That's interesting Rob.

I'm not a judge or desire to be one but find the whole process very
interesting. I was thinking that if I were asked to score an FCC quality
plant I would probably feel the pressure to keep the score close to 90
because you don't know what is yet to come from the plant and it's progeny.

I also understand the feeding frenzy that occurs when a new exciting plant
like armeniacum shows up for the first times in front of judging teams.

So if an early plant was awarded an FCC of say 94 points and a later one has
better color and larger petals and a bigger pouch, how do the judges score
this new plant? Does it qualify for an FCC?

Gene





"Rob Halgren" wrote in message
...
Gene Schurg wrote:

Last evening I was looking through my June Orchids magazine (my July
issue
hasn't come yet...hmpht). I was admiring the FCC awards and was
thinking....

Most of the plants were scored a 90 which was the minimum to get an FCC.
A
few were 91 and one was a 94. What are some of the highest points
awarded
an FCC/AOS awarded plant?

Good Growing,
Gene





I looked once, and I think the highest award I could find was a 97 point
FCC to one of the first (if not the first) Paph. armeniacum shown.
There are three other armeniacums shown around the same time which all
received 96 point FCCs. An example of irrational attraction to color,
they really weren't that good compared to even the ones that were shown
in the months and year after it. But they were canary yellow and bigger
than a tennis ball, so... Anyway, never spend good money for an FCC
armeniacum clone. If you want an awarded one, go for a recent AM. The
only other plant to score 96 points was a simultaneous FCC/CCM (96/91
pts) to Vanda Onomea (a very old cross). That is all according to
Wildcatt, they may have missed a couple.


I've been sitting on judging teams for well over 10 years (as an
observer, student, or judge) and I have never been on one that has
considered an FCC. We've awarded a few at our center. I've been on
several teams that have awarded 90+ CCMs (now CCE), that might be an
easier descision. I think there may be a psychological barrier, in that
if you award an FCC somebody will notice it... If you do it wrong,
somebody will notice that too. That and our 'standard of perfection'
bar is set pretty high. On new hybrids or new species, the lesson of
Paph. armeniacum has sunk in - regardless of how good it is, a team is
unlikely to award it as a high FCC (or even a low one) without seeing
some of the potential for the cross.

Rob

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