Report by Joe Coakley:

I have been extremely fortunate during 2022 to have Judged some fine Lizards through-out the UK but the Lizards of Belgium are just that step ahead for me.

Although the dark days of the UK Lizard scene seem to be behind us with some out -standing specimens benched @ all the Major Shows.

Why! Because the quality is always exceptional, its like judging a mini–World Show

A brief visit on Friday to the Belgium Lizard Expert Ronald Wauters and family was also such a pleasure.

Ronald has an extremely clinical approach to his set – up with cleanliness his priority!

The way in which his has designed and constructed his set – up is for ease of steam cleaning on a weekly basis, the Europeans always are that step ahead.

But we are catching up in quality and husbandry!

I arrived @ the Centre Culturel Ans @ 8.00am greeted by my two stewards Roland Geer, Michel d Angelo who thankfully could speak excellent English, it was a very enjoyable day in their company.

One thing this year I have noticed on all my Judging engagements is having to adapt and change my approach to Judging with all the differing types of judging sheet formats.

There were 80 Lizards benched with Bart Decker’s and Jules Etienne benching big numbers of quality birds.

The staging to Judge was Excellent with full daylight and a calmness, never rushed.

During Judging it was evident that the Belgium Lizard has moved on in quality with both Gold/Silver/Blue cocks and hens with splendid rowing’s of distinctness and deep colour.

The birds were more balanced in shape, darker (black) rather than the brown we see all too often in Lizards.

When talking to the Belgium breeders they had used the birds of the late Jean De Groot who was an expert on this type of quality (rowing’s) also bringing in other outcrosses from Italy? giving them that larger rounded bird that the Italians produce, they never stand still on improving the quality in an area that is lacking in their birds

A massive improvement since my last judgement in 2017   

I will leave you with my images taken on the day for you to make your Judgements, ENJOY!!

Thank you to BPC, Jules Etienne for the invitation.

Footnotes:

• My thanks to Joe for finding time in his busy schedule to write this report and send me the photos.
• Alas I don’t have a schedule of the prize winners or the names of the breeders of the birds you see here, but the quality of the Belgian Lizards is evident.
• In Belgium, Liege is known as Liège in French and Luik in Flemish, but I’ve used the English spelling here.
• Just click on any image in the gallery to view it at a larger size.