Goin’ to Kansas City,

Kansas City here I come…

The Orchid Society of Greater Kansas City held its Kansas City Orchid Expo & Sale at the Mid-America Orchid Congress Fall 2007 meeting at the Hilton Garden Inn, Independence, Missouri, on Nov. 16-18. There were hundreds of blooming orchids on display in the exhibit area and a dozen vendors offering orchids and orchid related products. Below is a photo of the Slc. Yellow Warbler 'Hoosier' AM/AOS, which won Best of Class and Best of Show at the exhibit. It also was honored with an AM/AOS 86 pts award at the show. It was exhibited by Hoosier Orchids of Indianapolis, IN.

Photo by Jim Pyrzynski

For a complete listing and photos of all orchids that won AOS awards at the show  click here:  All photos were taken by Jim Pyrzynski.  For a schedule of events at the show click here. To look at snapshot taken at the show by OSGKC member Paul  Kreutzer click here.

 

Orchid Judging - An Explanation

By Mark Prout

The OSGKC’s recent show was sanctioned and judged by the American Orchid Society (AOS). Judging shows is a service of the AOS to its members and affiliated local societies to promote the enjoyment of orchid growing and encourage advancement in cultivation and hybridization.

An orchid show features two different kinds of judging. Show judging compares entered orchids according a schedule of categories determined by the show organizers. In OSGKC’s case, they used the show schedule developed by the Mid-America Orchid Congress.

When judging shows, judges compare plants for their visual impact, looking for the “Wow!” factor. This usually gives the blue ribbon to the best color and form and most flowers on a healthy, well groomed plant. One plant may not possess all the attributes, but one should stand out above the rest. Sometimes, a category may feature plants that are sub-par and judges may then choose to award no blue ribbon and give only red and white ribbons. In a show schedule with 110 categories, there are usually several with few or no entries. It isn’t unusual for the only plant in a category to get the blue or if it’s found wanting, only a red or white or no ribbon at all. Since, one of the objectives of judging is encouragement and enjoyment of the hobby, show judging awards ribbons fairly freely and sometimes awards multiple ribbons in categories where numerous plants are obvious contenders.

Categories are grouped according to genus and best of class trophies awarded to the best of the blue ribbons in the class. The organizing society sometimes offers trophies beyond the best of class. The OSGKC show gave a best of show. Following show judging, judges select plants for further consideration for AOS awards. AOS judging evaluates the plant according to exacting standards developed for its genus. Judges must have a broad knowledge of the major genera, the species that comprise them, and how they interact genetically in their hybrids. Judges will discuss a plant’s attributes in comparison to the standards, which generally emphasize color, roundness, symmetry, fullness and floriferousness. They compare the plant to ones of the same species or hybrid that have received past awards, consulting the published record. If one of the judges on the team considering a plant nominates it, they then score the plants using a 100 point scale quantifying its qualities. The highest flower quality award is a First Class Certificate (FCC) for plants receiving 90 points or more. An Award of Merit (AM) goes to plants scoring 80-89 points and a Highly Commended Certificate (HCC) for 75-79 points.

Slc. (Sophrolaeliocattleya) Yellow Warbler ‘Hoosier’ provides a good illustration of show and AOS judging. In the show, its color, floriferousness, and presentation first won the blue ribbon in its category, then the best of class trophy for the Cattleyas although there were other larger, even more floriferous plants in the class. Judges then deemed its combination of qualities superior to all the other bests of class and gave it the Best in Show Trophy.

The team of judges that considered the Cattleya class also chose the plant for AOS judging, recognizing that it was a remarkable example of breeding, crossing Slc. Love Fresh, itself a successful hybrid of two of most best parents in miniature yellow Cattleya breeding, with Sophronitis cernua, a species with tiny red-orange flowers. The average of five judges scoring it was 86, adding an Award of Merit to its show wins.

It takes a minimum of six years to become an accredited AOS judge, three years as a student judge and three as a probationary judge, perhaps longer if a candidate’s accredited colleagues require it. Students write and present two papers a year to their judging center. In monthly judging sessions at the judging center, students learn about judging through practice and get the opportunity to demonstrate their own knowledge. They attend lectures and read as widely as they can in orchid publications and books to expand their knowledge.