Ball Python Shows

[Running Elk]

I feel like there is a huge explosion of mutations/morphs being discovered all the time. There is always a new gene, genes that are so rare and valuable that no one has access to them except big breeders, many have not been proven out or worked with much, etc. There is no real way right now to make a standard. It would be really hard. There is also a lot of variability in things like size, shades and colors within a specific morph, patterns within a specific morph, etc. And yet there isn't a huge amount of structural difference usually, like if you were to compare two very different dog breeds.

In ferrets, body and condition are judged, and the categories are broken into colors/patterns (like sable, panda, silver, blaze, albino, champagne). In fact, those are pretty much the colors. So you'll have a bunch of ferrets in whatever category. One will win. Then there is probably best in show among the winners of all of the color catagories.

Rabbits, like dogs and cats, have different distinct breeds, and each breed has a few standardized (show legal) colors or patterns. They show each breed by color, so a rabbit can win best of their color type within the breed, and then is judged as "best of breed" among the other winners of the other color categories within that breed. These judgments are based on everything from health, coat quality, and color to body structure and weight, and with some breeds, body movement. Some breeds' standards are based on muscle/fat/bone ratio if the breed originated fairly exclusively as a meat breed. It takes YEARS and a specific process to get a just new color accepted by ARBA as "show legal".

TL;DR Morphs come out constantly, there are a million different versions and combos of said morphs, there is not an easy way to standardize anything, especially when everything is constantly growing and expanding.

I'd imagine showing would be considered more if the market for new morphs ever became stagnant (there reached a limit and no more new morphs were really coming out frequently) and instead of seeking breeding something new, people instead decided to "perfect" what they already have, and made a general consensus of what "perfect" means. Most of the animals who have been standardized and are now shown have been "domestic" for a very long time (at least a couple hundred years, such as with rats and mice, or thousands, like cats, dogs, ferrets, and livestock). Where as many people in the BP hobby remember when there were only a couple morphs available, and only for a very high price.

Rats have shows, rabbits have shows, heck even ferrets get shows (this is shows as in dog shows with breed confirmation). Why aren't there ball python shows? They are a popular pet that come in a variety of colors. Could have a "morph standard" for individuals to be judged on with cash prizes or whatever. Also the distinction and honor of winning. Would be good for the market, draw more people in.

So what does everyone think. Pros and cons.