How are judges selected to adjudicate at the members show ?
Until the current restrictions on animals [exhibition birds] entering and exiting UK are revised or UK exhibit levels increase to over 1000 the number of Judges at the October Exhibition are reduced to 4 [Four] including 1 overseas judge.
The overseas judge nominations go before the IGBA committee for validation and once accepted are added to the next vacant overseas judge position.
Eligible UK judges are listed on the Show Entry Form and members are asked to select 3 [Three] names . The selections are tallied and the top 3 names are invited to judge at the next members show.
INTRODUCING JUDGES AT IGBA2025.
Individual Profiles : Mario Farrugia [Malta] ; Neil Burton [Carlisle] ; Paul Reay [Carlisle ] ;
Adrian Short [Scunthorpe]
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Mario Farrugia [Malta]
Let me start by saying I consider it a great honour and a privilege to have been chosen to judge the International Gloster Breeders Association, 2025.
I believe, I am the first person from Malta to judge this prestigious show and looking forward to it immensely.
My grandfather was great keeper of horses. Since my father was a policeman, within the mounted section and every Sunday afternoon he was practically always on duty at the race track, I used to go with him to the race track every Sunday afternoon to watch horse racing. After the meeting we used to go to visit several friends of his who were trainers, drivers and jockeys.
Most of the thoroughbred horses were imported from the UK and standard bred horses “trotters” were imported from France.
Horse racing and French trotters were my passion and eventually bought a horse from France to race him in Malta. I used to visit Vincennes race track in Paris, which is considered the temple of trot horse racing quite often. Still do every now and then.
I had to break from keeping horses, when I met and married my wife Josette in 1991. We have two adorable daughters.
After a year, I decided to get into dogs by starting showing American Akitas. My first purchase was a male doge that I bought from the UK and subsequently I purchased two other dogs from the USA. I am proud to say that I have been the first Maltese to make a champion up, competing in UK dog shows.
After ten years of keeping dogs, I decided to specialize in birds. Thanks to my dear friend Mr. Sergio Ebejer Com O.M.J he introduced me to his super stock of coloured canaries, but didn’t have any pairs available. We started making a few contacts with several Belgian breeders but could not get any pairs because, they were sold out and had to wait for a couple of years, because the type of stock I wanted was in demand.
One afternoon, end of January beginning of February 2000 I went to my regular pet shop to buy some seeds for my greenfinches and upon paying for the seeds, I saw my first gloster canary book and was amazed at the sight of the crest on the corona. I was hooked.
Purchased the book and started reading and I got more interested. That afternoon I made a few phone calls inquiring about gloster canaries. The week after I purchased two pairs but something was telling me they were no good.
To make a long story short, my initial stock was obtained from Barrie Alexander. I managed to purchase quite a few pairs to start with. In the following years, I purchased more pairs from Barrie which is the bloodline and foundation of my stock. As my interest in this beautiful canary increased, I added more pairs from Barrie’s lines through A. Middlemiss and T. Thompson.
From Darren Gill I acquired some excellent birds but also got birds with Barrie’s bloodlines.
Practically I am coming up to my 25th year in keeping, breeding and showing glosters which I have enjoyed very much. It is a nice hobby and has made many friends over the years.
I have judged in Belgium, Holland, Italy, Northern Ireland, Greece and England, where it has been a privilege to have met and become friends with many fellow fanciers. But it is always nice to be approved to judge the International Gloster Breeders Association Show.
I have had my fair share of success on the show bench by winning multiple best gloster at all gloster shows
As a judge, I will be looking for a good short typey bird with good feather quality and colour.
I hope you will have a successful breeding and show season, and looking forward to renewing those acquaintances, and to making many more at the show.
Paul Reay
My name is Paul Reay I’m 61 and feel it I’m from Carlisle in Cumbria and am a joiner, I’m show manager of the northern GLOSTER club and along with Neil Burton and Dave hobart we put on a showin October the first all GLOSTER show of the year
Firstly let me thank the membership for voting me to judge the igba once again I’m not quite sure if it’s on merit or they just want us out the way for a year any way thanks,
Iv kept Glosters for 37 or so years also having them as a junior as well as new colours and zebra finches
My partnership with Neil Burton started some 30 ish years ago ,before that we both showed in the novice section at local shows Neil had some good consorts and me good coronas and as we got to know each other better and travel to shows together we swapped a few birds then it was an easy transformation to a partnership.
This will be my second time judging and I’m looking forward to it, thank you and good luck to you all at the show.
Adrian Short
It’s a privilege and honour to be selected to judge the show I first started keeping gloster in the 90s as a 13 year old.
As a kid I spent a lot of time at my grandparents my granddad having an aviary with various birds. I got interested in gloster as there was two breeders that lived on the same road as my grandparents.
I would go around and help them with their birds.
Kept them for 4 years showing at local shows and at the IGBA once in 1994. At that time there was a few juniors I think 8 juniors exhibits at that show. As time moved on and other things started happening I finished with Glosters in 1997.
I started to get interested in Gloster again in 2009 when I was living in Northern Ireland.
I visited a few shows, bought some birds in late 2009 for the 2010 breeding season. As there was a change in circumstances I moved back to Scunthorpe in early 2010. I set up again in late 2010 for the 2011 breeding season and the rest is history
Neil Burton
Firstly, can I thank all the members for selecting me to judge the IGBA this will be the third time I have had the honour of judging this show. This will have been my 39th year of breeding Gloster Canaries, growing up I was surrounded by livestock from Pit Ponies, Bantams, Geese, etc.
I am originally from South Yorkshire and one of the founding members of the Yorkshire Gloster Canary Club I moved to Cumbria in 1988 for work.
Paul Reay and I started travelling to shows together shortly thereafter a partnership was born which continues to this day.
I hope everyone has had a good breeding season and will be entering plenty of birds.
