Dr David Ford reports on the recent Friends of Yorkshire Open Show.
In a tradition that is now many years old, the Open Show that was ‘YAF’ (Yorkshire Aquarist Festival) hold a second Open Show just a few weeks later. The YAF show is mainly for members of the Yorkshire Association of Aquarist Societies, but the second OS is for everyone – that is why it is called 'Friends of Yorkshire' OS.
Held at Stockton on the Forest Village Hall (near York) on Sunday, August 11 2013, there were 183 entries in the 36 classes – down on last year’s record 200 entries but about average for this OS.
Over 50 aquarists attended with a traditional auction, run as always by Steve Jones (European Anabantoid Club) who reported lots of sales – and bargains.
The entries were judged by Edward Cheetham, David Marshall, M. Price, P. Jones and trainee Paul Brown of YAAS.
The winners
Best in Show was won by Castleford AS’s Cliff Blackburn with this Microglanis iheringi - one of the Bumblebee catfishes - in the AOV Class 31 Female Egglayer (with 86.125 points!).
Best Exhibit Award went to Jamie Horne of SVAS with a pair of Picotee livebearers, Phallichthys fairweatheri (pictured at the top of the page) achieving 86.5 points.
The other YAAS major award is the Cliff Hildred Trophy for the highest pointed Anabantoid and this was won by Alan Northcliffe with a Male red fighter…
The OS was also home to the Fancy Guppies UK in the 5th leg of their League competitions.
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