Palmer-Stephenson do breed really good hams
Just thought I'd add my thoughts as a couple of things worth knowing I don't think have been mentioned.
Firstly, even though they chose to sell him, be it privately or on the sales table, doesn't always mean that the show potential is lacking. As has been said, show quality isn't the only thing we look for as breeders. For example, if a breeder does well and wins but get's comments about needing a better head shape or better size, then they will probably keep the babies that have the better size or head shape and sell other babies that have equally good show potential.
Secondly, breeders do sometimes make mistakes with the hams they keep and the hams they sell. I'm friends with a breeder who doesn't really breed much anymore and I had 2 WW's from them. Both did fantastically at shows when in the prime and the ones the breeder kept didn't. Even when you're experienced and know what you're doing, it can be difficult to gauge how well a ham will grow into their colour and a ham can appear a good size but slow down in terms of growth so end up being smaller than originally thought.
Definitely try your boy in main class, he's a gorgeous hammy and I see no reason why he wouldn't do well (although I'm not a Syrian breeder, Chinesey's are my thing lol). Something I wanted to say with showing though, if he doesn't do well the first time, don't give up, keep trying a few more times. I've had hamsters fail to place at their first few shows and then go on to win their class a couple of months later. One of my boys, Arlo, won his class a couple of times and then didn't score well for a while so I gave him a break from showing to breed him. One of my other hams who I usually show was in with a girl so I took Arlo to our last show in his place and he won his first Certificate of Merit at over 18 months old!
But yeah, definitely try and keep trying a few times, you never know, he might bring you home a few rosettes and trophies in the future
