Re: SHOW: A Purple Class

Steve Rocha writes:

>  I was pulling weeds and thinking about last year's show. I didn't win
> Best Blue with my iris, Blue Gloss, because Blue Lustre is bluer than
Blue
> Gloss. They did however give Blue Gloss Best TB of Show. That was nice.
My
> question is why isn't there a purple class and an orange class? It seems
> that the purple iris is at such a disadvantage in a blue class don't you
> agree?  And likewise with an orange iris in a pink class.

Steve,

AIS policy allows the show committee to conduct either a color or
cultivar(varietal) classified show. It is up to the show committee to
designate the color classes as they see fit. All the shows in Utah are
either varietal or color-varietal (arranged by color, but judged by
variety). I have no first-hand experience of a straight color-classified
show, but it seems from the way the rules are written, if a show committee
chooses to put blue and purple varieties together in a "Blue" class, the
judges cannot discriminate against the purple varieties for not being blue.
The Judges Handbook states that show judging is on the basis of how well a
specimen is grown and how well it has been prepared for entry. In judging
the color of an entry, the color must be typical of the variety to receive
full points. There is no justification for downgrading a purple variety
because it isn't blue. On the contrary, it should only be faulted if it
isn't as purple as it should be, no matter what class it has been placed
in.

Since you are President of your local society, perhaps you could appoint a
show committee that can get it right. (-:

Jeff Walters in northern Utah  (USDA Zone 4, Sunset Zone 2)
cwalters@digitalpla.net
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