Thanks to all our friends here on the GardenWeb there is a certificate and trophy awarded at every national convention for "Best in Show". It has been awarded twice a year for maybe three years now and this spring in San Diego was the first time a HT won it. It is more common for a spray to win, whether a shrub, floribunda, or OGR. They are simply more eyecatching than a single bloom.

More and more local clubs are also awarding "Best in Show" and the ARS now has a certificate locals can award. I have judged one show that has been giving this award for many years and I have never seen the HT Queen win the award. I don't know why your HT Queen winner was so upset unless they still believe that HTs are the only blooms that count in the show. It was precisely because of that mindset that GardenWeb members established the new national trophy to show that there are many more worthy entries in a show than just the HT Queen.

I hope your club won't give up and drop the award. When something other than a HT is given the award of "Best in Show" it shows the public there are more types of roses than HTs worth their attention. We likely would have far more happy rosarians in the country if they started out growing shrubs or floribundas, which can stand more abuse, until they really become competent rosarians and can take on the care HTs require.

I don't like the award and never did. It should be enough to win "best in class" and be on the trophy table.

Ron - I would like nothing better than to have First, Second, and Third in each class and let it go at that. The problem I see is that a few of the classes get to call the best one Queen while the others don't, and HT Queen generally gets called Queen of the Show implying it is the best and most important. If we could get away from that and treat all classes the same, it would be great. - Phil

I love the idea that old garden roses, shrubs and minis would be eligible for a top award. I guess my problem with the designation "Best in Show" implies that the rose so-designated is "better" than the Queen. Do the rules for picking Best in Show spell out that this is for non- hybrid teas? Is there some other name that we could use beside "Best" to designate the best non-hybrid tea?

In Syracuse, we have been having a 'Best in Show' for a long time - even before GardenWeb came up with it. Its is selected from the roses that made the trophy table. To my best recollection - Queen of Show (HT) has never been selected 'Best in Show'. A few of the winners for 'Best of Show' have been a spray of Showbiz (it had close to 2 dozen blooms), a mini box of Jean Keanneally (each bloom was perfect), a vase of 4 Olympaids where each one would have been Queen and a vase of 3 perfect Tinekes. These selections were far more breath taking than the Queen and surely deserved being named Best in Show.

Most of our shows here in AZ have what is called the 'Best Horticulture Exhibit', one for Large Roses and one for Miniatures (and some even for best challenge class). It is awarded to any specimen that is on the trophy table, be it Queen, an outstanding floribunda spray, or even a decorative mini. Show schedule example -

'Best Horticulture Entry Award
Best of all winners in Sections C-G
XXXX Memorial Perpetual TrophyÂRosette'.

Just a nice thing to add to the show to recognize an outstanding specimen.

My society just started having the "Best in Show" category. Last year it was a cycle of bloom of Granada. It was beautiful and fragrant. I would have voted for it in a sec. To me it shows that all beautiful roses or collections don't necessarily have to be hybrid teas. It could also encourage others to grow roses who aren't strictly hybrid tea fans. Since it comes off the awards table, it shows that a superior exhibit of another class can overcome the mighty HT.

It's like judging a Mini Poodle against an Irish Elkhound, it's too subjective and not attached to any criteria. Maybe there should be a Queen, King, Princess of HT's, Flori's, Poly's, Shrubs, Climbers, Mini's, etc. OGR's already have Dowager Queen and the Victorian Award.

In most shows that have the "best of Show", ours included, state that it is the best one (1) stem horticulture entry that is on the trophy table. The horticulture distinction eliminates any of the challenge class winners. Yes, it is very subjective and there is not a lot of common criteria that can be used by the panel of judges - thus an eye catching specimen coupled with the personal preference of the judge is what factors in.

When I have judged Best of Show I've been surprised how few of the winners on the head table get any votes. The last time I was involved only three entries got any votes from the judging panel and it narrowed down to two very quickly. Freshness and eye appeal really jump out, even on the head table.

It would be ideal if all classes of one stem roses were treated the same and the best of all the classes was judged Best In Show. In theory each winner judged by points so the highest scoring should be evident.

We have had Best In Show for 3 years and it is quite popular. It is not uncommon to only have 10-12 blue ribbon HTs in the spring with the southern parts of Atlanta having a huge advantage. It gets a full court. At the same time there are 50 are more blue ribbon Austins and floribundas awarded at our shows. It is problematic to judge when they are not pulled to a separate table to judge and frankly unfair that they don't get a court.
There is a huge disparity between what is commonly grown by rosarians in our area versus the awards given. The stubborn refusal to change with the times resutls in turnover in the local society and within the ARS.

The Best In Show is a small bandage to heal the wounds of the inequities in the current system of awarding prizes and finding ways to present the roses that grow best in an area to the general public.

I like the idea of the "Best in Show" award and feel it should be awarded to the entrant judged to be the closest to perfection for whatever the entry is, ie: HT or FL spray, etc...not necessarily judging one entry against the other. The HT Queen may be beautiful, but not as close to perfection as the Floribunda spray winner is that day. As to whether or not it is subjective, I believe all judging is purely your opinion and is thus a subjective thing. Jon

JonT, there is criteria spelled out in the Judges Manual, and I would like to think that the Judges follow it and not just their personnal preference or opinion.

Phil, a clarification. Are you saying that at your shows the judges go back over all the entries in search of the Best in Show, and that the Best may not necessarily already be on the trophy table? If so, why didn't the rose win in it's category?

In Tacoma we have had this category for 3 years I believe. It gave all one stem entries the chance to win. This year it was the Queen HT that won it but the last 2 years it was other one stem entries. We have exhibitors from all over the PNW and they seem to like this category.

Let me clarify that all exhibits eligible for this trophy are on the trophy table already. Like Best one stem Floribunda spray, OGR's, David Austin, any one stem entry that has won its category. So we are picking the overall best of the best. This new catefory is working well for us.

The only specimens eligible for Best of Show in any show I have judged have been those on the head table. Sorry if I didn't make that clear.

This is the BIS display we use which has adjustable shelves for any size rose from mini to HT and is placed in the center of the awards table where the HT Queen once was displayed. We have similar display frames for the "Queen" of each other single stem class.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1195816}}

Over here. 'Best in Show' "awarded to the best overall exhibit" therefore it can come from any class in our shows. and if there are other sections ie. floral or vegetable these would also have to be considered for the award.usually by a panel of three judges.