[Surfhead]

Quote: Originally Posted by Newt Jeez. It is simple...a person who to some degree raises or cares for a koi should get more respect when/if it wins GC than someone who had no input other than buying it. Newt

ok, I can agree with this. but you also can't negate the skills it takes to buy such a fish. you need to KNOW what it is you are buying. and also, most people who buy these fish ARE already excellent at koi husbandry and have magnificent ponds with amazing koi in it. So does that person not deserve the respect in the hobby for the other koi in his/her pond? Somebody willing to spend $100K on a koi is somebody who A) Loves koi deeply, B) knows a lot about koi, and C) probably has a pretty amazing pond and koi collection to begin with. I highly doubt that anybody who has brought in a champion direct from the dealer is somebody who doesn't know anything about koi and doesn't have a pond with great collection already.

The reason it is ok to have the dealer deliver the koi is because when dealing with fish of this quality, they need to best environment possible. it is a disservice to the fish to degrade its environment in a hobbyist pond. I don't care how nice it is, it ain't as good as a Japanese breeders mud. also, purchasing a fish such as this is an investment. you need to protect that investment. The best and safest place for that fish is again...with the breeder. Lastly, in Japan, for the ALL Japan show, the breeder will INSIST on keeping the fish and delivering it himself for fear the hobbyist will damage the it. they invented the hobby, they get to decide what is right or wrong

I say the person who brings in a champion from the breeder also deserves a lot of respect for having the love and passion for koi that they would be willing to invest in such a creature and then share it with the world.