It might be an idea to join the club because only members usually partake of the free lunch
Normally places 1st - 4th get a prize card with various rosettes and trophys for the big wins.
If you join the club though you can enter the Novice and small hamstery classes and these encourage newbies. You always have a better chance in those but then you never know you might have an outstanding hammie who will place in the main show. Remember if you take a lot of animals for pets then you are competing against yourself as well as the other entrants though I think that Midland splits into males and females, dwarf and syrian and non hamster pets like rats and rabbits