Page 69 - Koi Net - On-Line Koi Magazine - Issue 5
P. 69
THE FIRST UK Many other Koi producing areas of Japan eventually
followed suit and have organised their own ‘Wakagois’
YOUNG KOI SHOW but the Niigata one will always come to mind when the
name is mentioned.
PRESENTED BY THE SOUTH EAST KOI CLUB The hobbyists in Japan also recognised the benefit of
THE ZNA
Bernie Woollands outlines the origins holding them and many of their chapters and ZNA
DISTRICTS districts now hold their own Young Show versions. And
it was from them that we have taken the prize structure
HOLD THEIR of this the first UK version of a Wakagoi.
OWN YOUNG
The hobbyist Koi Show as we know it first began in The Size groups of this Show are the same as our
1962 and was run by an organisation that changed its KOI VERSIONS All England Koi Show which is pretty much standard
name to Zen Nippon Airinkai in 1964. We at the South across most of the UK shows, e.g. the Size 1 is from
East Koi Club have followed the traditions established 15 to 25cms going up in 10cm increments until the
then with our annual Open Show held around the upper limit of Size 5 at 65cms.
beginning of autumn. This year it is on the 22nd & 23rd
of September and today it goes under the name of
Our Show Classes are the standard 13 too. In the first
The All England Koi Show.
round of judging each Class is judged within its Size and
a 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize is awarded giving a possible
That Show is structured in the way of the Japanese
195 awards. Thereafter things change a little.
Hobbyist Shows and it provides a level playing field for
all Koi to demonstrate their potential against other Koi
Any Koi winning a 1st or a 2nd in that first round is now
within their own size. However, no matter how we try the
eligible for competing at the next level for the Best in
media always concentrates on the larger Koi and they
Size according to its group. From that potential 26 Koi a
always get the bigger share of the limelight. While there
‘Size Champion’ (1 through to 5) will be awarded along
is no doubt that they deserve the attention, they
with a runner-up.
overshadow the smaller Koi that equally deserve
recognition.
We felt that terms like Size 1 Champion, etc would be
THE WAKAGOI more appropriate than the standard terms like Baby
This state of affairs isn’t unique to the South East or Champion, etc, especially something like ‘Adult
KOI SHOW IS indeed the UK. It is the case in Japan too and both the Champion’ which would become almost an oxymoron in
trade and the hobbyists in Japan decided to do
ORGANISED something about it. They invented the Young Koi Show a Young Koi Show.
BY THE where the focus was on the smaller Koi. Over the years Then finally, a Grand Champion will be chosen and
the upper size limit has altered but for a few years now awarded from those 5 Size Champions. This means that
BREEDERS that limit has been set at 65cms; which is the limit we our 1st Young Koi Show Grand Champion will be the
have adopted for this Show.
OF NIIGATA final award of the Show, unlike the regular Shows where
The most famous of these Shows is the Wakagoi it is chosen first.
organised by the breeders of Niigata. This year they will
Will we continue with this event? We don’t know. Putting
be holding their 35th annual version of this Show. The
on a Show asks a lot of our members and remember
Wakagoi Show allows them to show off their latest
they already do that every year in the Autumn. Being a
developments and gives the spectator a glimpse of the
Club stranded in the South East extremity of the country
future in addition to quality of current production.
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