IHS HOTY
IHS Hibiscus Of The Year

(Updated December 8, 2005)

 

The IHS HOTY program presently concerns Exotic Hibiscus as opposed to Landscape or Commercially Mass Produced varieties, at least until such time as it has a membership capable of providing candidates and trailing stations capable of evaluation the special needs of the latter categories. This program is based upon international trialing stations which comparatively grow all candidates under similar conditions. These stations periodically provide requested photos and data to the HOTY Panel Of Judges (HPOJ) which makes the final selections.

IHS HOTY program is designed to select quality seedlings at two levels of distinction, one considered the most beautiful without consideration of other characteristics (to be known as the IHS Seedling Of The Year or IHS SOTY) and the other being the best of the most beautiful as demonstrated in trialing of the selected SOTY candidates over a three year period (to be known as the IHS Hibiscus Of The Year or IHS HOTY). Moreover, it is designed to permit anyone who has quality seedlings, either as the hybridizer or grower, to enter regardless of where in the world they might be. If the candidate is presented by other than the hybridizer or grower, hereinafter, known as the applicant, the owner as defined in this text (either the hybridizer or if he gave away seed, the grower) should provide either email or snail mail authorization for the candidate to be considered for either of the above; said authorization to constitute agreement with the terms and requirements of the this program as stipulated herein. The hybridizer, owner or applicant, simply need to be members of the IHS, subscription in same being free of charge, or be a member of any of the IHS affiliate organizations at the time their entrant is accepted.

The applicant must, within the TPC deadlines, provide to Mr. Jim Purdie, jpu11707@bigpond.net.au 3 images (digital or photographic) of the different blooms of the same candidate along with the following information:

A) Parentage

B) Size of bloom (average and range from min to max, e.g., 7" - 6.5 to 9")

C) Texture of the bloom (thin, average, good, excellent)

D) Symmetrical form (reliable, average, variable - meaning sometimes less than ideal)

E) Duration of the bloom (1 day, two day, more than two day)

F) Angle of bloom presentation on the bush (upright, lateral to upright, lateral, lateral to down angle and pendulous).

The basic preselection mechanism is via the IHS Trimestrial Photo Competition (TPC), in which the membership selects what it considers to be the best in seedling category. The top 6, and in case of a tie vote rounded off to the next highest number, in each TPC will be selected for final judging for a total of approximately 18 candidates. If the person owning the entrant (either hybridizer or grower) for any reason wishes, they may withdraw their candidate or candidates. Additionally the HPOJ will suggest supplemental candidates bringing the total to 30, which in the final voting the membership will reduce to 15. The HPOJ will then select the SOTY and nine runners up that will all go into international trialing for three years.

The final selection of candidates totaling 30 will be presented to the membership to determine what they consider to be the best. This will be done at the same time as the voting for the annual champions in the other various categories of the TPC, or shortly thereafter. The top 50%, normally 15, as voted by the membership (rounded off to the next highest number) will then be considered by the HOTY Panel Of Judges and their decision rendered within one month, providing the final stamp of approval of what constitutes the most worthy bloom and nine runner ups. As this part of the preselection process will be based on the appearance of the bloom and the information provided by the hybridizer, these will be called the Seedlings Of The Year or SOTY which will represent the considered opinions of the membership and judges as to the most beautiful seedlings of the year.

The ten SOTY winners will then go into a program of trialing for an addition three years at designated international trialing stations. Trialing stations may change but at the present include one in Europe, one in the US and one in the Philippines, after which time the HOTY panel of judges will select the best of the ten and their runner ups. The winner will be designated the IHS HOTY GOLD MEDAL winner, the next two runners up as IHS HOTY SILVER MEDAL winners and the following two as the IHS HOTY BRONZE MEDAL winners.The esteemed title of IHS HOTY Gold Medal winner, will consist of the best of the most beautiful as proven by its performance during trialing and confirmed by the HOTY panel of judges

The panel of HOTY judges will base their opinions for both the choosing of the SOTY and HOTY candidates on a point system. To view the templates for each click here on SOTY Voting Template or HOTY Voting Template). Additionally, the HOTY information voted upon will come from the photos and data provided by the trialing stations. Click here for the HOTY Trial Form. The winning SOTY and HOTY winner's photos along with this point system evaluation will become a permanent part of the IHS web site, although the judges will remain anonymous.

The panel of judges will be determined as follows: The IHS membership and membership of its affiliates will be consulted as to those willing to serve on this panel indicating that they should have some sort of bloom and/or seedling evaluation experience and/or some credentials in photography and/or photo analysis. Those persons who are interested, will be requested to make their submission, with a resume of their experience to the current IHS President. He will pass this information to the Board of Directors who will have the opportunity to discuss the candidates and then vote to accept or not each candidate with the intention of ideally representing different parts of the world. The president or board members might also solicit candidates for the boards consideration, and in the event a judge resigns his post at a later date, the board will be authorized to appoint a replacement. The President will be a observing member of the HPOJ, voting only in case of a tie.

It will be permissible for members of the board, membership or members of IHS affiliated organizations to be members of the HOTY panel of judges. Those that might have candidates for consideration for either the SOTY or HOTY will not be able to vote on their own candidates.

For example: Candidate #1 has a total of 45 points from one judge, 28 from another, 52 from another and 39 from another for a seedling that none of the judges has presented in candidature. The total would be 164 points, divided by 4 judges would provide a point average of 41.

Candidate #2 has a similar total of points from the first three judges, but the latter Judge is ineligible to vote since it is his seedling being considered, resulting in the total points by the three eligible judges of 125 divided by 3 which provides a point average of 41.67.

IHS Seedling Definition: Seedlings are new hibiscus plants that have been raised from seed. The owner of the seedling being entered as a candidate to this program may be: 1) the hybridizer: the person that has cross-pollinated the flowers to produce the seed, and in the event the hybridizer has given away seed to a seed bank or other individuals, 2) the grower: the person who has acquired the seed but grown it to first bloom. A seedling continues to be called a seedling for up to 3 years from the date of the first flower. A HOTY candidate may remain a seedling for an additional three years during the trialing period, meaning that it can retain seedling status for a maximum of 6 years from the date of first bloom. Therefore, it is possible for a seeding to be known only by a number for recognition, a working name or it may be registered in which case it will have a unique permanent name.

Sports not being grown from seed and generally being a minor mutation that results in a color variant of otherwise often identical plants, are therefore not eligible for SOTY or HOTY consideration.

Trialing station will provide information and bush photos every 6 month to the HPOJ, via its chairperson. They will additionally supply 3 bloom photos (top, diagonal and lateral) taken during the last 6 months of trialing which the trialing station considers representative of the candidate and no more than three photos that might vary from those provided for the SOTY competition, perhaps including seasonal or daily changes.

Photos for the HOTY layout will be requested at approximately 450 pixels size, but will be modified as per the dictates of the layout using a standard 200 k size, which will provide a layout of 3 photos wide by as many rows as needed. This will consist of the 3 SOTY bloom photos, the 3 final bloom photos, a maximum of 3 out of the ordinary bloom photos, and 6 bush photos or 1 page of 5 rows for each of the ten candidates.

   
IHS INAUGURAL HOTY: 
Dragon’s Breath

As this cv was selected for the IHS logo, based on what the IHS Administrator considers a breakthrough in pattern and design that has resulted in an unusual, stunningly beautiful & sophisticated flower, it is likewise designated as the IHS INAUGURAL HOTY.  This should not be confused with future IHS HOTY winners which will be elected by the HIS membership.

Bonnie B x Blushing Romance       Hybridized by Dale Dubin

         

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