Sorry, but what has the inclusion of american game in the standards or cash prizes got to do with a thread titled Acceptability of Variance in OE ? All the birds featured in these historical photos are english. Would you really suggest ike tutty's muff and atkinsons pile are better suited to an american class? The entire concept is ludicrous.
Guy, ive noticed these comments in your posts
Guy Fahey wrote:
When I reflect back to the period between the 60s-80s there was a huge variation in a lot of breeds, particularly OEG but more so in the bantams.There a lots of reasons for this but I think one reason was not so much the standards that existed but rather the lack of accessibility to those standards.
When I look back at a lot of my old chook mates they were battlers in the true sense of the word.Many of them did not possess the British Poultry Standard because they could not afford to buy one.So many of these blokes relied on what they a heard from the local shows around the district and that became the norm.I was no different,I could not afford to buy one until I started work in 1979.
When I finally got my head into the BPS many of the things I had been told did not hold true and so you learn.
Now i accept this is probably true. A localisied view forming far far away from the breeds place of origin. I dont see how we could blame people for lack of finances and information,and that is not what this thread was ever intended to be about. What i dont understand is why a view would not adapt when further information is now available to a mass audience at little cost. I honestly dont think we have the same excuse as those earlier exhibitors. Correct me if im wrong but i believe the standard that was in the BPS was a composite standard of oxford/carlisle. Many of the fowl looked like that also,if thats what they were bred towards,fair enough, it was the standard used out here even if many others only recognised the oxford standard as it appeared in atkinsons book. Put simply, that standard is no longer accepted in Australia and the APS clearly states what we have now.I would think the use of the composite standard possibly led to what you have called "traditonal" below
Guy Fahey wrote:
.Most fanciers prefer to keep the traditional /well recognized style of OEG which contain a strong influence from breeders such as Theo Gray in the bantams and Reg Tutty and Athol Pengilley in the standard fowl.
No doubt there will remain a small vocal minority who will persist with their chosen style of game birds (and they are free to call them what they like,be it Americans,Oxfords,Boonahs or Cessnocks or whatever) but I really can't see any big changes on the horizon based on the current state of play.Albury is hosting the OEG Club show in July where there will be roughly 900-1000 birds on display from across SE Aust,could be worth a visit.
The man who cleaned the last OEG club show up was Whiteside. He's also pencilled in as one of the judges at albury. Heres his statement on this thread
Andrew Whiteside wrote:
They are all OEG so therefore I wouldn't disqualify any. Obviously many photos don't do the fowl depicted justice (pre digital photograhy did have its limitations when taking pictures of fowls). I do like some better than others, the Duckwing of Mr. H Ladds is a fowl I like while the Duckwing of A. B. Stenzel's I don't (too horizontal, coarse legs, too much "breast") but they are still OEG.
The problem with OEG at the shows is that there are too many people who are "pen blind", they believe what they have is the ideal and damn the rest. They are not willing to accept the varietal differences within OEG fowl. We have fanciers that go to shows and expect to "win" they do not give credit to others or others interpretations.
The females are a different subject completely. The hen that breeds the cock should be the correct style of female, this rarely happens at the regular poultry show.
(Oxford shows aside as this does occur, the female that breeds the accepted type of male is shown more regularly- is there a lesson to be learnt here?)
Seems some judges are happy to accept variance. The “current and accepted” view may not be as widely held as some have assumed
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the whole black red line up consisted of all heavy set birds was quite disappointing to see such Nieve bunch of blokes who are so called fanciers of the breed to take a dim look and approach to a true type fowl 
