Don & Brenda's Official 2008 ZNA SoCal Thread . . .

[JohnW]

Thanks for the pictures Don, between you and 68bruin we got to see a good bit of that show, and congrats on your win.

[Nancy M.]

Originally Posted by KoiCop

Nancy . . .

For the record: If it wasn't for you and Frank, Brenda & I would still have a watergarden with goldfish.

Originally Posted by jbolding

Nancy even though you weren't at the show I beleive you have a had a hugh impact on the Koi Kichi at the show through your support of the hobbiest. Thank you.

Thank you Don & Jed, we do love helping and teaching.

That is what the hobby is all about. Those $6 trophies are just icing on the cake.

Congrats to all the hobbiest, you are all winners just by entering your koi into shows for other to see and learn from.

[aquitori]

I love hearing and seeing hobbyist first koi show and I do remember Dons first koi show. I think Don took home "Best in Size", it is always a cool site to see when it is someone's first show or first "big" win and those are the moments that I enjoy. Especially seeing Michael's surprise when he won RGC...

I think when one gets into the hobby we hear the names, but never really meet the people behind them. My main drive back then was to compete against the Morales, because their standard of showing was higher than most hobbyist. Most of all the rep back then was if you really wanted to see how your fish would do, you would have to go to SoCal and compete against the best. The Morales are and will always be the couple to compete against in my mind and they set the bar higher and higher each year. If there was any couple who has influenced the koi hobby more in the last 10years in Cali and around the country my choice is the Morales.

[KoiCop]

Originally Posted by JohnW

Thanks for the pictures Don, between you and 68bruin we got to see a good bit of that show, and congrats on your win.

Thanks, John.

Larry (68bruin) worked his butt off taking all the benching photos -- as well as all the tank pix he's posted on the net-- he's one of the folks that really deserves everyone's praise.

[KoiCop]

.A pensive JR; probably wondering which kind of taco to have for lunch?

.Junichi Kayano (Super Kindai); Club member and Official translator for Japanese Judges.

.Judges chosing between our kokaku and our sanke for BC/BB.

.Still trying to decide. L to R: Tomio Motoda, Grant Fujita, Head Judge Sadyuki Suziki

.JR & Vergil Hettick getting their licks in.

.One last look before conferencing for the decision. L to R: Tomio Motoda, JR, Dick Thomas, Grant Fujita

.L to R: Justin and Kelvin Tran (k. tran); they had last year's Baby Champ

.Carl Grooms (Carloski)

.JR kicking with Chai Taevanitcharoen (Show Chair and ZNA Judge)

.Lamson Bui-Tran (ockoi1)

(to be continued)

[KoiCop]

.Loc Nguyen

.Jackson Chen and Grant Fujita

.JR's hat looks like it's one size too small, doncha think?

.Erwin Santos (erwinsan) and Vergil Hettick

.Richard Renshaw (Club member) and Joan Finnegan (ZNA Judge, AKCA and KoiUSA grand dame)

.Bob Finnegan (ZNA Judge, AKCA & KoiUSA OG, neighbor)

.Judy Walker (Club member, KHA and neighbor)

.Bobby Lee

.Mason Ng

.Jackson Chen (jckoi)

(to be continued)

[KoiCop]

.On to Size 3. We had 4 up; 3 in this tank and 1 in another. L to R: Junichi Kayano, Tomio Motoda & Dick Thomas

.Tomio Motoda (note the ZNA tie and tie tack)

.Debi Gillis, from the new Central Coast CA AKCA Club; came to learn; volunteered to help and ended up working hard for three full days; a real trooper.

.3 of our 4 Size 3's; the showa and smaller kohaku didn't place; the larger kohaku went on to take Best in Size 3

.Showa did not place

.Our Best in Size 3 Kohaku

.Our 4th Size 3 fish; took 1st place Size 3 Kawarigoi

.Linda Seu, Club member and widow of legendary Judge Charlie Seu

.Henry Nakamura, Asahi Koi, Gardena, CA. Son of another koi legend: Mits Nakamura, of Kobayashi Showa fame.

.Sadyuki Suziki and Tomio Motoda; final thoughts before conferencing for Best in Size 3

(to be continued)

[KoiCop]

.This fish repeated the Best in Size 3 Award it won here last year.

.Jamilla Tran; Justin and Kelvin's mother

.Two of the four Size 4's we had up.

.This Kohaku didn't place

.This Sanke took 3rd place, Size 4 Sanke

.This Sanke didn't place

.This Goshiki took 3rd place Size 4 Kawarigoi

.Victor Morimoto, Club member and long time hobbyist

.Me again

.Elyssa and Jed Bolding (jbolding)

(to be continued)

[aquitori]

Thank God there were no pics taken of me this year....

[KoiCop]

Originally Posted by aquitori

Thank God there were no pics taken of me this year....

Wrong-a-mundo, 'Tonio.

Your turn's coming, too.