International Ornithological Association
Founder Member COM-UK

Affiliated to the Confederation Ornithologique Mondiale

The 2016 show was held on 3/4th Dec 2016 and attracted a record entry of 7300 birds from all of Europe, birds came from Holland, Belgium, France, Malta and United Kingdom. Alan Robinson and myself took 15 members birds ( a total of 170 birds) and were rewarded with a COM medal haul of 27. First, a big thanks to the show organisation for once again putting on a first class show and to all who took part in the show, some did not win but it’s the taking part which counts for me.

There were a few stars but for me the star of the show team has to be Neil Prentice who won 1 gold and 1 silver with his redpolls, not the biggest winner but he won gold with a redpoll out of a class of 47 birds, now that just takes some doing. A close runner up has to be first time exhibitor and novice breeder Rob Savage, he sent 10 birds and was rewarded with 2 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze with his Irish team. Donald Skinner-Reid from Scotland won 2 gold and 1 silver with his Gibso (another first). Gloster breeder Richard Lumley won 1 gold and 1 bronze with a Bullfinch Hen (first time), Richard Kendrew won 1 bronze with his glosters. Dave Shelbourne from Wales  and George Whitfield both won 1 bronze with their Fifes. Stacey Turner won 1 gold with his British birds and last but not least affiliated member Maurice O’Conner won 4 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze with his Irish Fancy. Super, a big thanks to all.
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The 23rd Gouden Ring Show how held on 5/6th Dec 2015 saw a record entry of 6800 birds  in total, and once again it was a super show. This year due to other organisations jumping on the band wagon of what the IOA has achieved in showing at this show there were four lots of conveyors taking birds from the UK and so to distance them selves the IOA officers Alan Robinson and Richard Lumley have decided to call their team, TEAM YORKSHIRE and so can only report on the members birds who showed under that banner. A total number of 17 members sent 210 birds and were rewarded with a wonderful medal haul, 14 COM Gold, 11 COM Silver and 7 COM Bronze. Just proving that North of Watford is were the best birds came from. The high light of the team was Darren Hadley with his Irish fancys he sent 1 stamm team and 8 single birds and was rewarded with 3 Gold, 4 Silver, 1 Bronze, in fact only one bird got nothing. But other first time winners were Mel Knaggs 1 Gold with a Pairisan Frill, Keith Bennett 2 Gold with his Irish, George Dial 1 Gold with a Satinet, Colin Patterson 1 Gold with a Kobalt, Stan Bolton 2 Gold with his lizards, Maurice O’Conner 4 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze with his Irish, Pornprapa Bolton 1 Silver, Georgina Bunting 1 Silver, Adam Kendall 1 Silver, Richard Kendrew 1 Silver, Willie McKay 1 Silver, 2 Bronze with his Fifes, Rob Bunting 1 Bronze and Donald Skinner-Reid 1 Bronze with his Scotts fancy. Just to prove how hard it is to win at this show both myself and Alan won nothing as did a few others but as I always say it’s taking part that is the most important thing and I thank every one who took the time to show and visit the show.
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The 22nd Gouden Ring Show  was held on the 6/7th Dec 2014 in Roeselare, Belgium. It went ahead even though certain breeders in the UK were telling everybody that the show was off due to the out break of Bird Flu in Holland. The answer to why the show went on is in the place were the Bird flu was and it was in Holland NOT Belgium. A record total of 5760 birds were on show, the Belgium government would not allow the show hall to sell birds out so no dealers/members were at the show selling birds, but just to show how daft this idea was you could travel 10 mins drive from the show hall to a very well known dealer and purchase as many birds as you wanted and this is what a large number of breeders from the UK did.
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The IOA-COM-UK have just returned from this wonderful show with a record number of COM medals.Conveyor Alan Robinson and his assistant Richard Lumley took from the UK a total of 270 birds which is a record for the show. In total they won 31 COM medals, 16 Gold, 13 Silver and 12 Bronze. The standard of birds on the show bench this year were of a very high quality so to win this many medals is a great achievement.
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The IOA-COM-UK have just returned from a wonderful exhibition at the 20th Gouden Ring Show held in Roeselare, Belgium 1-2nd December 2012.The conveyors Alan Robinson with his assistant Richard Lumley took a total of 197 birds from 24 exhibitors of which five were showing for the first time from the UK. They won a record total of 21 COM medals, which were made up of 11 gold, 5 Silver and 5 Bronze. A total of 24 members and affiliated societies took part in the show, and the honour this year of being the UK’s first gold medal winner at the show fell to Fife breeder Willie McKay from Scotland with a wonderful stam  team, this was quickly followed by David Shelbourne from Wales who won his first ever gold medal also with a wonderful cinnamon Fife, he also won a silver with a Blue hen. Gary Mann won a bronze medal with his fifes. (more…)