BRAZIL Revisited

by Barbara Moizer

(Budgerigar World Magazine, August 1998)

Things have changed in Brazil since the first time Stan and I visited there in 1991, when Stan was B.S. president. An amazing number of new roads have been constructed - and what an engineering feat. No protests about spoiling the environment here; instead of using the countryside around a mountain to construct a road, they drill straight through the centre of the mountain – it’s impressive!

New show hall

Impressive too, is the location of the new show hall for the Budgerigar World of Brazil show. A huge store in the middle of a vast shopping centre has replaced the banking hall where it was previously held. Exhibitors and judges, can choose from a variety of restaurants, all within a few yards of the hall and the show benefits from an endless passing stream of shoppers.

Gratitude to Jorge de Pina

The Budgerigar World of Brazil show, the biggest budgerigar show in Brazil, is the brain child of Jorge de Pina. He conceived the idea and then sought the necessary sponsorship to finance it. We could learn a lesson in obtaining sponsorship from Jorge. He persuaded Varig, the Brazilian national airline to give a free ticket from Rio de Janeiro to London and back every year as a raffle prize, Trill gave 2,000 show cages, Coca Cola provides free drinks for all the visitors to the show, Hotel Entremares accommodates'the judges free of charge and offers discount prices to the exhibitors, among other sponsors giving cash and services are Avitrin (bird medicines), Bardahl (an oil company), Churrascaria Porcao (the banquet restaurant), Faculdades Integradas Moacyr Sreder Bastos (a university), Nova America Outlet Shopping (the show hall), Revista Manchete Rural (a national magazine), Scarf Equip.E Mat. Esc. (Computers and office equipment), and 'Telerj Cellular who supplied the officials with mobile phones which came in very useful for security staff and keeping in constant communication throulhout the show period. The first Budgerigar World of Brazil show was held ten years ago. Since then it has grown to be the most important date in the Brazilian budgerigar breeders' calendar and is even one of the listed events in the official Rio de Janeiro guide.

There is no club or committee to carry out the arrangements for the show, everything is down to Jorge de Pina. The Brazilian fanciers are very grateful to him for his enterprise and hard work and he has gathered a dedicated team from the exhibitors to help with all the stewardine and result coordination on the show days.

A diferent method

The system used for the Budgerigar World of Brazil show is completely different from ours in the U.K. First of all, because of the vast size of the country and the huge distances the fanciers must travel, often by air, it is the show organisation which must supply the cages - hence the initial approach to Trill to supply show cages. All 2,000 of the cageshave to be stored at Jorge de Pina's home! As the exhibitors arrive with their travelling boxes full of birds, each bird is transferred into the show cage already allocated to it by class and exhibit number.

Entries per exhibitor higher

Some exhibitors bring a large number of entries because, again unlike most shows in the U.K., there is no individual entry fee. The Budgerigar World of Brazil exhibitors buy a 'show package' which costs 150 Reals (about £80). For this the exhibitor is entitled to enter up to 100 birds. The fee also, covers entry to the show for three days, catalogue, award sheet, plus a whole page advertisement in the catalogue. It takes in the hire of the show cages that are supplied with food and water and the cost of the evening churrasco.

A meal to remember

Until you have been to a churrasco, it is hard to believe it. The meal starts with an enormous selection of buffet food, so that it would satisfy the average gourmet. Then the waiters come around with swords laden with barbecued beef and slice as much as you want onto your plate. Those in the know take a very small amount. Another waiter follows with a sword of barbecued pork, then chicken hearts, sausages, veal, more beef, it seems endless. Throughout the evening an enormous quantity of beer is served. Suddenly the plates are picked up and a new set distributed. Whole salmon, prawns, shrimps, shushi, octopus and all kinds of seafood are served. The plates are changed again and it's back to swords of meat. It goes on for hours and still the Brazilians eat. The Brits have long since given up. At about 1.00 a.m. the plates are taken away for the last time before trays of huge, delicious deserts are wheeled around. The evening culminates in the famous raffle. For every six entries, the exhibitor receives a rifle ticket. At the end of the churrasco, they are all put into a bag that is tossed around from table to table to ensure that the tickets are thoroughly mixed. The winner, Marcos August, now has a return air ticket to Heathrow, kindly donated by Varig. The exhibitors certainly have their money's worth for their "show package' tickets.

Just two sections

The judging routine differs somewhat from ours. Spectators and exbitors not involved in the running of the show, are allowed to sit and watch the judges from behind a rail. There are only two sections, intermediate and champions. The individual judges judge through the colours allocated to them and select their best of colours. Then all the judges' join together to select a run-down of the ten best intermediate young birds and adults; and the same with the champions. At this point, any judge is entitled to bring in the second bird in -aclass if he thinks it might be better than, and replace, any of the ten winners. From the resulting four run-downs of ten, are chosen the best in show, best opposite sex, best adult, best young bird, best young bird and adult opposites sex and all the winners of the Budgerigar World medals, rosettes and other specials.

Impressed with quality

The judges, Fred Wright and Stan Moizer from the U.K, and Guiseppe Santangelo from Italy, chose a magnificent, wide, stylish Normal Skyblue cock for best in show - it was also best young bird - and a big, huge spotted Normal Cinnamon Grey as the best opposite Sex. The best Spangle, which also took best intermediate young bird, was also an outstanding example of that variety with wonderful markings and 'bulls eye' spots. All the judges were impressed with the standard of the birds on show, particularly the condition of those of the intermediate section which included beguimers and novices)

Head Flecking almost disappeared

Comparing the standard of the birds with those at the show he judged in 1991, Stan Moizer said the improvment was marked. He was particularly pleased to see the almost complete absence of head flecking which had been so prevalent on the previous occasion. Many of the winning birds would have been well up in the specials winners at the U.K championship shows and the best in show and best opposite sex would undoubtedly have been in the running for top honours at the B.S. Club Show.

The real business starts

After the judging is over, it becomes obvious why many breeders make such large entries. The show is also, their shop window. Because of the long distances between exhibitors, there can be few aviary visits between fanciers. The only place they can buy and sell their birds is at the shows and the Budgerigar World of Brazil show is the biggest. I was amazed to see that even the best-in-show was for sale, in fact it was sold at the show. I asked Jorge de Pina why he was selling all his best birds. He assured me they not his best birds, he had plenty more better than these still at home. It seemed hard to believe, but when we visited his aviary a few weeks later at the end of our visit, his words were proved to be true.