Ball python morph standards? Shows?

[youbeyouibei]

Interesting concept but to what end? I don't mean that to be flippant but really, for what purpose? If you look at livestock shows and even 4-H shows, they originated as a means for farmers/ranchers/etc. to display their stock and in turn market it. That's fine and good for a production animal that serves a purpose for food or as a beast of burden (horses, mules, donkeys, etc.) but for snakes? Don't get me wrong, I love my snakes dearly but outside of being a very much enjoyed hobby, they really serve no particular purpose in my life as far as being able to plow a field, carry me over a distance if my car breaks down, being available as a food source if the zombies attack, etc.; they're a luxury pet rather than a utilitarian animal like a dog, that barks/guards the homestead, etc.

What would be the purpose of establishing a standard? for breeding? and on what basis would you build your guidelines? Brings to mind the saying about beauty being in the eye of the beholder...there are some who like spiders or "dirty"-headed BEL...I'm not a fan of either but if those morphs are what does it for them, by all means, have at it. I like recessive gened animals...other people gnash their teeth and shout expletives thinking of breeding those, lol! I just think it would be extremely difficult to quantify and qualify what is the "ideal" animal in the respective morphs, outside of what is NOT! a quality example of a morph. Throw into that mix normals; some people think they're gorgeous in their own right while others just see a plain-jane animal that's maybe good for breeding but not much else.

Shows/exhibitions would be cool, if the disease/mite issues could be addressed but how would you grade/judge the exhibitors? It's a cool idea and has a lot of possibilities but also a lot more questions as to the "how?" of it all, at least for me. Would we (herp enthusiasts/breeders/hobbyists/etc.) establish an association such as the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) or the American Kennel Club (AKC) to set the standards and all or...? Would you then have to register your animals and ensure they were up to "morph standards" prior to breeding or...? Obviously people will do what they'll do, regardless, but I would think a responsible hobbyist/breeder would want to produce as high quality an animal as possible, as their reputation is built on their product, so again, what would be the point of establishing standards with so much variation in what is the "ideal" example of a particular morph/animal?