I went to all three seminars this weekend with RC as the instructor. It was very interesting and fun to see how it all happens. But it is tiring. It took 7 1/2 hours to judge all the fish. That was with 2 judges and 10 assistants (us) mind you! But still it was worth it. Now I just have to judge 3 shows and a convention and I become a Judge Judge! :WOW:

Oh and also a great big THANK YOU to RC! Not just for giving us such a great opportunity but for helping us all understand all the subtleties when each class can be filled with near perfect fish. :Thank:

:welcome how awesome , Good for you, you will have to share your new found knowledge with us.

Also were the fish amazing at the show?

Congrats! That's really cool! :WOW:

Congratulation!! You are on your way up!!
WOW!!!
Thanks for sharing the informations. :D I heard ya! :lolo:

Two more and one convention and you will be a judge!!!! YEAH!!!
GO FOR IT!!!! We behind you!! :lolo: :Y

Actually they just took Seminar 3. They have 3 showes and a convention to still judge yet!

But congrats, you are one step further to being an official IBC certified judge! Woot Woot!!!

All of your help and insite was appreciated! RC loved working with each and every one of you, and apologiozes and thanks you for sticking around the grueling 7+ hours of judging!

Jamie. So this one doesn't count as one of the three? I thought that is what he told me in yahoo messenger. Can you explain more clearly how it works? What is the seminar 3? Is that after the seminar 3, then you have to go to 3 shows as apprentice judge and no need to attend the seminar 3 anymore? After pass, then go to the last convention as last apprentice judge? How do you know you pass in each? Do they give you a score? Thanks. ;)

Alright, the quick version on how to become an IBC judge:

1: You must take the 3 judging seminars. The first one is all of the technical items of being a jugde, two being all of the faults and specifics of the different fish and the different classes, and seminar 3 is where you follow the judge through a show and he goes through each and every fish with the apprentices and shows the real life examples of the faults, what judges are looking for, and the desicion making process that the judges must go through (such as we had for the reserve best in show female, which fish do you pick when you have two almost equal in quality?). After this, you become an official IBC apprentice.

2: Then as an apprentice, you must apprentice 3 shows in total, and one convention. But there is a catch to this: You must apprentice one show BEFORE you can apprentice a convention. If you apprentice a convention before you apprentice a show, that convention counts as one of your three shows (Remember: Seminar 3 Does Not Count as any of this!).

3: After you have taken your seminars AND judge all of your shows and your conventions, you must take two tests: Your written test and your visual tests. After convention this year, the written test might become a times open book, instead of as it stands right now an untimed closed book. The visual test is a simulation of a class, and you have to place the fish in it the way you think that they should be placed. Pass the written with a 70% or better, and the visual test you need to "agree" on the placement of the fish in the class, disqualify the fish that need DQ'ing (such as wrong class, missing ventrals, male plakat in a female class etc etc etc.), and if your placing doesn't exactly "agree" with the judges, you have to be able to defend your decisions and give reasons why you think one fish is better than the other.

How's that for every one? ^.^

UHA. So he did the 3 seminars already in 7 1/2 hours right? Now he had to go to 3 more show. I got it now.
ECB ::hit you still got 3 more shows to go and the final one at the convention. :LOL:

Jamie, are the 3 seminars for 7 1/2 hours are also in every competition show? ^_^

The triple somersault was the worst. :lolo:

I knew that seminar 3 didn't count as a show, but if you judge a regular show then a convention it will count as a convention? I got confused and thought you had to judge the 3 shows then the convention.

Yeevia: The first two seminars were given the night before as slide shows, and they lasted 2-3 hours. 7 1/2 hours for judging a show is unusual, but one it took longer because there were 300+ fish and two judges, and two the judges couldn't just go through and judge their normal speed because of the discussiona and the explaining to the newbies. AND each judge had 3-4 people following him to ecplain stuff to!

ECB: Nope, RC says that you have to be an official apprentice at one show, and then you are able to judge your convention.

My problem: I have to wait until the Florida show to take my seminars and become an apprentice, and the next show that I'm going to to apprentice is convention. But my convention won't count as a convention for me, it will count just as a regular show. But next year's convention will be my "convention" credit. I have to wait a year to become a judge. Other wise, if I had become an apprentice at PABS, judged the Florida show, went to convention and judged that, I'm going the Conneticut show in the fall, and next year at PABS again I would have been able to finish my apprenticeship and take the tests and become a judge. But I have to now wait until the convention of next year to do so. Ooh well. More time to be drilled on fish by RC... Want to know what he did to me the other day! He had a test from some one that had took it, and was quizzing me on it! For no reason other than his own amusement! Because I don't know some of the technecal stuff, such as Best Of Show criteria and the such (I'm good if you give me a FISH! I can go all around and tell you every thing you needed to know about a BETTA. But I don't know things like what countries are in judging area 3!) (I'm still working on it!).

WOW. I really don't have the time to do all that in my life now. I think the seminar 3 sound fun and I might plan for one in the future. :LOL:
TOO MUCH WORK and study to become a judge! LOL Justhal, are you going to be one? :lolo:

Hey! Congratulations ECB! I'm envious, too! I imagine it was sooo cool!

I thought you weren't going to stay with the IBC, Yeevia. You said that you weren't before, and now your saying that you would like to take seminars, and posting on the better betta list. What's up? are you staying with the IBC or not?

Now now, Jamie. He said he might. Yeevs was busy too, so he was considering it, but if he has reasons to stay, I bet he would! ^_^

He will just have to see if he can handle being in IBC too!
:lolo: No need for any hostility or accusation. Thumbsup

I would probably enjoy becoming an IBC judge - but I don't know if it's a real goal for me right now.

BUT I think it's important for any betta breeder to understand the standard for the type of fish they're working with. Otherwise, they're just stabbing around in the dark with no knowledge of what they're doing.

I wasn't, nor was I trying to be. Yeev and I PM'ed about it. I was adding 2+2 and getting 12, and was confused. I am just very straightforward, and if I am curious about something, I'm not afraid to just come out and ask. ^.^ And some times it is taken the wrong way, but I don't mean it! It's just the way I am. Slightly compulsive, curious, and able to speak my mind. Sorry if it was taken otherwise!

Yeah. I hear you, Jamie. This one is ok since we did pmed each two days ago. ;) Yeah, I can see sometimes your words can get off set even that it is not what you mean. It is good that you can clear that up to the others in here. ;) Just becareful what you typing next time, ok? Internet reading is so different than talking infront of you. By the way, I know that you are a great helpful person, Jamie. Someone in here already confirmed to me about you. :D So you are in great shape. :)
Justhal emailed me to come over to the IBC convention this summer. I need to save my money for right now actually and I don't know what will happened next. ^_^ I just can't promise anything right now with all of you that going to IBC. But who know. ^_^ Waiting the tick tick sound I guess. LOL :lolo:

I would LOVE to go to the convention! :wub: I think it would be an AMAZING experience! Indiana is just a few hours drive from Michigan - maybe I could pack up the 'kids' and head out for a few days...

...and you should go too, Yeevia. :T LOTSA bettas!!!

you should bring your dog too.:) The huge and black one! :D

That's what I meant about my 'kids' - I'll take the monster beasts too!

ALL of them!

Are you really really sure? :D

:WOU

Puppies! Puppies!

I'd get to play with PUPPIES!!!

:WOU
:WOU
:WOU

PUPPIES!!!!!!!

Justhal, Show Jamie your puppy. The black one. LOL :OO :OO :OO

I think I've already have seen. But I get to play with PUPPIES!!!!

:WOU

You did? Those puppies are huge!!! LOL :lolo:

im gonna apprentice judge in sept...i think i have done enough judging on the bettas4all board to know my stuff :lolo:

What show? The conneticut one?

no, the CBS one. Its on sept 16 and 17 i think...gotta check my calendar. It is the one before the CT one.

WOW WOW!! Another one!!! I would say " GO FOR IT GUPPY!!!" :Y :Y :Y

i am lol it will be really cool if this group ends up with a bunch of judges in it. Would make this group the "cool group" :clap

YOU CAN DOOO EEET!

Perhaps I will go and Apprentice. :D