- The honey show is open to anyone who wishes to enter one or more exhibits, except as otherwise specifically provided for herein. The honey show is also open to individuals serving as judges, stewards, or show secretaries; however, no individual serving as judge, steward, or show secretary may participate in judging, or be in the same room during judging of the category in which they, or immediate family members, have entered. “Immediate Family Member” is defined as individuals who are spouses, siblings, parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, first cousins, parents of common children, stepparents, stepchildren, or any individuals residing in the same residence.
- Entries must be received between 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Nov 2nd, 2023, and between 7:30 AM to 10:00 AM on Nov 3rd, 2023, at South Room 6 of the Mayborn Convention Center in Temple, TX. No entries will be accepted after this deadline.
- Each Exhibitor must sign an affidavit stating that each exhibit he or she submits was produced by the Exhibitor in conformity with the rules set forth herein.
- Each Exhibitor may make only one exhibit per class. More than one individual from a family or household may submit exhibits across different categories; however, family members and individuals from common households may not submit multiple exhibits in the same category.
- With the exception of Extracted Honey, in instances where the exhibit may qualify for consideration in multiple classes, the Exhibitor shall have the right to choose which class to enter their exhibit; the Exhibitor’s selection will not be overturned by the Judge(s); and, said exhibit will be judged based on the criteria set forth in the class selected by the Exhibitor. The Judge shall have discretion to make the final determination as to proper color designation in regard to all exhibits of Extracted Honey.
- Double Entries are strictly prohibited. A “Double Entry” is when an exhibitor has more than one exhibit placed in a single exhibition class. As used in this rule, the term “Double” is not limited to two, but also encompasses any number greater than one. The Show Secretary shall not knowingly accept any subsequent exhibit which would create a Double Entry. Whenever a Double Entry is created by the decision of a judge in reclassifying an exhibit pursuant to the rules herein, the following procedure shall apply: Prior to the judging of any other exhibits in the affected class, the exhibits constituting the double entry shall be identified and examined by the head Judge; the head Judge shall make a determination as to which of the exhibits constituting the Double Entry is the best under the criteria listed for the affected class; the best exhibit of those comprising the Double Entry will be returned to the show bench, and the other(s) will be disqualified. Whenever a Double Entry results in the disqualification of one or more exhibits, and after the results are publicly announced or posted, it shall be the responsibility of the head judge to personally inform the affected exhibitor of the determination of the Double Entry and subsequent disqualification of the exhibit(s).
- Unless specifically otherwise provided for under an individual category’s rules, ALL honey, beeswax, propolis, pollen, or royal jelly exhibited, or made part of any exhibit, must be produced by the exhibitor from honeybees owned and kept by the Exhibitor. Any exhibit previously submitted for consideration in any prior TBA honey show, with the exception of mead, is not eligible for this competition.
- All beeswax items, unless otherwise specifically allowed herein, must be prepared from pure, unadulterated beeswax, free from any additives or enhancements. The use of synthetic, artificial, or adulterated beeswax or drawn honeycomb is strictly prohibited. Exhibits found to be containing any of the above will be disqualified.
- In regard to the requirement of uniformity, items within or comprising any single exhibit should be alike and matching in every way: jars, containers, closures, contents, composition, orientation, placement, presentation, etc., should be identical across all individual items comprising any single exhibit.
- Once exhibits have been accepted into the competition by the Show Secretary, they may not
be altered in any way. - After submitting entries to the Show Secretary, exhibitors may not enter the area where the exhibits have been placed. The Secretary, Stewards or Judges are the only persons who may enter the honey judging area.
- Judges will enter the honey show area after the close of exhibitor acceptance. This is to ensure as close to a blind judging as possible.
- Copyright of any submitted recipe, artwork, literary work, or other media remains with the
exhibitor, but the TBA has the unrestricted right to publish images of submitted recipes, artwork, literary work, or other media in their newsletters, on their websites, and via their social media outlets, plus unrestricted rights to use the same in any related material for PR purposes.
- All exhibits submitted in classes containing the designation “Extracted Honey” are to be presented in one-pound, glass (no plastic), “Queen-line” or “Classic” style jars; any exhibits submitted in any other style of jar or container will not be accepted by the show secretary.
- For all mead, beer, and other honey beverage categories, any Exhibitor may, at their discretion, submit a second bottle for chilled tasting. If the Exhibitor chooses to submit a second bottle for chilled tasting, the Exhibitor must submit two identical specimens, both suitable for judging. After the exhibit is submitted, the show secretary will randomly select one of two bottles to be placed in a cooler or refrigerated container. The show secretary will place the other bottle on the judge’s bench. Both bottles submitted will be evaluated for the same criteria as a single bottle exhibit.
- Exhibits must be unmarked or identifiable in any way, except as provided herein.
- The Show Secretary will provide each exhibitor identifying labels to be affixed to each exhibit as provided in the rules for each exhibition class. The Exhibitor shall be responsible for placing the ID labels on each exhibit as directed for each exhibition class, unless otherwise specified herein.
- Each Exhibitor must affirm the inclusion of any image, likeness, or work of any individual other than the Exhibitor, portrayed in or made part of any exhibit, was done so with the prior, informed consent of said individual, and that each exhibit is submitted with the full consent of all parties.
- Exhibits and other items not retrieved by the deadline posted for pick-up, shall be deemed
abandoned, and shall be donated to the Honey Show Committee for future use or disposal. The sponsoring organization, nor the Honey Show Committee, is not responsible for any items left after the pick-up deadline.
Prizes and Awards
It is the intention that ribbons will be given in all classes even if there is only one entry in the class. Entry into a class does not guarantee an award. In order to receive an award that entry must be worthy of placement. A Judge may, in his or her sole discretion, make or withhold the award of any given prize(s) or placement(s) in any class over which said Judge officiates. The decisions of the Judges are final.
Exhibitors found willfully cheating, or purposefully altering or disfiguring an entry for the purpose of influencing the validity of judging will be disqualified from the contest, as well as from any future honey shows sponsored by the association/conference for a period of not less than three (3) years.
Ribbons, Prize Cards & Sweepstakes:
Ribbons and awards will be given to Best in Class winners, the Ann Harmon Award of Beekeeping Excellence winner, and to First, Second, and Third place winners in each class. *In the Black Jar class, only a First Place prize will be awarded.
Example scoring ranges in First through Third place winners are as follows: Best in Show = highest points in of entries in class; First Place range = 90 – 100 points; Second Place range = 80 – 89 points; Third Place range = 70 – 79.
For example, if there is only one entry in a category and the score is an 84 it may not automatically receive 1st place ribbon.
If multiple entries score in the same range, they will be awarded first through third in sequential order. The points awarded via these score cards will be used to calculate the winner of the Ann Harmon award as provided herein. The Ann Harmon Award of Beekeeping Excellence will be awarded to the exhibitor who displays the greatest diversity in beekeeping skills, at the highest level. To qualify for the Ann Harmon award the Exhibitor must average in a top score from the extracted honey (H1 through H3) class plus two other entries. Score cards for participants in the TBA Honey Judging Program will be provided after the show.
Appeals
After the announcement of awards, any exhibitor may meet with the class judge to discuss their entry and ask questions. An Exhibitor may appeal the Judge’s ruling concerning their own exhibit in instances where the Exhibitor believes the Judge misinterpreted or misapplied a rule in regard to the judging of their exhibit. The Exhibitor must first present their protest to the Judge who judged their exhibit, and calmly and clearly state the basis for their protest. The Judge should hear the Exhibitor out, and then typically should explain to the Exhibitor the basis for their initial decision and discuss the Exhibitor’s concerns with them. The Judge, together with the Exhibitor, will then bring the protest to the Presiding Judge. After hearing both sides and examining the rules and the exhibit at issue, if the Judge concedes an error, or if the Presiding Judge decides in favor of the Exhibitor, the Presiding judge may amend the decision, award(s), and/or official record in such a manner as to affect the most just result available. If, after hearing both sides and examining the rules and the exhibit at issue, the Presiding Judge decides the Judge’s original decision was correct, the Presiding Judge may uphold the Judge’s original decision. The decision of the Presiding Judge is final.
*All entries become the property of TBA. Some winning entries will be included in the THBEA Auctions. No entries will be returned unless specifically worked out with the Honey Show Team. (*With the exception of Gadgets and Art.)
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