Yarn Judged on a Spindle

I find myself amused by a Coombs fair competition category: yarn on a spindle.  I asked the local handspinning group and yes, the yarn is submitted for judging while on the spindle.

Would you have a competitive advantage if you used a really pretty spindle?  What if the spindle had cutouts in the whorl and you used fibre that transitioned from one colour to another creating a pattern in the cutouts?

I don't see how a judge can assess yarn's consistency when the only part that's visible is the last few yards wrapped on the outside of the cop.