Best in Show - what are the categories?

[FrogO_Oeyes]

I've already presented what I would like to see in terms of a competitive herptile show, in another thread, along with a breakdown of the hoped for prizes, here:
http://albertareptilesociety.org...=4329#post4329
If that piks your interest, you might like to know something of the entry categories I've suggested:

Livestock Judging Categories

Best of Show

Chelonia
Archosauria, Crocodylia
Reptilia
Amphibia

Best of Class
Reptilia, Serpentes
Reptilia, Amphisbaenia
Reptilia, Lacertilia
Amphibia, Gymnophiona
Amphibia, Caudata
Amphibia, Anura

Best of Group
[breakdown available on request]

Best of Type
[breakdown available on request]

Best of Breed
[breakdown available on request]

Cage judging categories

Best of Show
Amateur display - overall
Commercial display - overall
Non-commercial display - overall
Educational display
Aquaria
Paludaria [s.l.]
Spelearia
Terraria [s.l.]
Biotope

Best of Class
Terrarium, Desertarium
Terrarium, Graminarium
Paludarium, Lentarium
Paludarium, Lotarium
Terrarium, Neblarium
Paludarium [s.s.]
Terrarium, Petrarium
Terrarium [s.s.]

Best of Group

Undefined. Particular habitats, as discussed in definitions, may be judged.

*”s.l.” means “sensu lato”, or “in the old sense”. That is, an older concept which is a broader category.
“s.s.” means “sensu stricto”, or “in the strict sense”. This indicates a newer concept which is more limited than an older one.

Other judging categories

*Due to the ability to digitally alter photographs automatically, photographs which are artistically altered [to include special effects other than “correction”] are not recognized for judging purposes.

Artwork
To include sculpted, two dimensional illustrations, and ceramics.

Best of Show
Ceramics
Illustration
Sculpture

Best of Class
Illustration, pencil
Illustration, colored pencil
Illustration, pastel
Illustration, watercolor/acrylic
Illustration, ink
Illustration, oil
Sculture, bronze
Sculpture, ceramic
Sculpture, other

Best of Group
Undefined.

Photography

Best of Show

Best of Class
Arachnid
Myriapod
Hexapod
Other Invertebrate
Snake
Lizard
Chelonia, Rhynchocephalia, or Crocodylia
Anura
Caudata
Other Animal
Underwater life
Plant or Fungus
Habitat or Scenery

Best of Group
Undefined. Suggested categories are scorpions, tarantulas, colubrids, poison frogs, treefrogs, centipedes, millipedes, and lepidoptera. Categories to be determined by hosting club.

Craftwork

To include complex or multimedia works which do not fit a cage definition, nor an art or photograph category. This includes sewing, embroidery, needlepoint, engraving, embossing, collage, and any other “craft” with a herptile or invertebrate theme. Category contents to be defined by hosting club.

Best of Show
Best of Class
Best of Group

This breakdown is intended to include most of the possible entries, and has room for additional categories to be added. Obviously, if there are no entries for a category, it will simply not exist during that show.

I will define the cage categories in another thread, as several are entirely new concepts in the world, and in themselves are not topics for show discussion. For show relevance, they help break up the competition, while also describing a greater number of artificial habitats than the current terms allow.

The animal categories are mainly taxonomic, based on current terminology. Due to the fact that species are not equally popular everywhere, nor even available, there are categories which lump similar or related species, and there are categories which focus entirely on one species. If corn snakes are popular at one show, they can be judged solely corn snake versus corn snake. If they are rare at another show, they can be judged against other rat snakes only. That breakdown is very extensive, but not “complete”, nor inflexible. I've left it out for those reasons. It's really only of importance to judges [at this time].

[GONESNAKEE]

I see this as something that should all start off very simple & be expanded as interest/involvement dictates. IMHO we are looking at starting this off in a way too complicated a fashion that will be extremely hard to implicate. We run a pretty simple show/club & I'm a big fan of K.I.S.S. myself. No disrespect but I see all of this as far too advanced & complicated for what we would ever require or be able to implement. I see things more realistically as being set up as a small handful of categories with no breakdowns (other than maybe childrens categories, if any even enter) such as: Best display, best artwork, top snake, lizard, tortoise/turtle, amphibian, arachnoid etc. Like 1/2 dozen or so simple straight forward categories that are not broken down into another 1/2 dozen more. We are not a huge organization with 1,000s (or even a 100) of members vending. The number of prize categories presented above will likely exceed the number of vendors present at the actual show. We will likely have MAYBE 30 vendors at a spring show if we are lucky (even a fall show for that matter). Its a TARAS show afterall, not Daytona. Realistically, Mark

[Spankenstyne]

Yeah, I was gonna wait to see what the full proposal was but definitely am thinking along the same lines as Mark. We can start off with a more basic format and as interest grows then we can look at getting more in depth with subspecies and all that. Just my thoughts though and we'll definitely have to see how it looks at the meeting.

[GONESNAKEE]

Above posts are not to take away from all the work Andrew has very obviously put into this of course. What is presented would be great as a long term goal I just don't see it as realistically foreseeable (is this a word LOL) in the immediate future. It is fantastic that we have members with such foresight working on such stuff & a lot of thought & effort was obvisously put into it. Andrew has every single category that could come to mind covered. I think it would be a great template for shows future goals, but see something much more basic being implemented to begin with. When I first reviewed everything Andrew had presented to me at the last meeting my first reacton to the detail involved was WOW actually, Kudos, Mark

[Spankenstyne]

Oh definitely. He's obviously put a ton of work into it and to clarify what I meant was I wanted to wait for his proposal at the meeting to see what his intentions were for implimentation, because as mentioned it looks like an awesome long term project that should likely start off on the basic end and work it's way up to what he's put up.

[FrogO_Oeyes]

It's actually set up so that the detail is available, but not required. All entries are put into a category which has at least three entrants. No entrants, no category. If there is a grand total of 3 entries, there's only one category to judge. If there are 50, each will be judged against the most similar entries. That's why I left out all the animal categories - the only ones who really need to know them are those who are juggling entries. If I hadn't considered them in the first place, it would just leave to door open to 1000 last minute "what about" and "what ifs". It's far less complex than it looks. I would just as soon encourage every entry possible. A handful is a start, but I think anywhere between 20 and 50 is reasonable for a first shot, and that's not including full table vendors and displays, which are also treated as competitors. Note that vendor tables are already established at well above the three entry minimum, and would not be in competition against any individual entries.

I can explain the system better in person, but it's imperative the membership hear the ideas earlier so that they can consider entries in advance. The length of the review is also such that everyone should get a chance to actually review it prior to a meeting. I think I had to email Carol twice to include everything. There are five appendices. Four of those are information from other competitions, and one is a complete breakdown of all the categories I accounted for in advance.

Remember, although this is being presented to [and presumably BY] TARAS, it is intended to be a framework which any club in the world can use. That way, as for things like dog shows, if you move or travel you can be judged and awarded by a more or less common standard. If you want an example of how the categories can be used and eliminated: A Florida show using this format could easily have a category JUST for eyelash vipers or temple vipers, and the winners of these could be judged against other winning vipers in "Class", and then against other winning snakes for Best in Show. Obviously, no viper classes will be used here because none are legal to own here. We also won't be judging crocodilians, because there just won't be enough entries to treat them separately. However, we COULD get a whole raft of bearded dragons or tricolor kings. If that's the case, we could award the best of each, and the winners would compete against other winners. You could then take the very same animals to Ontario or Nevada and compete in exactly the same categories.

[GONESNAKEE]

Ah that there explains a lot & definitely simplifies things right off the bat. Basically does what Chris & myself stated, makes it much simpiler. The 3 entries thing makes sense to me anyhow & like you say only 3 entries only 1 category. So basically each entry "qualifies" for quite a few different categories & will be placed in such categories appropriately by the judges based on overall entries or something to that affect. Mark

[FrogO_Oeyes]

BINGO!

And with enough entries, winners and "orphaned" categories move up one level of judging, the awards hopefully getting better as you go.

[DaremoAlpha]

haha If my gloves hold out and stupity takes a grip long enough I could put one of my blue tegus in there ( probably with a 1/2 pound of my flesh still in its mouth )
In Canada they are in a class all their own.

[Spankenstyne]

Very cool, looking forward to seeing it presented in person. It seems to be as Mark & I were hoping & only as complicated as it needs to be. Seems to be very thorough, not that I'd expect anything different though lol.