| British Hamster Association Standards October 2002 Feature Body Type [Scroll down for judging.] | Type in hamsters refers to the overall shape of the body, including the head. Since we split this section and did heads last month, here we are focusing more on the body, although the head still must have good proportion (size) with respect to the rest of the body. The Type category accounts for 30 of the possible 100 show points. | | Campbell's "The build should be broad and cobby, with the head set well into the body...the legs and tail both short and scarcely visible." I have often been asked about the term "cobby." Here is the most appropriate definition from the Oxford English Dictionary. It cites the first use of this definition in 1883 in reference to horses. 3b. Shortish and thickset, 'stocky' So "cobby" is the term used in the standard to represent a thick-set, solid and chunky body and head shape. "Stocky" is a decent synonym. The phrase "head set well into the body" also confuses some people. One of the better compliments I've heard given to a dwarf is that you "can't see the neck." This is the comment I heard about the Campbells who won Best in Show at our recent show. His head was broad and well set into the body so that there really was not the typical extended neck we see in local hamsters. Syrians "The body shall be broad and cobby. The head shall be large in proportion to the body... The head shall be well set into the body, the profile showing a smooth curve from nose over head, to nape of neck."  |  | | The Cinnamon female on the left from The River Road Hamstery has pretty good type. She is fairly wide at both shoulders and hips and shows an indentation at the waist. Her neck is well set into the body which would be more apparent on a profile view. As with most females, she is a bit wider through the hips than a comparable male, and this is an acceptable sex difference. Her type would be improved by being stockier throughout. On the right the Golden Recessive Dappled female is very cobby in the rear, better type in this body section than the Cinnamon. She also has good waist definition, but her shoulders are much too narrow. |  | This Black Dominant Spot is too lean all the way down. Her head protrudes from the body more than is desireable. It should be set back so that a neck is not discernable. | That's it! Now go take some pictures of your favorite "best body type" hamsters, and upload them to the BHA Standards Photo Gallery. (Photo tip: a single overhead shot should do it.) No camera? Surf the web for photos of hamsters with great Body Type, and submit a link on the BHA Standards Links List. In your post be sure to indicate which hamster you're entering on the linked page in case there is more than one. If multiple people submit the same link, credit will go to the first. (No links to hamsters at AAA Hamsters, The River Road Hamstery or the California Hamster Association.) Only two hamsters entered per member per month please. Multiple photos for each are fine, if needed. Questions? Post to the BHA Standards Message Board. Remember - enjoy your hamsters, and... | 
| Have your Standards! | Linda and Jan | Judge's Page by Linda Price | We use the same general criteria in judging syrian and dwarf type even though the exact size and shape are a bit different. Although we will not focus on heads (which was last month's feature), the head will definitely factor into the judging of type. These are the general criteria: 1. A broad and cobby body (stocky)
2. A head which is large in proportion to the body
3. A head set well into the body
Any deviations on any of these criteria would result in deductions in the type score. The type score is 25 out of the total 100 points for scoring a hamster. This score would include an analysis of the head and body since they are so intertwined. Before discussing the winners, I want to give the overall impression of this group. The syrians were stronger overall than the dwarves. The most common faults I saw in the syrians were lack of any body shape and lack of chunkiness. The dwarves were generally "lightweights" lacking the chunkiness needed, and a couple of them had heads which were too small for their bodies. Judging note: It is much easier to judge type in person than through photos. In some cases, it's hard to tell if the hamster is fat or just chunky. By handling the animal, a judge can feel the body and better determine this. Part of this can, though, be determined through the shape. A hamster which has shape and a waist demonstrates it is not fat. Those without shape could either be fat or just lack shape. Both would be penalized, but the amount is determined far better in person. | Syrian Winners  | The winner for this month is Stormie. Her body is fairly cobby with shape. She could, though, still be chunkier and her head shorter and broader. Ideally we'd also like to see better proportion between her hips and shoulder, but she has the best overall type of this group. |   | | We have two runners-up for the syrians -- each with different strengths. Freckles (above left) has better shape and roundness over the hips, but she lacks in chunkiness. Alexis (above right) is well proportioned and seems more chunky, but she lacks the shape and roundness needed. Ideally we'd strive to have both of these strengths in the same animal. | Dwarf Winners  | Tina is the winner for the dwarves. She has a good solid body but still has a waist. This shows that she is cobby -- not fat. Her head is really her key weakness. It really needs to be wider (particularly around the nose) and shorter. It clearly affects the overall first impression and would affect her type score. |  | Ivan is our runner-up. He was a bit harder to judge because the shots of him were not entirely consistent and their quality was not as good. This shot seems to show his body shape best. He has a good solid body shape. It's hard to give more details due to the photo quality. | Congratulations to our winners! |
