David S. Game

My name is Dave Game and I am 58 year old. I retired 10 years ago and am enjoying a life of pursuing my many hobbies, the main one being the Keeping, Breeding and Showing of Exhibition Quality Budgerigars.

I started keeping budgerigars at around the age of ten years old, using the colony system. I had a break away from birds in 1972 and began again in 1980 when I bought my first exhibition type budgerigars.I have moved up through the various status and am now a Champion Breeder and Exhibitor.

In 2000, following the three year 'apprentiship' on the Judges Training Scheme and the final written and practical examinations, I qualified as a Budgerigar Society Main Panel Judge.

My favourite colours are Violet, Cobalt, and Skyblue in the Normal,Yellow Face and Pied varieties, although I do keep a few quality Grey Greens, Light Greens, Spangles and Opalines.

I am a member of The Budgerigar Society, The Welsh Budgerigar Society, and several other specialist variety and budgerigar clubs.

I have had the great honour, in the past, of being the President of The Welsh Budgerigar Society and the President of the Heads of the Valleys BS. I served for many years as the Secretary/Treasurer of the HOTV BS and enjoyed every minute, well almost every minute, of that enthusiastic and forward thinking club.

In September 2004 I was elected to the Committee of the Welsh Budgerigar Society and given the position of Show Secretary.

In July 2005, my friend Tony Pope ( Calladine & Pope ) purchased a stud of budgerigars, and much to my surprise and pleasure he gave me all the birds from the Calladine & Pope line.The reason behind Tony giving away his birds was because he had several poor breeding seasons, in respect to the number of birds bred, and felt he was losing the fertility within the stud.

I have acquired a number of outcrosses since and have had excellent breeding results.

In 2006 I was invited to judge at The Budgerigar Society World Championship Show, held in Doncaster.

I enjoyed every second of the engagement, having being given an outstanding welcome by all the organising committee. It was a great joy to see and adjudicate on some top the budgerigars being shown in the UK. The judging team of 17 were all experience National and International Judges, who got on well together. The bird that took Best in Show had the vote of every single judge, which in itself was unusual, as most Best in Show are selected on a majority vote.

In 2007 I decided to breed with the birds throughout the year, which is a major departure from my usual November start. To date it has been a great success with some very nice youngsters produced. Unfortunately many of these birds were too young to show in the current show season so I have to be very patient and wait until next year.

At the time of this update I have just returned from my annual trip to the 'Club Show' in Doncaster. Another superb weekend. Although the benched number of birds appeared slightly down, the quality, overall, was excellent. I would recommend anyone interested in exhibition budgerigars visit this show and soak in the atmospher, enjoy the interesting talks given by International Fanciers, and meet people from all over the UK and beyond.