[aquitori]

Quote: Originally Posted by schildkoi I cringe at the funds spent on judging as it is. I don't have a GC, let alone a GC at the AJ. AJ champions wouldn't be enough to supply all of the judges required either. Now how many GC's could I have purchased had it not been for the monetary committments of judging? More than a few, for sure LOL. Its not about whether you own a GC, its a matter of you can correctly pick a GC and sort through the attributes through your "eyes" to make that determination. I think I have won every award possible short of GC over the last 10+ years of showing Koi from one coast to the other and most places in between. Even a few awards abroad. Does that in and of itself mean I can judge? Nope, the exposure and experience however has helped my "eyes" sort out the attributes though. Steve

To me I am a poor man in a rich man's hobby. I get a kick if my $250 fish beats out a fish someone paid $3000 for. That was the case for my Mature Champion at Gardena last year. In all honesty I will never win GC, but I have trained my eye for the last 6 years to focus on what is the best out there. When I say out there I mean around the world. Those "Nishikigoi Monthly" magazines have really paid their weight in gold and I can find koi with a budget to play with the big boys at a show....

Honestly, I wish all judges had the means to make a trip to an "All Japan" Koi Show and checkout what the caliber is so they can gauge koi when they judge.