| for me charlie a gift does not mean anything. I think most judges are not gonig to let gifts sway their decisions. They might hope those offering gifts think so though! My concerns in that area would be elsewhere. Ie folks that have long standing friendships or offenses with particular breeders or buyers and be excited over or mad over what is going with them. That might make it easier to find that little flaw and focus on it or to overlook that little flaw, even if it is not done maliciously or intentionally. However, that being said, most judges are not that easily swayed, have their own personal appearance preferences that preside(even if that slants them to ne breeder)
Like for me, I love reddish kohaku. For me(and I am not a judge and do not pretend to be) to give a gc to sanke or showa or orangish/yellow kohaku would go against my personal view of beauty and worth in koi. Would that mean I tended towards certain breeders whom I would also probably admire and like to be friends with? Probably. Does that mean it is wrong? Nope. It is what I like and value. I think most judges are just like that. I do not think they can be bought. Also, every show has multiple judges. Is that not enough safegaurd?
On the gift line, I think rolls royces r ok, jets, and mansions. But good fresh home baked cookies and fresh coffee? Hell no, who wouldnt that sway? So big gifts r ok, but small possibly emotional gifts attaced to the stomach, I think we have to gaurd against those! I know many a man who would walk right by a girl who owned rolls and mansions to get to the girl with the cookie plate.....so no fresh homemade cookies. |