In This Chapter
- Shows: More than just a blue ribbon
- Variety is the spice: Locating the shows
- Ready, set, go: Entering a competition
- Just for the fun of it: No koi, no pressure
- Stepping into the organizer’s role: Your own koi show
Koi shows accomplish two goals:
They allow individuals to enter their prized koi in competition, and they allow
vendors to reach a very select market with their koi supplies, books, and yes,
koi for sale. So, even if you aren’t up to primping your fish for judging, a koi
show still has a lot to offer you.
Showing Your Koi — Why Bother?
Of course, the prospect of
winning a title or trophy has great appeal in any contest setting, but koi
shows have so much more to offer than just awards. In terms of real pleasures
and value, every participant at a koi show, whether you compete or not, comes
out a winner.
You win gold in terms of knowledge
In addition to putting miles on
your car and ending those weekends of working in the yard, koi shows teach you
about koi. You discover myriad facts about koi-keeping and koi-judging. For
example:
- Inside tips on practical issues: You discover more than you thought you ever could at the seminars and workshops that go along with koi shows. Typical sessions deal with setting up quarantine systems, operating a koi farm, and using salt against koi disease. Sometimes these are coupled with trade shows, where you can see and learn about new equipment, foods, books, and the like.
- How koi are judged: By observing the judges and talking with them and other hobbyists, you start to make sense of what is, at first glance, a confusing process.
- The particulars about each judge: You find out what koi characteristics are most important (this varies from judge to judge) — which judges, for example, look carefully at body shape and which ones look at pattern balance.
- The reasons behind the results: Why competition is so tough for Kohaku, for example.
You get to know your koi better
Showing koi that you’ve just
purchased is a learning experience for you and your fish. You can’t know ahead
of time how well your koi will deal with the stress of the show. For example:
- Some varieties of koi lose their color intensity when they’re under stress.
- Some try to hide or splash about in an agitated manner.
- Some (like the Chagoi) are friendly koi that just like people; nothing seems to stress them.
Remember
Realistically speaking, you need to attend one or two shows before you know how your new koi react to traveling and to the show itself. Travel is stressful, and many koi just don’t deal well with it. (Review Chapter Preparing for Your Koi’s Homecoming for tips on transporting fish to make the trip less stressful on both of you.)
You can observe your koi
carefully, both en route and at the show, to decide whether the experience is
worthwhile for you and your fish. Particularly high-strung animals are best
spared this ordeal. Let the behavior of other koi and the advice of more
experienced people be your guide in making this decision.
You see what you’re up against and what’s in vogue
You need to see how different
judges react to your new koi. You may think that your Aka Muji, a nonmetallic
red koi, is extraordinary. But when three judges in a row pass it over, you
have to face the fact that you have a very nice, very ordinary koi. See “The
judging process” later in this chapter for more information concerning what the
judges are looking for.
When you’re at a show, look
around to see what’s being shown. If they seem to be the same old story, they
probably are. Keep track of the following factors:
- Variety: The long-time top varieties of koi are the Kohaku, Showa, and Sanke, with the Ogon nudging in for fourth place.
- Other factors: Is there anything new in the way of color or shape? Perhaps something that points the way to a future trend?
- Size: No particular size is tops, mostly because koi tend to grow into the next size group every year or every other year.
Finding a Show Near You (Or Even Far Away)
The Web site or newsletter of your local koi club is a good place to start when searching for a local show. You can expand your search by checking with one of the bigger clubs, such as the Mid-Atlantic Koi Club (www.makc.com) or via a general Internet search. Koi magazines also list upcoming shows, as do the newsletters of general aquarium societies.
Showing Off Your Pride and Joy
After you’ve decided to show your
koi, you have a number of questions to consider. And personal experience tells
us that you’ll enjoy the experience more if you understand what’s expected of
you and how the process works in general.
Tip
Local and regional shows in particular tend to be restricted to hobbyists. As a result, people who make a living from koi (let us pause for a minute to catch our breath from laughing — the idea of making money from koi seems outlandish!) may not be allowed to compete. They attend the shows as vendors only. If you’re in doubt about your status, check the guidelines before you register for a show to avoid any problems. You can also contact the show organizer and ask about these limitations.
Registering for a show
If you decide to take the plunge
and enter your Precious in a show, you need to plan ahead. Some shows have an
entry deadline several days before the show dates. (This advance warning allows
the organizers time to provide enough show tanks for the competing fish.) But
the deadline for registration may be flexible; many shows allow for walk-up
(swim-up?) registration when show tank space is still available. Bottom line:
If the show’s important, don’t take that kind of chance. Be sure you determine
these and other limitations from the show’s announcement information or
organizers so you can plan accordingly.
To get started in the
registration process, consult the requirements posted on the Web site or
magazine advertisement that announces the show. The show entry form includes
- Your contact information: Short and simple, just the way we like it.
- Your show tank requirements: You reserve one or more show tanks (6-foot or 8-foot) with the understanding that only your fish will be in your tanks (to prevent disease transmission).
Generally, the show rules spell out the number of fish to be in each tank. Usually fish of each size class are assigned a certain number of points, and the tanks are designated to hold a certain number of fish points. For example, fish of 16 to 20 inches may be labeled as size 4 (4 points). So if a 6-foot-long tank can hold 25 points of koi, you can put six koi, 16 to 20 inches each, in that tank.
Most show organizers don’t require a head count ahead of time. They leave the number of fish per tank up to you.
- Descriptions of your koi: Although rare, sometimes the powers that be ask for the type and size of your koi.
You pay a registration fee (which
can vary greatly from show to show) when you submit the registration form.
Remember
Paperwork with the registration probably reminds you not to feed your koi for at least three days before the show to keep the water in the show tanks and vats as clean as possible. Koi don’t suffer from fasting over the entire event, even if it’s several days.
A brief rundown of the affair
Most shows are weekend affairs
with benching (setup) on Friday and early Saturday. The process goes
something like this:
1. A show official checks you in at the registration area and you’re assigned a fish handler.
Tip
Please bring your own bowls and koi nets. Some onsite equipment is available, but you’re wise to use your own for hygienic reasons.
2. The fish handler helps you move your fish to your assigned show tank(s). After the bag(s) and tank temperatures have equalized, the handler physically transfers your fish into the tank(s).
The goal of the fish handler is to lift your koi out of the bag and place it into the tank without transferring any of the transport water to avoid spreading disease or parasites.
You can dispose of the used bags and transport water, but you may want to keep yours for the trip home if you haven’t brought extra bags. (Hint: To avoid problems because of ripped bags, bring along some extras.)
3. A contest official visually inspects your fish for disease.
Fish that exhibit any symptoms of disease are not allowed into the show tank or vat.
4. Using your net and bowl, a member of the benching team bowls each of your koi to classify, measure, and photograph it.
Your regular koi are measured from nose tip to tail-fin tip; long fins and butterfly koi are measured from nose tip to the base of the tail. See Table 16-1 for the group sizes.
5. You take the completed benching form and digital photos to the registration table to complete the entry process.
6. Judging begins Saturday morning. Depending upon the judges’ dispositions, and, of course, the number and quality of the entries, this can be quite a tedious and protracted affair. Show officials generally announce awards at a banquet on Saturday night.
7. Takedown begins on Sunday afternoon, usually no earlier than 3 p.m.
The sponsoring club usually
supplies oxygen and fresh water for bagging.
Table 16-1 Size
Groups for Koi Shows
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Group
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Koi Length
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1
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Under 10”
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2
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10” to under 13”
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3
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13” to under 16”
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4
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16” to under 19”
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5
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19” to under 21”
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6
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21” to under 24”
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7
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24” to under 27”
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8
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Over 27”
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Surveying the many ways to win
Prizes range from ribbon rosettes
to trophies, with no two shows being identical in this regard. But koi shows do
more than award prizes for the most beautifully configured koi. They recognize other
categories including the best male, the most jumbo, and the show director’s
choice. Other awards are more lighthearted like the most beautiful eyes,
longest tail fin, or most unique.
Remember
Part of the reason for separating koi by type and size is to have easily comparable fish. Some varieties don’t develop their full range of colors until they near 12 inches, so comparing a 6-incher to a 12-incher isn’t fair. And trying to compare a Koromo to a Utsuri Mono is like the proverbial apples to oranges game. Having lots of categories gives all competitors a better chance at winning.
Taking a sneak peek at Japanese koi shows
In Japan, koi competitions group the fish by size
and classification, meaning all the size 2 Kohaku are together, and all the
size 2 Utsuri Monos are together. Even though clear digital photos are part of
the registration process, every koi-keeper can easily recognize his own fish.
The first Japanese point system to establish the
value of a fish was fault-based: Each koi started with 100 points and then
lost points for body shape, pattern faults, and color faults. In the 1980s
the system switched to a positive approach: Points are now awarded for
notable characteristics. With this system, a fish with great color can win
over a fish with a good pattern, or a koi that swims with remarkable grace
can still have a high score in spite of its other faults.
Japanese shows are a great deal more formal than
American shows, and this formality acknowledges the judges’ expertise by
allowing them a great deal of leeway in selecting the finest koi. Judges use
written ballots in selecting the show’s Grand Champion.
As part of their always-positive approach,
Japanese judges announce the show’s Grand Champion first and then the lower
prizes. This order is the opposite of U.S. shows, where they save the
announcement of the Grand Champion for last.
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Tip
Shows are generally prejudiced in favor of larger fish, meaning a 36-inch koi is more apt to win over a 30-inch koi only by virtue of size and age. However, larger fish are more difficult to transport, and many koi competitors just don’t want to take a chance on losing their elder koi.
The judging process
The evaluation of each koi
variety has set criteria, but the process is scarcely precise. For example, one
judge may prefer the black on a Sanke scattered over the body, but avoid the
red. Another judge may like a Sanke whose black is limited to four splotches
that form two opposing V’s over the back.
Although judges do adhere to the
specific standards of each variety, they’re free to rely on their personal
opinions as well. They follow a procedure that includes the following
checkpoints:
- Swimming style: The koi’s movements should appear graceful, with the pectoral fins held out. Swimming should be a smooth, fluid movement as opposed to a twisting motion.
- Fins: Any damage? If your koi’s fins were damaged during transport, tell the judge so it won’t count against the fish.
- Barbels: Any missing?
- Body shape: Plump, Rubenesque females are more attractive than slender males; body should be bilaterally symmetric.
- Colors: Deep, vibrant colors with distinct edges are preferable to colors that overlap; balanced or pleasing patterns score high, and a unique pattern on the head is a real plus.
The judges generally make their
decisions on a consensus basis. One person is usually designated as a head
judge to resolve impasses. The details of the actual decision-making process
vary widely from show to show and among the various judges. Individual judges
may give greater or lesser weight to certain factors, and the effect of this is
not at all clear cut. In fact, judging may be quite confusing to the newcomer.
But with experience, you can start to make sense of certain (but not all!)
aspects of the judging process.
Tip
Judges are willing to explain why they selected one koi over another or which factors they found pleasing in a particular koi. Be sure to check the protocol (written and unwritten) concerning these procedures. They differ from show to show, but they’re always rooted in the formality and politeness of the hobby’s Japanese origins.
Competing without actually showing up
Your koi can compete in shows and you never have
to leave your home. How is this possible? You let the breeder show your fish
for you before you receive the fish. In the world of koi, a breeder can show
fish on behalf of the new owner if the new owner hasn’t taken possession of
the fish.
Consider this scenario: You go to Japan, buy a
koi with promise, and leave it with the breeder to mature for a year or so.
During that time, the breeder enters your koi in whatever show(s) he — or the
two of you — chooses. When he ships the fish to you, it arrives complete with
show awards (or so you hope).
But after this prize-winning Ai Bekko crosses
your threshold, the rules change. From then on, you do the work. The rules
read, “All fish must be the personal and private property of the registrant.”
Sometimes the rules state that the show is not
open to individuals who derive a significant portion of their income from
breeding koi or that the fish owner must attend the show and sign the entry
form. You can’t get around rules like these. These rules prevent a
professional koi-breeder from dragging out his zillion-dollar Sanke and sweeping
the awards. After all, the show is by hobbyists for hobbyists. A professional
koi-breeder can easily make everyone feel like yesterday’s filter wash.
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Respect the judges’ opinions;
they’ve gone through a winnowing process that requires years of koi-keeping
experience, specialized training with testing at the end, and recertification
every four years.
For more information on judging,
the Associated Koi Clubs of America (AKCA) has a Web site that lets you try
your hand at judging: www.akca.org/judging/judge.htm.
After the show: Packing up and heading out
After 3 p.m. on Sunday, the
competitors and vendors pack up and head home. You can get packing help from a
member of the benching team if you don’t mind waiting, but most koi-keepers bag
up their own fish.
The general format of closing up
follows these steps:
1. Use your koi net to bowl each of your fish and then pour the fish into its own poly bag.
Place smaller koi together in one bag, but be careful not to crowd them.
2. Carry your bags to the member of the benching team who’s handling the oxygen.
She may be walking around, pulling a wheeled oxygen tank. She’ll squash the bag down to remove excess air, top it off with oxygen, then twist and seal the top with a rubber band.
With oxygen, your koi should be comfortable for 8 to 12 hours.
3. Place the sealed bags in their cardboard boxes and close the tops.
In the meantime, the live fish
vendors are delivering bagged, oxygenated, and boxed koi that the show
participants have purchased. (Because most vendors prefer payment at the time
of sale and not at the time of delivery, this delivery process goes smoothly.)
When you’re packed and ready to
go, follow these guidelines to safely bring your koi home sweet home:
1. Place the boxes in your car or van crosswise so the bags lie perpendicular to the direction of travel.
When you stop or accelerate, your koi simply rock in their bags instead of jamming their noses into the end of the bag.
Warning!
Don’t allow any box to remain in the sun in your car. Shade it with a towel or jacket.
2. Open the box at home and place the bags in your pond so temperatures can equalize.
Warning!
Make certain that none of them are floating in the sun.
3. Open the bags after 20 minutes, wet your hands, and lift your koi out of the bag for release into the pond.
Try not to spill any of the bag water into the pond; after two days of being home to your koi, the water’s probably not clean any more.
Attending a Show Just for Kicks and Giggles
Some shows include free (with
your registration) workshops or lectures on Saturday and Sunday. The judging
area is usually open for viewing Saturday and Sunday, and more than half the
fun of a show comes from walking around and looking at the fish.
Tip
As the judges begin walking around and talking to each other about the fish, protocol puts sort of an invisible shield around them. Only show officials may talk to them or interrupt them. After the awards, judges are available for questions.
Vendor booths and the judging
area are open to the public for viewing on Saturday and Sunday.
Playing Host: Setting Up Your Own Show
Although shows at a set location
are a long-standing tradition among koi associations, other options are
possible. Factors such as logistics, finances, or the personal situations of
members may necessitate creative thinking. The house-to-house show is an ideal alternative
and often brings together koi enthusiasts who aren’t able to view each other’s
fish any other way.
House-to-house shows
In house-to-house shows, the judges and the crowd travel from house to house to see the competing fish in their own habitat. This type of show works well when
- Showing off your pond is part of the fun.
- It’s the dead of winter and everyone has heated indoor ponds (for more on setting up your own indoor pond, see Chapter Keeping Koi Inside).
However, this show is harder for
the judges because they have to remember the strong points of one koi three
houses back and the details on the koi’s chin from the first house. Most judges
use a point system or digital photos to help even out the judging process.
Because of their unique
characteristics, these shows are most easily arranged among people who live
within a relatively small area (a couple of miles) and who are comfortable in
opening up their homes to other folks. Small, local koi associations are an
ideal format for organizing house-to-house shows, either by word of mouth or
through the organization’s newsletter.
Regional shows
You can sum up shows in one word,
committees — and plenty of them. A club or regional show requires so
many finite tasks that everyone can join in at a level that suits him best. A
typical list of committees includes
- Show site arrangements
- Show set up
- Publicity
- Hospitality
- Registration
- Show workers
- Judge arrangements
- Prizes/ribbons
- Fish handlers
- Site cleanup
Tip
When you’re trying to figure out how much work a show is, a helpful guideline is
- Half of the work is done before the show.
- One-fourth of the work is done during the show.
- One-fourth of the work is done after the show.
Before you begin recruiting for
committee members, the executive committee needs to get a handle on the show
parameters and the overall structure of the event. The following sections
highlight these parameters as well as the planning and post-event stages. For
more about the show itself, the earlier section “Showing Off Your Pride and
Joy” gives a good rundown of the activities.
Show parameters
The executive committee has the
responsibility for setting show guidelines. Typical points of discussion that
you’ll need to agree on are as follows:
- Registration: Will you limit registration to owners only?
- Size classes: Although koi have eight size classes, will you group the sizes?
Consider limiting the classes to the four smaller sizes, omitting the larger sizes. Your size classes may run like this:
- 16 to 17 inches (Group 4)
- Under 16 to 13 inches (Group 3)
- Under 13 to 10 inches (Group 2)
- Under 10 inches (Group 1)
- Varieties: Which varieties will be judged together?
- Awards: Will you use standard categories for trophies?
Standard categories include
- Best in Size for each group
- Grand Champion for Groups 3 and 4
- Reserve Champion for Groups 3 and 4
- Baby Champion for Groups 1 and 2
If long fin koi are permitted, we suggest a separate award for this category. (All koi are equal, but some are more equal than others.)
Ribbons and certificates are standard for Best in Class and less formal categories.
- Local vendors: Will you ask these folks to donate raffle prizes?
Supplies for the show, including test kits and AmQuel, should be purchased from local vendors to encourage their participation.
The planning stage
When you’re setting up a show,
realize that you can’t find a perfect date or a weekend without a competing
event. Do the best you can and expect to hear, “Oh, the weekend before/after
(deep sigh) would have been so much better!” from a lot of people. It
goes with the territory.
Ask your local vendors to help
select a site and a hotel. They may know the area better than you do, and they
may be able to help with negotiations. Most hotels have never been asked to
host a koi show, so you do have the element of uniqueness on your side. If they
have a large, grassy area to stage the show and a source of water nearby, you
can hold the show there. If the show is to be outdoors, be sure to check into
local weather conditions, and plan for canvas domes or tents if necessary.
When you make arrangements with
hotel representatives, they’ll want to know how many beds you need for how many
nights, what sort of meeting spaces you need, and how many meal functions they
can serve you.
Remember
Hotels love to sell you meals, and that’s how they make their money. To keep costs down, use the hotel for the banquet only.
Promoting the event is critical.
These are some ideas:
- Link up with as many online lists as you can find.
- Set up a Web site so people can register and pay fees online.
- Send postcards announcing the event to every koi club within 200 miles and ask them to tell all their members.
- Print a great-looking show poster and get members to put them up everywhere — pond stores, laundromats, art supply shops, bait shops — you get the idea.
- Put the poster online and ask koi enthusiasts within a 200-mile radius to print it and take it to their local pond store.
- Call your local paper and ask for a feature article to appear before the show.
Newspapers love to run articles after an event so they can’t be accused of endorsing it. You need to ask them to run it before the event. If they balk, maybe they’ll write the article about your club and the popularity of koi and then just happen to mention the show as sort of an afterthought.
The post-event stage
Hold an evaluation after the show
with people involved in the planning and with interested participants. Although
you can have this meeting the evening the show closes, everyone may be too
tired to talk. But do plan to have it within a week, while the show is still fresh
in everyone’s minds. Provide snacks and drinks (the alcohol level is up to you,
but we suggest you limit it to nothing more potent than wine).
You want to cover what worked and
what didn’t and what should be different next year. Don’t take anything
personally — you want what’s on people’s minds. Have someone take notes, or
you’ll never remember.
Tip
Plan a future club program around the show ID photos of the competing fish. Use the photos to illustrate the finer points of koi configuration.by R.D.Bartlett and Patricia Bartlett
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