KOI SHOWS maria hayward Benching
possibly his first experience of wearing a suit). I’m not sure if it was the thought of judging or wearing a suit in public which was bothering him the most, but he certainly seemed a little quieter than usual! Although the show bears the title of ‘Young Koi Show’ entries are actually limited by size rather than age. The largest entry allowed was 63cm. A small koi could, technically, be entered into the show even if it’s an older koi. However this is unlikely as it would probably find the competition tough – it’s hard to compete with younger koi that have a more youthful appearance, especially where the skin quality is concerned. Whilst on the subject of the show’s title it is perhaps relevant to make a quick mention about the term Wakagoi. Each year this seems to cause debate on one or more of the internet forums, with some suggesting that it should actually be Wakaigoi. Having been mentioned a few years back this caused me to question which is correct, Wakaigoi or Wakagoi? Whilst both are correct terms for young koi, when used in context of the show I am reliably informed by numerous breeders that Wakagoi is the correct word to be used.
opening ceremony After an evening visiting some of the local bars
where we bumped into a few of the breeders, the following morning I made the short walk from my hotel across to the show. Although the judging ceremony started at 10am, I wanted to be there nice and early so that I could capture some video before events started.
The show is somewhat unusual in that the opening ceremony actual takes place at the beginning of the show, unlike many others where this often happens on the afternoon of the judging day. Something which is becoming increasingly common, certainly in the larger shows, is the use of an English
interpreter to relay the important information during the ceremony – this is certainly appreciated by the foreign visitors. During the ceremony each judge was introduced individually, and as these are predominantly Japanese breeders it is a useful opportunity to put names to any unfamiliar faces. One thing that was obvious this year was the number of Niigata breeders who had made the journey south, as last year very few were in attendance. In actual fact I later learned that much of the equipment for the show had been transported from Niigata in a huge truck, returning on the day after the show. All the breeders turned up to help pack the equipment away in the Shinkokai building in Ojiya.
judging begins
Once the opening ceremony was complete the 41 judges made their way to the vats to decide on their vote for Grand Champion. The judges were split into teams with each containing a foreign dealer. One of the judges, Joseph Bertram from Meckoi in Germany, had stood in as a last minute replacement for Mr Tepsit who had been unable to make it. This was causing him some stress as he was due to fly home later that day, and had only intended to make a brief visit on his way to the airport! Votes were cast in the usual way of placing a slip into a ballot box. As these were counted a number of small piles were made indicating that a selection of koi had been included in the votes and there was no clear winner, which would require over 50% of the total votes cast.
The two koi with the highest number of votes were selected and moved to the vats alongside the voting area at the front of the show. From here the judges could compare them side by side to decide upon their choice in the second round of voting.
Each year this seems to cause debate on one or more of the internet forums…
54 KOI CARP
Judging
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