Pictures Of All Florida Koi and Pond Show (2004)

Setup was Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, with the first goldies being checked in at that time. Its amazing how a completely empty atrium in a hotel can turn into a buzzing beehive of fish crazies within a few hours! We had 39 tanks and 54 fish in the show this year, which is about 20 fish more than the year before, and we are working on 75 fish next year, especially with Tommy Hui returning.... The trophies were so much more beautiful than the ones last year, with a particular special surprise award from the judge. He brought an old goldfish book, "Goldfish varieties and water gardens" from 1947, written by William T. Innes, to be given to a very special fish or person. I have admired that book many times on ebay, and while it was on the trophy table, I had my nose in there quite a lot.... .....
By RanchuGirl

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	Part of the goldfish showroom, which we have upgraded this year with blue backgrounds, as well as partially lit, so we could turn off all the other lights in the room - looked really cool!
	Here is a look at the trophy table....Lots to go around!
	Now a few beauties...This shubunkin, best in his class, belongs to a little girl, who raised him since he was a tiny winy little thing!
	The best wakin, belonging to Lester Berkow....We had 7 wakin in the show this time, while they usually didn't show up at all!
	The best celestial/bubble eye, belonging to me....This was an easy task, since he was also the only one...
	The best baby, owned and bred by Terry Cusick...a very tiny, but perfect, red ryukin.
	The Chairman's Award this year went to a big red/white ranchu, owned by Gaye Langley.
	Here we have the chocolate oranda, best in the oranda class, which happens to be mine!
	A fat big hamanishiki (crowned pearlscale), owned by Johnny Foster, also walked away with an award.
	The best Mature Award went to a so very cute ranchu, owned by Terry Cusick. He is just such a darling!
	Here we have the Best in the Ranchu/lionhead class - a big, blind, beautiful lionhead named Precious, belonging to me.
	A very nice fantail making it in the fantail/ryukin/veiltail category.....I wonder why the judge didn't pick one of the many perfect ryukin for the award.
	The Judge's Choice Award went to this huge and colorful oranda, owned by Terry Cusick.
	And now we come to the higher ranking fish!! The Reserve Grand Champion!! A beautiful 3-color telescope, big and bold, owned by Terry Cusick!
	the Grand Champion!! A huge, perfect, red oranda, bred by Gunn, owned by Gaye Langley! When looking at that fish, its hard to believe that he is just a little over one year old and alrady measuring 9 inches!
	The goldfish judge, Peter Ponzio, during the goldfish ID tour Saturday morning. He did a great job at explaining all the characteristics on the goldfish breeds in the show!
	My husband with Gunn on the last day;except for 2 fish he was totally sold out!
	A few vendors, among them Ray Able from Nishikigoi of Niigata, one of the best places to find high quality koi...
	THis huge, 15 inch long, comet is one of my dearest fish! He lives with 3 koi in a 300 gl tub outside.
	And this is the book I was talking about in the beginning. To my total surprise, I found out Sunday morning that the book had been awarded to me!! Thanks to Mr. Ponzio, Terry and Johnny Foster, the coordinator of the goldfish show! I will treasure that book very highly, just love it!!
	Here we have a blue telescope with some enormous eyes.
	A huge, and rather quiet, calico telescope with some great finnage!