LIHUE — Kauai betta breeder Liz Hahn of the Westside finished with three firsts, two seconds, and six third-place finishes at the Oklahoma betta show and convention which wrapped up over the weekend. “It is much like the last sprint
LIHUE — Kauai betta breeder Liz Hahn of the Westside finished with three firsts, two seconds, and six third-place finishes at the Oklahoma betta show and convention which wrapped up over the weekend.
“It is much like the last sprint of a bike race,” she said.
“My own timing was such that my best fish were in prime show shape for the show in Florida, and they ended up earning many awards,” Hahn said. “This convention show, I only had young fish and mature fish to send. But the kids and the oldies still did very well in stiff competition and were interesting and exotic enough — especially the reverse butterfly doubletail male and female marbles — to be winners, and the talk of the show.”
Hahn finished by claiming top honors for Patterned Longfin Doubletail Male, Patterned Female Doubletail (long and short), and Form and Finnage.
What surprised Hahn was the Judging Board Award of Excellence presented during the Oklahoma show.
“This was really cool because they streamed the awards ceremony on Facebook, live,” Hahn said. “This was a complete surprise, and very humbling.”
The Judging Board award is presented for dedication and recognition to an International Betta Congress member “who has done exemplary work for IBC shows.”
Hahn’s return to the IBC scene was recognized during the presentation.
“Liz Hahn lives in Hawaii and cannot (physically) go to shows, but regularly sends her fish to every IBC Show she can,” the nomination read. “She was in IBC and showing many years ago, but had to get out of it for a while. She had re-emerged with a vengeance in the past five years.”
Hahn said the next IBC year will be busy because she was elected to serve on the executive board as well as asked to serve as chair of the Bettas in the Classroom program.
