how to enter my orchid for judging at the neighboring city orchid show?

[PuiPuiMolcar]

I have this Eplc. Volcano Trick here in full bloom and want to give myself a taste of orchid judging for the experience and fun of it.
But I don't know where to get started and the orchid show (the South Bay orchid society) is this weekend.

[FranningtonBear]

Wow! She is stunning!

Sorry no advice, but good luck

[Ray]

I don’t know if that plant - fantastic as it is - is awardable, but you probably needn’t do much more contact the event’s sponsor organization this week and ask.

[tmoney]

dude, what a monster!

our is if you feel like getting it judged then yeah, take it down there. have you reached out to the contact at the event listing to inquire?

even if it doesn't get awarded you will probly learn stuff and meet people and have fun (and some nerves every now and then do good to keep us on our toes, i feel). but also you get to take home that stunner and enjoy it!

good luck man!!

[Roberta]

If you want to get it AOS-judged, check the AOS calendar. The closest judging center to you I think is at the Huntington, I recall that their judging is first Saturday at 9 AM. For the South Bay Show, yes contact the club. I think that there will be AOS judging there.

[StephaneL]

I am a member of the South Bay Orchid Society and I hope to see you, and your plant, at the show next weekend.

The rules and forms to enter your plant in the exhibit are available at South Bay Orchid Society - Show Plant Registration Information. Basically you need to fill the registration slip and bring the plant to the Palos Verdes Art Center by 5pm on Friday night.

Be aware that there will be no AOS judging at the show. If you are also interested in that, you can consult the web site of the Pacific South Judging Center.

[PuiPuiMolcar]

Hello everyone and thank you for your wonferful comments I really appreaciate it. Sadly due to the extreme heatwave, I spent most of my days putting on shades and preparing for the worst so I didn't really have the time and energy to do anything else. I just want to show it off for fun, but I think I might not be able to make it to the show unfortunately.

[lunarorchid]

Originally Posted by Ray

I don’t know if that plant - fantastic as it is - is awardable, but you probably needn’t do much more contact the event’s sponsor organization this week and ask.

and now because I'm curious, what does make a plant awardable? I've always wondered what the criteria was.

[Roberta]

To be awardable by the American Orchid Society (other countries also have national societies with similar standards for orchid judging) there are a pile of criteria that need to be met. I'll leave it to the various AOS judges who are members of the board to get into the details.

This particular hybrid has many AOS awards, so for a start it would need to be an improvement (by the judging criteria) . Being absolutely gorgeous like this one, not necessarily enough if other specimens were even more gorgeous. When a plant is awarded, the various flower measurements, flower count, etc. go into the record so one is competing with history, all the examples of it that have ever been awarded.

However, at most shows, there is also more informal judging, by members of the society - where AOS judges serve a 7-year or so apprenticeship to become fully certified, society "ribbon judges" are typically orchid lovers who volunteer. Where AOS judges work from a handbook of criteria, the criteria for show ribbon judging are more like "what do you like best" or "which ones do you wish you could take home", in the various categories ...much more informal. It's fun to show off one's plants and take home ribbons (or even trophies), be recognized by one's peers, though the results don't go into a permanent record. For the show awards, one is only competing with the other plants at that show, not all of history. If the OP had entered this plant for judging at the show he was considering, it very likely would have won one of the ribbons, or more. But one never knows what other people may bring, or what the people doing the judging like, decisions decisions decisions. If one's baby doesn't win, don't take it personally, there's always next year.