Page 37 - Koi Net - On-Line Koi Magazine - Issue 5

BANZAI BOB-A-JOB

Bernie Woollands

Bob Robson is a Koi keeper from the North East of
England. He’s been one for many years and during
that time he has worked on many a Show, managed a
few and shown his Koi at a good many of the Shows
in the UK.
In 2018 he decided to take it a stage further and put a
Koi into the All Japan Nishikigoi Koi Show in Tokyo. The
Koi he chose was an 11cms Kikisui purchased from
Nishikigoi Niigata Direct.
Koi of this size are judged in their bags only being
released into a vat after judging has finished. I was
fortunate enough to find the bag on the Thursday
evening of the Show and photograph it. The area of the
hall where the bags for this size were placed was one of
the less lit areas of the hall, nevertheless the Koi shone.
In my opinion its lustre was better than any of its fellows
in the Hikari Moyo class so I left thinking that it should Above: Bob’s Kikisui in its
bag awaiting the judges. dragged away for an interview before I could get a photo
at least win its Show class.
of him looking in the vat. So instead I opted for some
I was happy to see on the Saturday that it had, and Right: Bob Robson glamour and photo’d Dominika Walus instead. She liked
receiving an award at The
furthermore it had also been awarded a Tsubaki prize. the Koi but then again ladies often like shiny things. I
All England Koi Show with
They issue Tsubaki prizes in each size after removing Mick Preston, Show had a more serious discussion about the Koi with ZNA
any major winners. The Tsubaki prize is a group prize Chairman and David Judge Yuzuru Konishi. Interestingly he focused on the
restricted to Doitsu, Hikari Moyo, Koromo, Kumonryu Brown, Chairman. overall lustre, the finishing of the colour dans and the
and Tancho. Other group-prizes are called Botan, distribution of the pattern on the body. The distinctive
Miyabi, and Sakura. Tsubaki in English is Camellia. eye-pattern was hardly mentioned. Well it is only a small
part of the overall package.
Winning this prize guaranteed the Koi a vat on Winner’s
Row where I was able to take a better photo, but not We all know that Brits have won prizes at the All Japan
one that could capture its unusual head marking so I’ve before but I doubt there’s been one whose been a Koi
nicked the benching photo to illustrate it for this article. keeper and such an active member of the British Show
Scene as Bob.
As Bob wasn’t there I deputised for him on the bragging
rights front – telling anybody that would listen that So well done Bob. Or as the Japanese would say
“My mate back in England has won a Tsubaki prize”. Dominika Walus. ‘Banzai Bob-a-job’.*
I got a few people interested including Mr Pan the
owner of the Grand Champion. Unfortunately he was *Bob-a-job was a nickname he earned at the 1992 BKKS National.

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