Yorkshire aquatic club springs into new show season

Bradford and District Aquarist Society held its Spring Show on May 15, 2016.

This was the society's 69th year of starting off the Yorkshire aquatic season. However, this year there were competing fish shows in Scotland and Southern England. While this all proves that the aquatic clubs are thriving and growing, it did cause numbers attending to be down on previous years with just 122 entries in the Open Show and only 75 in the audience for the auction (usually 100).

With YAAS (Yorkshire Association of Aquarist Societies) standards applied by the three YAAS Judges (David Marshall, Edward Cheetham, Steve Grant) they agreed the worthy winner of the Best Exhibit to be a pair of Hockey Stick pencilfish, Nannostomus eques, owned by Ian Lee of Otley AS who said he has had them for a year, hoping for a spawning. At the show the pair developed spawning colours and won 87 points.

The Best in Show award was won by a catfish, again with 87 points. It was Leiocassis hosii, owned by Roy Blackburn of Castleford AS, which also won Best in Show in 2014. 

The Best Exhibit Award was presented to Ian Lee (left) by BDAS Secretary Anthony Fisher.

There were 10 entries in the Classes 34 and 35, the Goldfish section. The Judges were given a copy of the new 'Nationwide: Goldfish Standards of the United Kingdom', which helped them choose the Junior Champion — a Common goldfish owned by Chelsea Hall of Sheaf Valley AS (pictured above with Anthony Fisher). YAAS has its own Coldwater Standards of course, but it was last updated in 2003.

The auctioneer was, as always, Steve Jones (YAAS) and it lasted four hours with many bargains.

Don't miss the November event!

BDAS will repeat this OS and auction in the splendid facilities of the Bradford Academy, Lister Avenue, Bradford BD4 7QS on Sunday November 13, 2016 — with pie and mushy peas on its Autumn menu.

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