Re: [AISdiscuss] Re: JT Handbook Revisions

[CEMahan@aol.com]

It is all well and good to advocate more rigorous requirements for  judges.  
There is, however, one problem. The tougher the standards the  fewer the 
judges. The fewer the judges, the more difficult it is to obtain  judges for an 
iris show. This is precisely the reason that I have come to  believe that a class 
of show judges is desirable. Show judging is  fundamentally an exercise in 
aesthetics. 
 
And now I will speak the unspeakable. The pretense that judges are judging  
each cultivar on the show bench against its own best performance is just that, 
a  pretense. Except in a few areas where the same irises show up on the bench 
all  the time, it is a rare judge who has a familiarity with many if not most 
of the  irises exhibited in a show. 
 
If the iris is new or unusual, it is rare for judges to have even heard of  
it. Once when I exhibited 'Big Money,' none of the judges even knew it was a  
Pacific Coast Native, and when I exhibited Iris gracilipes none of the  judges 
had ever seen it before. But even in the popular tall bearded category, I  
have seen blue ribbons on misnamed cultivars. Indeed, I have seen Best Specimen  
awarded to misidentified tall bearded irises. And I'll bet many you have seen  
this also.
 
Iris shows are probably the most effective way we promote irises. It is  
crucial that show officials be able to obtain judges. I am not against tougher  
standards for garden judges, but I caution that AIS should also be considering  
how to aid people to put on iris shows. I personally think that a class of 
show  judges would be a good solution. If others disagree, what are their ideas 
for  addressing this very real problem? Clarence Mahan

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