It comes with experience really. The more shows you go to and the more judges you watch judging the better really. Volunteering to help with pen stewarding is a great way of getting to know what you are looking for.
Don't be afraid to ask any of the experienced exhibitors for advice - we all like to think our opinion is valued!
Most of us are really keen to encourage newer exhibitors and will willingly help with advice and with suitable show babies.
You can't always tell a good show animal at 5 or 6 weeks, some are late bloomers and others will show early promise that will come to nothing, but if you start with good show stock you obviously have more chance of getting it right. However - the offspring of two show winners will not necessarily be a winner and occasionally a fabulous baby will come out of two average hams!
You will often see breeders rehoming hamsters at 6 months old or thereabouts, this may be because they haven't quite made the grade, or because a breeder has run-on several from a litter before deciding which to keep, or they have been used for breeding a litter and the offspring look even better than the parents. One of my first winning hamsters was aquired this way - we got her when she was about 6 months old and had had one litter and she turned out to be a late bloomer and did really well in show when she was a year old.
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