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Re: Judging fish (and not for shows) - a LONG edit
With Killie Revue starting Saturday, Wright's comments seem especially
timely. Our goals for showing the fish seem to follow the ones he wrote:
KI>1) Expose the public to the fish.
Our show is in a convention room at a hotel, and anyone can walk in
during show hours. Typically people that are staying at the hotel for
other reasons will amble in, do a double take, and want more information
about the fish. We even had people that just "stopped by" because they
were curious buying fish to take home.
KI>2) Show the hobbyist what's around and what it should look like. [Encourage
KI>lust in his mind!]
And divorce from the non-fishkeeping spouse when the hobbyist spends
half his/her paycheck at the auction(grin)....
KI>3) Encourage breeding better "quality" fish, whatever that may mean.
KI>That last one leads to the unique problem we have. That process has been used
for years to refine Koi, etc. Perfection at a difficult and *different* place is
emphasized. It can be an incredibly destructive process if applied the wrong way
to wild
KI>animals.
I would add it can also be incredibly destructive to domestic animals as
well. Look at the health problems that persian cats (eyes and nasal),
siamese cats(caesarean sections because the pelvis is too narrow), or
pugs/pekes/boxers or any other "smushed face" breed have (eyes and
nasal).
KI>IMO, the AKA has been very wise to emphasize training judges and *not*
KI>trying to write specific standards.
KI>I think rewarding healthy-typical-fish breeders can be a fine thing if too
KI>much weight isn't placed on winning. Once that happens, an inevitable
KI>process of change sets in as the breeders try to psych out what the judges
KI>will look for and artificially alter their stock accordingly.
I agree. I wish we could get breeders of other domesticated animals to
see it our way.
Catherine
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