We just got home from the Pacific Southwest District Convention in Tucson. Hosted by the Rose Society of Tucson, it was a well-done, well-attended convention that featured a huge and beautiful rose show on Saturday. Leading the list of winners was Bob & Kitty Belendez who took home the ARS national traveling trophy, the M. S. Hershey Bowl and their fourth consecutive J. Horace McFarland Trophy. To this they added five additional district challenge class trophies.
Top national exhibitors Tommy Cairns & Luis Desamero also had an excellent performance, winning seven district trophies, including the Pacific Rose Society Trophy that calls for five floribunda sprays, an entry judged the best in the entire show. Armed with a fistful of floribundas, Tommy & Luis also won the Phoenix Rose Society Trophy with three sprays of 'Chihuly'. Another spray of 'Chihuly' was awarded floribunda spray queen, to which they added the floribunda spray king and three on the Court. Asked to explain this abundance of floribundas, Tommy told me they had begun pruning in early December and were done by December 15. The abundant rains in California in January and February did the rest. Tommy & Luis also added the miniature Queen with 'Behold'.
Bill & Candy Sheperd of Peoria, AZ won queen of show with 'Marilyn Monroe' and also added their first district challenge class with a 'Silverado' cycle of bloom. Terry & Heidi Leavitt of Phoenix won miniflora queen with 'Conundrum' and added the Herb Swim District Trophy. Ron & Modine Gregory won Dowager with 'Yolande d'Aragon'
For complete results click here.
More will be blogged later and pictures should follow some time soon. Meanwhile, I have to get to bed for a flight in the morning to Ohio to be with my failing mother. Mom went with me to my first district convention in 1987 - that was a long time ago. This was my 22nd consecutive District Convention and it is always an enormous pleasure to gather with the many rose friends and exhibitors from throughout our great district.