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Gardener told not to enter village show for 'being too good'
The Telegraph UK ^ | February 13, 2011 | Rebecca Lefort

Posted on 02/14/2011 1:05:03 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife

It is the ultimate accolade for a keen vegetable grower – a 73-year-old has been told not enter his village gardening competition because he is too good.

David Stirzaker has been asked by the organisers of the North Cadbury and District Horticultural Society, in Somerset, not to exhibit his produce at its annual show, because his impressive record at the event is discouraging others from taking part.

Mr Stirzaker – who has won 12 cups at the show in just four years, for his prize-winning carrots, parsnips and tomatoes – has pledged to take the matter to the Royal Horticultural Society.

"This is my hobby and I have been supporting their show for four years. I find the request very insulting – it is a competition so I would have thought it is down to other growers to try harder if they want to beat me," he said.

"I want nothing more to do with the society. I won't be showing there again and I have told them that they can come and collect their trophies."

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: competition; dumbdown; excellence; garden
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Maybe the guy is a jerk and telling him his vegetables are just too good is a way to get him to go away.


21 posted on 02/14/2011 3:15:11 AM PST by wideminded
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Mr. Minniver?

-PJ

22 posted on 02/14/2011 3:20:10 AM PST by Political Junkie Too ("Comprehensive" reform bills only end up as incomprehensible messes.)
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To: Political Junkie Too

That’s a good movie.


23 posted on 02/14/2011 3:29:19 AM PST by biggerten (Love you, Mom.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Socialists: Punishing excellence since...forever.


24 posted on 02/14/2011 4:10:51 AM PST by Caipirabob ( Communists... Socialists... Democrats...Traitors... Who can tell the difference?)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

I’m not sure what’s worse... the idea that this is all the UK has to work on (despite creeping socialism and the muzzies), or the fact that the whole PC entitlement BS has infiltrated local gardening shows.

Either way, the UK is lost, it seems.


25 posted on 02/14/2011 4:11:26 AM PST by PubliusMM (RKBA; a matter of fact, not opinion. 01-20-2013: Change we can look forward to.)
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To: Caipirabob

I did some stock photography for a landscaping sales company among many many other people. It worked out well for a couple of months. The guy wrote me one day that others were complaining that I did too well and possibly stealing content from elsewhere. I didn’t do much except using auto mode and a 70-200 Canon lens plus the odd PS bump or minor tweak. He thought I did very good.


26 posted on 02/14/2011 4:19:38 AM PST by wally_bert (It's sheer elegance in its simplicity! - The Middleman)
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To: PubliusMM
Either way, the UK is lost, it seems.

It will be if we give up.

27 posted on 02/14/2011 4:27:08 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife (Allhttp://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2122429/posts)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Only one man still participating? Womens’ lib going on here.

There must have been a time when there were other guys growing veggies........perhaps they have all gone to the big briar patch in the sky.


28 posted on 02/14/2011 4:28:47 AM PST by sodpoodle (Despair; man's surrender. Laughter; God 's redemption.)
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To: sodpoodle

I don’t know how they’re judging but it seems it would be simple enough to have different levels of competition, ie beginners, experienced, advanced and masters.

Who would want to be judged “best” if they knew they were only awarded that title because the BEST stepped aside?

The lady to his right would “benefit” but the idea of competition and excellence would lose.


29 posted on 02/14/2011 4:34:43 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife (Allhttp://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2122429/posts)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

In this world of PC - you make too much sense;)

Hard to believe this is the country that devised Red, White and Blue Ribbon - Dog & Pony Shows.


30 posted on 02/14/2011 4:39:33 AM PST by sodpoodle (Despair; man's surrender. Laughter; God 's redemption.)
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To: sodpoodle
Oops. The lady to his left.
31 posted on 02/14/2011 4:39:54 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife (Allhttp://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2122429/posts)
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To: sodpoodle

The country that survived the Blitz.


32 posted on 02/14/2011 4:42:12 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife (Allhttp://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2122429/posts)
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To: HiTech RedNeck
Aristotle gets a B minus, mainly for effort. It took Christianized society to understand (and promptly forget) that envy/jealousy are two sides of the same anti-God coin.

Keep in mind that Aristotle is talking about two Greek words that may be more distinct in his context than the English words "envy" and "jealousy".

There is indeed a difference between seeing somebody with something nice and deciding "I'm going to have one of those too" versus "If I can't have one, then he should also be deprived of it".

33 posted on 02/14/2011 4:48:35 AM PST by PapaBear3625 ("It is only when we've lost everything, that we are free to do anything" -- Fight Club)
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To: Nickname
What you suggest would be the gracious thing to do but some people are just very driven and competitive.

Much of human progress probably came from people who were driven and competitive. I don't think Edison, Carnegie and Ford were party animals.

34 posted on 02/14/2011 4:51:54 AM PST by PapaBear3625 ("It is only when we've lost everything, that we are free to do anything" -- Fight Club)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Give him a big Master Gardener Emeritus award or some such, and make him a judge for the competition going forward.


35 posted on 02/14/2011 4:59:28 AM PST by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: dennisw

I don’t get the compulsion to be so competitive when you are in retirement

^^^
Retiring does not knock out one’s competitive spirit. Whatever I do, I want to do my very best. I have not the least bit of interest in working in my former field, but I go at my current activities with as much energy as I had put into my professional work.


36 posted on 02/14/2011 5:32:11 AM PST by Bigg Red (Palin in 2012)
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To: FreedomPoster

That certainly sounds like a reasonable offer.

But if he truly likes the competition, I don’t see
why he should be excluded because he’s good at it.


37 posted on 02/14/2011 5:41:15 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife (Allhttp://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2122429/posts)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

Yet Envy is the only one that made it to Deadly Sin status. Jealousy is a natural emotion. Envy is evil.


38 posted on 02/14/2011 6:03:07 AM PST by numberonepal (Don't Even Think About Treading On Me)
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To: dennisw

Hay I’ve got an idea.

Why not just give the prize to the mediocre to begin with, then he can enter and have no chance of winning?

Strive to be mediocre, that’s the way to do it.


39 posted on 02/14/2011 6:50:39 AM PST by IMR 4350
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Harrison Bergeron

L

40 posted on 02/14/2011 6:55:03 AM PST by Lurker (The avalanche has begun. The pebbles no longer have a vote.)
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