SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S TOP BUDGERIGARS BATTLE IT OUT FOR STATE TITLES

The last weekend in May, South Australia’s best budgerigars will come together from all over the state for the Budgerigar State Titles. This is a team event, with each team aiming to win the coveted “Logan Shield”. The event is hosted by the Budgerigar Council of South Australia and the winners go on to represent their state at the National Championships, being held in Ballarat this year.

In 2022, the Budgerigar Society of SA (BSSA) won the State Titles with 1062 points, followed by the North East Budgerigar Society (NEBS) on 427 points, and Port Pirie Budgerigar Society (PPBS) on 174 points.

At the National event the week thereafter, South Australia finished 4th overall with two class wins, both from the BSSA. Troy Holmes (Holmes Family) from Adelaide won the Normal Blue Class, and the father-son partnership of Jason & Wayne Weidenhofer from the Fleurieu Peninsula won the Dilute Class. South Australia’s cumulative points score was 397 points, with Victoria taking out the event with 629 points.

This year’s State Titles will be held at Enfield Community Centre, 540 Regency Road Enfield on Sunday May 28th, and open to the Public between Noon and 2:00 PM. The exhibition budgerigars will again battle it out across 28 different classes, for a place in the State Team to compete in the Australian National Budgerigar Council (ANBC) National Titles, held the following weekend. Three birds from each of the twenty-eight classes (a combined team of 84 birds) will travel to the host state (Victoria) in the first week in June, to compete against the best birds in Australia. An esteemed International Judge in Maarten Heylen from Belgium will be flying in to adjudicate the event, along with three Australian judges. The 28 classes of the National Championships will be judged over two days.

The National teams competition for budgerigars dates back to 1975. The show brings together the most elite young budgerigars in Australia – the best of the best.  In real terms, the 84 birds from each team represent less than 4 budgerigars for every 1,000 club rung birds bred that year. Birds can only be shown once for the National titles as young birds, bred the year prior. This year, only 2022 club rung birds are eligible to be shown.

These 84 birds selected at the Logan Shield are entrusted to a group of carers, who have a week to prepare them for the pinnacle event on the Australian budgerigar calendar. Winners of these classes are immortalized with a Logie, the ultimate prize for any given variety. Wins at a National level from 1983 onwards are recognized towards the ultimate prize of a place in the ANBC Budgerigar Hall of Fame.

Background

First recorded in 1805, budgerigars are popular pets around the world due to their small size, low cost, and ability to mimic human speech. According to Wikipedia, they are the third most popular pet in the world, after the domesticated dog and cat. Exhibition budgerigars are judged against an international Standard of Excellence and governed by the World Budgerigar Organisation (WBO).

Background – The Budgerigar Council of South Australia (BCSA)

The BCSA is the governing body for Budgerigars in South Australia. It produces a quarterly magazine, Chatter.  More information, please visit the website https://www.bcsa.com.au

 

Mr. Troy Holmes
BCSA President
[email protected]
0419 526 753

 

Class 3 – Normal Blue ANBC Winner

Holmes Family (South Australia)

Photo courtesy of Rod Turnbull & the ANBC

J & W Weidenhofer (South Australia)

Class 9 – Normal Dilute ANBC Winner

Photo courtesy of Rod Turnbull & the ANBC