International Ornithological Association (COM-GB) Affiliated to the Confederation Ornithologique Mondiale

 

The IOA at The World Show

 

 

The 58th World Championships capped of a fantastic year for the IOA and Team GB with 16 medals in total , with each passing year we continue to increase our 'medal haul' and although  last year was hailed as our most sucessful in the modern day history of the IOA, that same history will  now record that 2010  holds that acolade.

Brian Hogg , with 2 Golds and a Silver has now firmly established himself as one of the worlds leading Lancashire canary fanciers. Les Summers continued his 2009/2010 European campaign with his Irish Fancy canaries by adding a Gold and three Silver medals to his trophy cabinet , one of the Silvers coming by way of a highly regarded stam (matched team of four).Simon Tammam secured a Gold medal with his Fiorino Canaries and was also honoured by the C.O.M. for his services to the IOA by being awarded the Pin l'argent  ( Silver  'Pin' ) . From a competative section , IOA stalwart , Alan Robinson , emerged with a Bronze medal for his cinnamon Blackheaded Greenfinch. For the second year running Bernard Howlett was the 'star' of team GB being awarded 3 Gold , 2 Silver and 2 Bronze medals with his team of song thrushes & yellow hammers , making him the most sucessful UK world show exhibitor in the history of our Association. For the IOA to depart from Portugal with four World Champions in Brian , Les , Simon and Bernard reinforces the UK's role within the Iternational exhibition calander. Whilst we celebrate the success of our newly crowned World Champions we must not overlook the part played by the whole of team GB , who left a lasting impression upon our hosts who commented on the general quality of the GB entry with many of our birds scoring well and being just outside the medals .

 

It was encouraging to see so many British visitors to the Show , especially our Gibralter based members Peter Sardena , Maxi Pratts and John Gonzalez , who not only attended but  once again supported the IOA by entering birds ,  despite the logistical difficulties of getting the birds to Portugal. Whilst on the subject of 'logitical difficulties' let us not forget that our birds left the UK during some of the worst weather we have experienced in over thirty years and in a journey  of over 1,000 miles through snow , gusting winds and driving rain it is testement to the dedication of our conveyors , Richard Lumley & Neville Gaunt , that all the birds that left the UK arrived in Portugal safe and sound and more suprisingly , on time.

 

It was not just 'firsts' on the show bench for the IOA ,  we added yet another OMJ (world order judge ) to our growing list , when William McKay became the first Scotsman to pass the OMJ entrance exam, proudly representing not only Great Britain but also Scotland.

 

THE REST OF TEAM GB RESULTS
NAME	VARIETY	HIGHEST POINTS
David Allen	Lizard Canary	90
Paul Brockman	Japanese Hoso Posture  Canary	90
Saviour Camilleri	Norwich Canary	91
Frank Carter	Java Sparrow	90
Fernando Da Silva	Norwich Canary	90
Andy Early	Japanese Hoso Posture Canary	90
Neville Gaunt	Colour Canary	90
John  Gonzalez	Gloster Canary	88
Ricahrd Lumley	Gloster Canary	89
William McKay	Fife Canary	90
James Murray	Fife Canary	90
Colin Patterson	Greenfinch	91
Maxi Pratts	Greenfinch Mutation	90
Peter Sardena	Colour Canary	90
Robert Wright	Gloster Canary	89

 

 

The total number of birds entered was 19359 and the number of birds entered by each nation were as follows: Austria 360, Belgium 2004,  France 1894, Germany 931, Great Britain 151, Greece 21, Holland 1061 Hungary 30, Italy 4102,  Ireland 60, Malta 105, Morocco 42, Poland 4, Portugal 3505, Spain 4429, Switzerland 477, Turkey 133

  A  total of 2,238 exhibitors from 17 Nations entered a total of  19359 birds. The partition of the medals  was as follows:
Italy :-- 259 Gold, 162 Silver, 132 Bronze , Belgium :- 161 Gold, 130 Silver , 82 Bronze ,Holland:- 70 Gold , 62 Silver , 43 Bronze , Spain :- 122 Gold , 125 Silver , 103 Bronze , France :- 77 Gold , 68 Silver, 67 Bronze Germany :-49 Gold , 45 Silver , 42 Bronze , Portugal :- 78 Gold , 78 Silver, 68 Bronze . Austria:- 12 Gold, 13 Silver , 14 Bronze , Switzerland:- 9 Gold , 10 Silver , 17 Bronze ,

 Great Britain:- 7 Gold, 6 Silver , 3 Bronze , Hungary :- 9 Gold , 5 Silver , 3 Bronze ,   Ireland :- 4 Golds , 2 Bronze , Turkey:- 3 Golds, 4 Silvers, 4 Bronze.  Malta:- 5 Gold , 4 Silver , 6 Bronze  Marocco:- 1 Bronze. This ia a total of 865 Gold , 712 Silver , 587 Bronze.

 

 

The Association presented all participating members at this world show with a special edition of the distinctive  IOA badge , struck  with a gold background as opposed to the normal silver ,  to commemorate their taking part in this prestigious event.

The lOA looks forward to taking many more birds to participate in the next World Show.