It was our third try to hold the APA BC provincial Show and it was well worth the wait!  The Sept 10th Salt Spring Island Show was held at the busy SSI Fall Fair and welcomed 183 birds, 17 adult exhibitors, and 18 junior exhibitors.  With thousands through the gate, the poultry show was a highlight for all, showing off 27 breeds of poultry, including chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys.

Clayton Botkin joined us as our APA judge and offered the chance for feedback and learning to our junior exhibitors and volunteers. As many of our club members are new to APA shows, this was a huge benefit for everyone involved.

Last year’s winner, Izzy Nowell, showed up with a new flock of bantam Rhode Island Reds and again took the championship with an excellent cockerel hatched this spring. He was a clear winner and had Izzy taking open grand champion and junior champion (CH Bantam, CH SCCL, CH RIR).  Another cockerel took reserve bantam and JR reserve champion (RES.SCCL).   Izzy is excited to bring her group of RIR to the Canadian National Show in October and hopes to do Salt Spring Island proud!

Bantam Rhode Island Red

Reserve Champion was Ramona Trombley’s bantam call drake. Ramona joined us from Cowichan and we were thrilled to welcome her for the day to the island. The call took champion waterfowl, with SSI local, Elsie Born’s, toulouse gander having reserve waterfowl.

Champion large fowl was given to Ted Baker’s Rhode Island Red hen (CH American) and reserve large fowl was to a pretty black australorp pullet (Champion English) from Ali Yildizalp.

With only one turkey in the show, Anezka Sikora’s bourbon red was a clear winner….  At 7 years of age, he still knew how to show off and gobbled away all weekend, bringing in the fans!

Champion continental was to Elsie Born’s maran hen (reserve to Julie Nowell’s, salmon faverolle hen), champion Mediterranean to Ted Baker’s black leghorn pullet (reserve to Tilly Bucks light brown leghorn hen)  and champion AOSB to Rainie Bevilacqua’s silver phoenix pullet (reserve to Julie Nowell, silver phoenix cock).

Champion SCCL and reserve went to two of Izzy Nowell’s bantam RIR cockerels and champion RCCL to Ramona Trombley’s partridge wyandotte pullets.  Champion feather legged went to junior Heidi Magnus Fischer’s lovely little Belgian bearded d’uccle pullet (reserve to Dorothy Copeland’s Belgian bearded d’uccle cockerel)

We had a small waterfowl showing, with only 9 entries!

Junior large fowl went to Oliver Thring and his australorp pullet, and reserve Junior large fowl to Tilly Buck and her light brown leghorn hen.  We had no Junior waterfowl entries this year.

We had 10 pet class birds entered with Robin Magnus Fischer taking champion with a beautiful RIR bantam pullet in excellent condition, and Bryn Pyper bringing in reserve.  Pet is judge on condition and handling ability.

Champion Pet

The SSI poultry club was excited to be able to share such a diverse and exciting range of poultry to the island this year, as well as host an EGG Smash, and poultry auction to raise funds for the club! Our chicken races were as exciting and chaotic as ever.   Our club is already planning for a spring show, and hoping to continue to welcome locals, juniors and visitors to enter!

A huge thanks to all our donors and contributors who helped to make this event successful!  Special thanks to Country Grocer Salt Spring Island,  Mouats Home Hardware, Windsor Plywood, Salt Spring Appliance repair, Gulf Islands Irrigation, Manzanita Ridge Farm, Crowbourne Farm and the Gulf Islands Driftwood for their generous donations to help ensure our event was an epic success!