Follow the discus judges during France Discus Show 2018

Find an original angle to present a competition of discus is not easy. Then the video report proved to be a highlight… What could be more original than following the discus judges during evaluations? So follow me in a total immersion during the France Discus Show of Cognac city.

An often misunderstood subject: The evaluation of the discus beauty

After writing numerous articles on the topic, I had the idea to offer a new approach. Regularly developing the Fanatik-Discus YouTube channel, I actually imagined a new format.

Why not following the discus judges during the France Discus Show competition 2018? The idea is studied, the cameraman found (thank you dad!!!) and approvals obtained.

This report was a huge work, with real teamwork. In short, hours and hours of writings , video selections to produce two video reports.

The first dedicated to the international judge Cüneyt Birol who was invited to judge abroad first time in the France Discus Show history. The opportunity for me to present this international judge with his 41 judgments (From today). Interview video with Cüneyt Birol

The second video report that I present here is dedicated to a total immersion in the middle of discus judges during the France Discus Show - Cognac 2018.

The France Show Discus Cognac 2018

In addition, I also present my impressions of this contest. With as usual many photos.

Photos that you will find on the Fanatik-Discus Facebook fan page, but also (A selection) on my Instagram account. Social networks that I regularly animate.

In many ways, this competition is very interesting to observe. From a pure competition point of view, it offers in my opinion one of the best classification system. An element that facilitates the evaluation work for judges discus.

In addition, amateur participants are really highlighted, with a system that encourages their registrations.

A real "added value" for the competition since it demonstrates a real diversity of registered persons. With you will see, hobbyist discus lovers regularly better ranking than professionals.

Elements that give "peps" to the event.

Add to this a very friendly spirit, many exchanges and a good level of disease control… All the ingredients were present for a great weekend!

Eight categories for just over 1OO fishs.

The categories are based on 8 categories. These will allow as you know to classify the various types of discus colors.

For this event, will be designated the three most beautiful fishs in each category. But also the best amateur breeder of each category, the best amateur breeder of all categories and finally the best fish in contest.

Thus each judge distributes its notes for each fish and for each evaluation criteria chosen by the organizer.

The France Discus Show propose to the jury a scoring system consisting of criteria: The general impression, eyes, the pattern (body marking) and color, size and body harmony, body shape-fin-tail.

That to say 5 criteria that give us a total of more than 500 Notes to assign to all of the fish on the competition. You can imagine the work, time and concentration that represents.

Then comes the election of the most beautiful fish of the competition with a new system which was adopted this year. A system that you discover in the video report which seems very well suited.

How discus judges proceed ?

This is a question that deserved a video because the process remained more or less opaque. (I mean for all competitions.)

We had very long time discussed these topics with Xavier Jeanmaire. I believe our respective wives can testify to our time spent on the phone… Maybe even to suspect the real existence of this "Xavier"…

I've always been a supporter of transparency about the rating system. Simply because interests are numerous. A subject I would not approach here but that you can read on the website:

I also often heard that the judges were not always impartial, they were voting for friends etc.…

So why not just show how this works? Of course, This report present only one event: The France Discus Show.

But I think it is interesting to show it.

I invite you to watch this reportage "In the middle of discus judges" that lasts 30 minutes… And do not hesitate to leave your questions or give a comment in the YouTube comment section below the video.

Lower, you will find pictures of the most beautiful fish in contest.

The video with the judges of France Discus Show…

Red spotted discus

The quality of red spotted discus presented were at a very high level. Only the eyes had a shape deformity.

Fish that I had the chance to evaluate during the discus championship in Sweden: The Nordic Discus Show. Very well prepared animals and not at all stressed!

Both fish have very good pattern.

As my pictures are not good enough; You will find the 3rd place fish upper in the video.

Red discus

Francis Hu (Chen's Discus England) and his breeders have as well presented here beautiful fishs.

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From a morphological point of view, I personally enjoyed the third discus proposed by the amateur Gérard Avril. Fish on right.

The second on the left was presented by Discus Milano Italy.

Turquoise discus

As you have seen in the video, the debate began the day after judgment with the fish at the 3rd and 4th place.

And these fish will be evaluated a second time the next day with a result in favor of the original fourth fish. This process can be considered on two fish having received very close Notes.

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Left the "old school" turquoise discus of Christiane Roitelet. Right the one of Jeremy Dhieux; both French amateur breeders.

Wild discus

This year, wild discus benefited from the same type of installation as the previous edition. Fine sand and amber water due to Cattapa leaves.

A result that seemed to be as positive.

Francis Hu won once again (A habit for him lately with the wilds) first prize in wild. A discus the judges appreciated for its very alert behavior.

Frédéric Gobert who import discus from Hudson Crizanto in Brazil won the second place. A tiny message will be shown in the ceremony with the logo "H&K ornamental" seen for the picture.

Winners of the solid blue category

What fish… The winner of the blue category was beautiful. Good size, beautiful shape… Finally very homogeneous qualities.

A beautiful blue diamond discus selected in the fishfarm of SG Discus Italy and presented by Francis Hu.

Second place won by Francis Hu. And the third Yohann Bodin who also won the title of best amateur in this category.

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Left the second from Francis Hu Chen's Discus. on right, the fish engaged by Yohann Bodin.

Discus winners in "open solid"

It is here the peculiarity of this contest. It was set up two years ago with an interesting success.

For my point of view, it is important to offer two "open" categories in contests. This in order to open the competition to all varieties of fishs; and therefore all breeders.

I also think that we could refine by calling these two categories "unclassifiable solid" and "unclassifiable pattern". The idea of ​​two "open" categories being built, we could now evolve these designations for even more logical.

This is of course the same, but this will facilitate understanding of newcomers in the hobby.

This edition of France Discus Show is a concrete example. Since two discus orange red melon were climbing on the podium. Previously this kind of fish with a full orange color were found in category "Red"… While they are orange.

We could say. that this type of full orange discus stayed home.

Second consecutive title for Franck Ramezi

With this classification, we can also see… Here, both winners were registered by an amateur breeder: Franck Ramezi. He also won for the second consecutive year the title of "best amateur 2018 ".

Very nice uniform and intense color for this red melon discus. A small red eye of good quality. Only its morphology will be sanctioned with fewer points. His other qualities will be large enough to allow him to snatch the top place.

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The discus show a much better morphology than the winner. But it has a little less good color distribution. And especially, his little eye deformity (only on its left side) makes him lose too many points.

As you will see in the video with discus judges, this fault was discussed. Should it be sanctioned?

Discus "open pattern"

Here we find fishs proposed to discus judges who are not belonging the more specific categories.

This year, it will be 3 snakeskin discus that will be distinguished. With a nice and uncommon blue snakeskin discus.

This variety is less common in competition because its color and pattern are less remarkable. Its features less attract the eye.

But I'm glad to see that this fish was rewarded at its fair value. A snakeskin discus that I enjoyed. The owner of this fish, is an amateur: Jeremy Dhieux.

The difficulty with this variety is to get a minimum of contrast between the base color (background) and the surface color. You will understand, it's a bit more complex to obtain it working the gray base and blue-green iridescence surface.

The snakeskin pattern is good; The eye of this fish could be a little bit more red and smaller. But here we have a fish of homogeneous qualities and uncommon.

See the second type of discus snakeskin. You will notice the difference with the background color that derive to a more red. This creates a stronger contrast pattern.

A beautiful fish, with a rather nice facial marking. As you will notice the weakness of the pattern who has broken lines, interrupted.

A good example for comparison with the winning discus who is much better on this feature.

I think this picture shows very well where this discus lost points. Your opinion?

Pigeon blood discus

The final category presented here welcomes the Grand Champion… One of the last selected pattern of the "Pigeon Blood" variety.

Because this is truly Pigeon Blood "Jaguar" type which was voted best fish in contest. Within my opinion, an unprecedented scenario for the discus judges present here.

If anyone remembers such a denouement for a competition of discus; do not hesitate to point out in the comments section below!

Because for me it was something never seen before… I do not reveal anything and invites you to watch the video… And i feel privileged to have been able to attend this… Furthermore, we were fortunate to capture this in video!

A very interesting Grand Champion

The Grand Champion was not the best shape, and general morphology we could expect for a fish elected Grand Champion.

But this fish is such an amount of work and selection for the breeder that he could'nt, not be rewarded. Because we had in front of us one of the best jaguar type pattern never presented before.

Personally, I had the honor to have known this variety at the very beginning of its selection. With a pattern who spontaneously appeared with maybe two ocellus…

Years after years, this variety never stoped to improve under the selection of his breeder. There was a long discus pigeon blood had not won a Grand Champion title.

After long deliberations, this discus will prevail against the winner of the category "Solid Blue". Itself coming from the same breeder…

I said no more and let you discover this fish of quite uniform pattern. With a red dot in almost any white spots…

An amateur breeder on the Pigeon blood podium

The fish from the French amateur breeder Romain Agnès climbed on the third place of the podium.

He can be proud to have won the third overall place and the trophy for best amateur in this category. Discus pigeon blood is far to be the easiest variety to compete with the professionals.

I think it is THE amateur performance of this championship.

For a first appearance in competition, Romain Agnès set the bar quite high… And his emotion during the awards ceremony is at the height of the beautiful result… Congratulations again to him.

This report stops here… If you have not yet done, I invite you to take a little of your time to watch the full video made in immersion with the jury of France Discus Show Cognac.

Your questions and comments are welcomed.

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Upcoming appointments; the report dedicated to the last event Vivarium Netherlands and Paris Grigny Discus Show.

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