First Time Showing Koi
By Mike McMahon

Well, I entered koi in a show for the first time. I wanted to do it last year, but didn’t for a lot of reasons, but primarily because I did not have a fish I considered show-worthy. It was not a matter of "fear of losing". I lose at a lot of things and got over that fear long ago. It was more a "fear of embarrassment". But, with some gentle encouragement from club members, like Kim, Merle and Henry, I decided that I would enter some koi at the Big Koi Show in Orlando in 2004.

Just making that decision made the hobby even more enjoyable in lots of little ways. I began paying closer attention to the features of my koi. A shiro utsuri I believed to be show-worthy "pinked-up" over the summer. That got me interested in the color-enhancing content of foods, etc. No need to list all the things that got my interest. It was simply that things that had been of purely academic interest became things that I truly wanted to know more about. The competition actually began with that initial decision. It was a competition with myself over the attention I would give to koikeeping. And, I started having even more fun in this crazy hobby.

It turned out that the shiro got bloated with eggs over the winter despite going on a low feed regimen. I learned the hard way that a fasting period is essential, even if water temps are in the 60s. Next year, no food in January. As the show approached, I knew I would take one selected by my daughter (a male gin rin sanke with a yellowish nose, mediocre gin rin, weak sumi ... but nice body and pleasing presence), and the two gin rin sanke siblings I bought from Mat McCann of Quality Koi at the Orlando Show in 2003 as 5" tosai (young koi with potential). I wanted him to see how they had done in a year. (It was a real pleasure to listen to his explanation of their genetics while we watched them get bowled during the judging.)

But, what fish would I take for the purpose of seeing how it would compete? I debated with myself up to the time I waded in on Friday morning to catch the koi. It happened a friendly goshiki was in easy catching range. He has been a favorite, so that became the entry.

At the show, just as people had said, I found I was more interested in the competition, particularly among the larger-sized kohaku, sanke and showa. I had nothing in the running, but just by being a participant there was a much greater sense of being a part of the show. I’ve been a bystander many times and it is not the same.

For the 4 koi I took, there were 3 blue ribbons and a white. That would have been enough to make it a wonderful experience. But, it got better. The goshiki was awarded Most Unique. Wow! I’d hoped he would do well, but since he is a scrawny fellow by nature, I had no expectations. At the awards banquet his picture was projected on the screen and I got to take home a piece of crystal. Now, being "most unique" does not mean he is a great fish. It does mean the judges appreciated the unusual features that caused me to buy him. I simply had not messed him up with bad care.

I do not believe every first-timer could hope to have such a great experience. But, if you have never shown a koi, you are missing out. I’ve attended the Big Orlando Koi Shows for many years, and I’ve volunteered as a worker the last few years. The camaraderie is great. But, entering fish makes it all the more fun. And, you know what? There were not many smaller-sized koi, nor ogons, nor chagoi. There are blue ribbon winners in our members’ ponds. Think about sharing them with everyone this year at the Central Florida Koi Show, right here in Orlando, March 10-12, at the Holiday Inn on International Drive..

If you decide now to enter koi at CFKS 2006, I’ll bet you will enjoy this hobby more all through the year.

HOME