huw was equally impressed, and commented that it was a pity we can no longer compete at the World Show because he was confident that it would be in the medals.  Gary won all the classes he entered and there was also a really nice spangleback amongst his other birds.

Out of the four exhibitors, three were novices. The Best Champion bird was a current-year spangleback mealy hen bred by Andy Early.  David Sheppard was pleased as punch to win some of the novices classes; his whites were really good. His birds have definitely progressed since he started showing, and some videos of the birds he left at home demonstrate that he has the stock to move forward.  The other novice exhibitor Darren Ashpole benched some nice birds, and had some class wins.  It bodes well for the London Fancy canary to have these keen novice exhibitors taking up the challenge, and once they move up to champion status, I’m in serious trouble!

An event like the National is not possible without the support of the Parrot Society.  Not only do they provide the venue, but they pay a bounty to the clubs running their own sections, so the club costs are covered. Johnson and Jeff seed merchants sponsor the rosettes, and it’s a prestigious thing to win a National rosette.  They also provide sacks of seed for each section.  Other rosettes are supplied by the IOA and NCA.

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My thanks to Andy for his report and my congratulations to all the exhibitors for putting on such a good display of London Fancies.