I wish I knew what goes through a judges head but I think rare and huge are a couple of factors that count. All of my orchids were large and very clean. The digbyana was a few days past her prime and I had to cut two blooms off just before the judging. The Lc George Baldwin cross didn't have the pedigree of the others. In other words, just another Catt. hybrid. in their eyes. The fact that it just put out another blooming spike and is full of buds endears it to me but not the judges. They liked the Miltassia better and made lots of nice comments about it but with over 40 orchids to choose from it just didn't cut it. They loved the digbyana and set it aside. I thought it was going to win but then they saw that mammoth Grammatophylum with new spotless growth and a three foot spike with 50 or so flowers and it was over. Two years ago it put out 6 spikes like that but there is no way I could have gotten it in my truck. Anyway it was fun and it was the first orchid ribbon for me so I was thrilled. Last month my Dendrobium spectabile had been set aside and looked like a sure winned when two guys came in pulling a dolly with the biggest Dancing Lady Oncidium anyone had ever seen aboard. There must have been a thousand blooms on that thing. Once again, size counts.
Jim
