|
by Douglas Dahl
Note: This lecture is appearing in KOI USA split into several issues starting with Volume 26, Issue 5. KOI USA will provide their own photos because most of the slides you will see were copied from Nichirin magazine articles on two All Japan Koi Shows and photo credit is given to Nichirin in lectures. Opinions stated in this lecture are the authors experience and beliefs and not intended to represent a position of AKCA or the AKCA Judging Committee.
Before I start on Kohaku, I want to take a minute to discuss judging points common to all classes. Koi are judged as a whole or holistically and are not judged on a positive or negative point system. Negative points can come into play in close contests. Koi are judged against each other based on what we see today and not on how much they cost or how they may improve in the future unless it is for a Tategoi (potential fish) award. Koi are typically judged in teams to remove any bias or preferences from judging, however the Head Judge has final accountability for the decision. Koi breeders spend their lives making judgments on future potential of koi and on specific patterns difficult to breed into bloodlines. We are asking a lot to expect them to change to a “judge for today” style for our Koi shows. Judges from Japan often will recognize an expensive Koi or bloodline and it is difficult for them to select a better, less expensive Koi today over an expensive Koi that may not be finished yet. A Judge from Japan once answered a question on why a koi won an award replying, “because it was the most expensive fish”. This was not a good answer but often the language barrier is to blame. Koi may lose today only to come back to win tomorrow based on the competition at the next show. The reverse is also true and Koi may win a major award at one show only to be left at the gate in the next show with more competition.
1. First, the Koi cannot be missing anything like a fin or have any abnormalities like a pushed in mouth all of which will disqualify the koi from judging. The exception is the second set of barbels may be missing.
2. Second the Koi must be healthy and not show signs of disease or parasites, which could disqualify the Koi from judging. An exception is made for newly split fins or bruises judged to be caused during transportation.
3. Third, is the importance of body conformation. Broad, thick body shape of female Koi is preferred giving an imposing appearance when compared to the thin trout shaped body of a male koi. Shape and size of the fins are important to be in proportion to the body. The head shape is important that it not be too small, short or too long or turn to one side. The Koi when viewed from above should be symmetrical on both sides and not have one side flatter than the other. Even the way a Koi swims is taken into account on conformation. Not all female koi hold their eggs well, which could affect conformation. A hump on the shoulder was appreciated more in the past than today because the transition from body to hump often creates a pinched area on each side which is bad conformation.
4. Fourth, in my opinion is quality of skin and deep, vibrant colors, which makes Koi “living jewels”. The base, body color must be clean and bright to show the pattern colors off. This also includes how well the Koi is “finished”; are all of the colors up; and is there a good sheen on the skin. It is conformation and quality that will catch a Judges eye from a distance.
5. Fifth is pattern that is artistically balanced and not front, tail or side heavy. Pattern must also be proportional to the size of the koi and not have a small pattern on a huge body or a huge pattern on a small body.
6. Last is uniqueness or character usually of the pattern on the head that makes this Koi special.
KOHAKU
It is said “appreciation of Koi starts and ends with Kohaku”. What that means is Kohaku was the first class to be bred consistently or stabilized in about 1890. It also means that after a person has studied all of the classes of Koi and has become experienced, they will come back to appreciate Kohaku for its simplicity and beauty. I will keep the amount of Japanese terminology to a minimum in this lecture. We have a snow white (shiro) base color with a red (hi) pattern. The pattern may be stepped or continuous. The white must be without blemish or yellow tint. The hi may be any one of the many hues from deep persimmon orange to Ferrari red but the red must be thick without any thin spots and the pattern must be the same color from head to tail. Most Judges prefer the “soft” red which is in shades from light red to dark orange over the red tending to the purple end of the color scale considered “hard” red. Kohaku must have red pattern on the head. The pattern on the body must be artistically balanced and the kiwa or rear edges of each spot must be sharp like cut with a razor. A new bias in Japan has started to favor bloodlines that have the kiwa stop at the edge of each scale forming a scalloped edge rather than a straight edge across the center of a scale. The front edge of each hi spot (not on the head) may have blurred red color that is called “sashi” or insertion. Sashi indicates the koi is still improving in quality and is not finished yet. It is elegant if a Kohaku has a white nose and a white area with no red pattern just in front of the tail called a “tail stop” and several other names. Some subtleties of pattern not liked are a totally red head or red down the face to the nose that are heavy in appearance. Red pattern wrapping below the lateral line suggests a future Koi when the red and white are better balanced. Red spots below the lateral line are disliked. The lateral line is a raised sensory organ running the full length of a Koi half way up the side of a Koi. A red lip mark is called “kuchibeni” and can be cute if it balances the overall pattern. Red pattern at the base of the pectoral fin was considered unfavorable but is being accepted now if it adds to the overall balance of the pattern. Red into the tail or into the dorsal fin is still disliked. Kohaku tend to get black specks “shimis” in hard water with high pH...
Click here to continue reading:
Download Now
|
