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Rather a pompous posting from Gabriel Stowe,
typical of someone who knows little about judging orchids. Yes, I do agree with
the voracious reading and seeing as many orchids as possible. But to get rid of
all orchid judges at 70 years of age? If you judge a bit, you would know that
some are incompetent at 37 and others like the venerable Ernest Hetherington is
a vital contributor in his late 80's! I believe the current Chairman of the
RHS Orchid Committee is well in his 70's and he seems right up to the mark to
me.
As for statistical ability, we are evaluating
beauty and I fail to see where anything beyond a rudimentary knowledge of simple
mathematics is required. I have found a developed "photographic memory" to be
invaluable but I think this is something you are born with and this means that
those folk less blessed who wish to be judges, must work even harder at their
reading and other forms of orchid knowledge accumulation.
Some judges are obsessed with finding reasons not
to judge or award an orchid flower whereas I believe judges should train
themselves to recognize beauty and improvement and lift these plants
up.
In my limited experience of judging with color
blind judging students, I have felt they find the judging process very
difficult, even those who are considered partially color blind. Maybe someone
who is an expert in this phenomenon can add to the discussion?
Andy Easton
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