People why buy their trophies...

[erwinsan]

How many people still measure a koi keeper’s success based on raising their own show winning koi, in their own ponds? It seems to me that there are more and more hobbyists with money that just buy 'ringers'. So are we really celebrating their success as koi hobbyists?



What's your opinion?

[junglegeorge12]

all koi taste good when flavored properly

[woodyaht]

I kind of think it's gotten away from how they are raised a little, to how good the owners eye is. I have seen koi for 5K+ that I wouldn't give a nickel for.

If a koi is flown in just for a show, ehhhhhhh, not that impressive to me, but if someone maintains the koi they paid big $$$$ for, then I would say yes, celebrate away.

[aquitori]

Quote: Originally Posted by woodyaht I kind of think it's gotten away from how they are raised a little, to how good the owners eye is. I have seen koi for 5K+ that I wouldn't give a nickel for. If a koi is flown in just for a show, ehhhhhhh, not that impressive to me, but if someone maintains the koi they paid big $$$$ for, then I would say yes, celebrate away.

You know when my koi took Mature Champ at the SoCal ZNA, I knew it beat fish in the 4 figure range, but I am happy to have raised my fish from 15" to 22" in 3 1/2 years...I feel proud that this fish has placed in the top awards it has entered at shows. It's the hobby skill to maintain a fish, and to show that fish every year at a show to show that it is in good hands...

[woodyaht]

Quote: Originally Posted by aquitori You know when my koi took Mature Champ at the SoCal ZNA, I knew it beat fish in the 4 figure range, but I am happy to have raised my fish from 15" to 22" in 3 1/2 years...I feel proud that this fish has placed in the top awards it has entered at shows. It's the hobby skill to maintain a fish, and to show that fish every year at a show to show that it is in good hands...

That's very !!!!!!!!!!! I like hearing a story like that, too cool!

[Tom C]

What's the chance of someone buying a tosai and growing it into a GC koi?

Money can buy a lot of GC. But can money keep a koi as a GC? I saw one of the nicest sanke's in the US turn into crap do to money not knowing how to keep koi.

[ChrisC]

[quote=Tom C]What's the chance of someone buying a tosai and growing it into a GC koi?

QUOTE]

Very slim if the tosai was purchased in the US--the breeders don't send their most promising tosai here for the most part, they keep them and sell them as more valuable older fish.

I have seen alot of hobbyist tosai win at smaller sizes though.

[luke frisbee]

I'm all for any priced koi being entered in a show, whether it was bought as a tosai four years ago or as a previously high placing koi in the japan circuit last year, yet in the owner's pond for a few months before shown here.

the thing is that the HOBBYISTS could change this penchant for buying trophies, by supporting and congratulating the hobbyist that actually keeps the winning koi at his home over the guy that bought the GC for the show.... but that requires each hobbyist to step up and think through an ethical dilema(sp) and then maintain a behavior that coincides with their belief....

"ONLY DEAD FISH GO WITH THE FLOW."

[Nancy M.]

Quote: Originally Posted by erwinsan How many people still measure a koi keeper’s success based on raising their own show winning koi, in their own ponds? It seems to me that there are more and more hobbyists with money that just buy 'ringers'. So are we really celebrating their success as koi hobbyists? What's your opinion?

Hi Erwin
I guess it depends on your definition of "ringer". If I go to Japan and buy a $10,000 fish and I bring it home it is in my pond for 2 months it goes to a show and wins GC. then I enter it in another show the following year. Now I have had this fish 4 years and it keeps winning GC.
Is it a "ringer", granted the breeder breed an outstanding quality fish, I had the eye to pick it out and the money to buy it. But what about the 3 years it was in my pond under my care?
I don't believe that anyone can grow a fish here from tosai up to 30 + inches. I have a sanke that we bought as a tosai 5" and it is now 2 years old, it has done very well in the shows taken all major awards for that size. Do I think it will ever get big enough to compete for GC no way..

[erwinsan]

Quote: Originally Posted by Nancy M. Hi Erwin I guess it depends on your definition of "ringer". If I go to Japan and buy a $10,000 fish and I bring it home it is in my pond for 2 months it goes to a show and wins GC. then I enter it in another show the following year. Now I have had this fish 4 years and it keeps winning GC. Is it a "ringer", granted the breeder breed an outstanding quality fish, I had the eye to pick it out and the money to buy it. But what about the 3 years it was in my pond under my care? I don't believe that anyone can grow a fish here from tosai up to 30 + inches. I have a sanke that we bought as a tosai 5" and it is now 2 years old, it has done very well in the shows taken all major awards for that size. Do I think it will ever get big enough to compete for GC no way..

I knew this thread would ruffle some feathers . Frankly, I didn't you'd be the first <LOL>. The point of this thread is to give credit where it’s due. To the hobbyist such as yourself, who can maintain such a high quality fish year after year and even improve it. Like Aquitori’s “RP”. The koi has only continued to improve. It took a ‘Young Champion’ award as a nissai, and then it took ‘Mature Champion’ this year as a yonsai. Will it ever win G.C. who knows? How big was the showa that won G.C. at San Diego this year?



There’s another hobbyist I know from Central Ca who raised a kohak to about 28” and still had great quality. Can anyone grow a tosai here to 30’+ and take G.C? Today, nearly impossible; I don’t want to mention any names but attending this year’s So Cal ZNA show, I was fortunate enough to meet one of the senior members and ‘they’ touched on the subject.



‘They’ mentioned how in the past hobbyists grew koi to size, big enough to take G.C. Today, they merely bring it in from Japan.