Article published February 2003

Congratulations go to Oliver Quinn from Kilkenny, Southern Ireland, on such a fine achievement. The win was made all the sweeter, as it was generally acknowledged that the increased YCC entry (up by approximately 9% on the previous year) included more top quality birds than has been seen at one event anywhere in the UK, for many years.

Ollie joins a long list of winners from Southern Ireland which since 1963 has included John O'Connor, (1977) W Kelly & Son (twice, in 1979 and 1980), Terry Bryan (1990) Joe McGrath (1995), Ned Power (1997) and David O'Keeffe (1998).

Coming close.

The YCC introduced a system of judging in 1994, which marked the clubs Centenary Year. Since then, the Best Seven birds have been selected in both the Champion and Novice sections, with the winners competing 'head to head' for the coveted Best in Show award. It is a much better system than the old Best / Best Opposite Sex awards, because it shows fanciers which were the better birds 'on the day', and lets everyone know how close they came to winning the show.

In 1994 Oliver won with a Clear Yellow Cock, and also with an Adult Variegated Yellow Cock, but failed to take any special awards. In '95, Oliver had an Unflighted Marked Buff Cock 'on the bench', selected by Judge John Alston as his best bird. Unfortunately, it decided to 'go down' at the crucial time, and ended up without winning an award. We shall never know how close it came. Oliver judged the YCC show in 1996, and in '97, fellow countryman Ned Power won Best Exhibit with an Unflighted Marked Buff Hen.

On to 1998, and Oliver's birds were getting stronger. He won 4th Best with an adult Green Marked Yellow Cock, a bird which displayed superb drive, length and shoulder, whilst the Best in Show award went to David O'Keeffe from Waterford, near Olivers' home town of Kilkenny.

1999, and almost there! Oliver scored Second Best in Show with a stylish Unflighted Green Marked Yellow Hen. This hen later went on to win the award for Best Yorkshire, Best Canary and Third Best Exhibit in Show at the National Exhibition of Cage & Aviary Birds in December of the same year.

Back at the YCC in Saltaire that year, Ollie also scored 3rd Best Champion with an adult Clear Yellow Cock, and Sixth Best, with an Unflighted Clear Buff Cock.

The stud was progressing well, although 2000 was a quieter year by Oliver's high standards, and he judged the YCC show once again, in 2001.

2002, and the waiting is over.

As the YCC Champion class results came in, it began to emerge just how strong the team from Oliver Quinn was, as he had no less than five class winners in the first sixteen classes. These classes are for Clear and Green Variegated birds, and are historically the largest and strongest classes, from where you would generally expect the Best Exhibit in Show to appear: in fact, only twice since 1970, has the Best in Show emerged from any other class, once when a Cinnamon marked bird won for the late M P 'Percy' James in 1987, and the following year, when Novice exhibitor Gerald Cooper took the award.

Olivers five class wins included each of the four unflighted green marked classes, which the four individual judges later reported as being their best classes in the entire show. Experienced judge Steve Dominey reported that the young Marked Buff Cock class was the strongest class he had ever judged, with the first 25 exhibits all being strong enough to win at almost any other event throughout the country. As it turned out, this single class supplied three of the final Best Seven Birds in the exhibition.

After due deliberation, Oliver's Unflighted Green Marked Buff Cock, which had earlier lead the above class, was the unanimous choice of the four show judges for the coveted Jack Cooper Memorial Rosebowl for Best in Show.

It was a fitting success for a popular fancier, who does everything in his power to promote the Yorkshire Canary throughout Southern Ireland, as well as in the North, and throughout Great Britain.

What happens next?

Will Oliver be able to make it two wins in a row by taking the title again in 2003?

Well, that's only been accomplished three times before, by D W 'Jim' Dawson in the 1960's, Trevor Hardaker in the 1970's and by Billy and Seamus Kelly from Dublin in 1979 and 1980, so why not? Would you bet against him?