Champion! Well, Reserve Champion.

That’s my Just Joey on the right there. You’d think he was the ‘Champion‘ the way he is proudly holding his head up high, but alas he’s a runner up. He got first in his category ‘Rose of any other colour’ and the Champion Reserve prize: a ribbon, a sash and forty bucks.

On the left there is the offering of my rose nemesis Bernadette Ryan. For her ‘Champion‘ haul she got a rosette, a plaque, a trophy AND $100. I can still hear the hoots and howls from the cooking and the craft entrants. Their prize monies were $1 here and 50c there. Though a friend of mine did get a little trophy for Best Exhibitor in the Leatherwork section — but nothing like my foldable red snappers. One of my yellow roses also got a first, and I suppose I should also mention that #2 got a 2nd for her Best Decorated Saucer (4 years and under). #1 was an also ran for her saucer (though a pernickety parent should be pointing out that the winners in #1’s category were using dinner plate sized saucers so their mandalas of Tibetan proportions obviously lured the judges into an hypotic trance). Then again her saucer was pretty shit.