Pick your BGC...

[James P]

haha! You wise guy!

Seriously, these exercises can be fun but they should also teach something to the armchair judge about real koi judging. You can not look at baby koi and judge them like adult koi by saying ignore the size! They are what they are- baby koi and as such, should be judged that way. You could ask, which koi are good for a contest now and which ones for later showing, at a larger size? Or you could even say, which one would you like to own and dream on for a year or two?! But when you set up the parameters by saying which one could win BABY Grand Champion- that means something specific.

I took, a few actual baby champions ( best of size) from All Japan shows of the recent past. Can you see what the judges were looking for in this award description?

[jnorth]

Quote: Originally Posted by James P I took, a few actual baby champions ( best of size) from All Japan shows of the recent past. Can you see what the judges were looking for in this award description?

Little koi that look like big koi?

[James P]

Little koi that look complete! Notice how the pattern, which is THE focal point of all baby GCs -- flows---- from head to tail. It is balanced and the human eye flows right down the koi's body. These are balanced and finished patterns-- perfect for the fish's size and body. No need to 'grow into the pattern'. The pattern does not appear heavy or weighing the koi down.

[luke frisbee]

Ok post first then go back and read what the better minds have wrote (and the chuckleheads too)

47 best conformation best pattern good edges but weakest colors
54best big fish pattern, equally good color to 52
52 intersting big step little step -repeat equal in color to 54

Added after looking at what others are writing.
First...the head color of all three appears to be EQUAL. The reason 54's looks whiter is that the hi covers all but the nose...the three noses are about equal colored.


YOO hOO I won!

[James P]

babies and balance

[111whalen]

Jim,
Now your talking real fish. If the fish have not been enhanced, the whites are to die for. Although #3, the gin fish does not get me, if the red is still showing through, it has very strong hi. Wow, all 3 are champs for sure. I like the first fish the best but all 3 are good now and should be good in the future. Do you see the red ever getting to small for the fish?
Mark

[cocoyboy]

I'll go with 54 because of the good pattern and finished color from nose to tail. The body on 47 has better conformation. In two years they will all be bad azz! Are these from the master S?

[James P]

Hi Mark, Merry Christmas! I think we both remember, back in the late 80s - early 90s, when all the rage was flowerly patterns in kohaku. I think at about 16- 20 inches some of those fish looked really naked and lost some of the 'power' we see and feel in fuller patterend koi. But in the little guys ( 6-10 inches), I have seen very attactive patterns that are pretty minimal- maybe only 30% of the body covered. I also think the bigger they get, the worse they look. But since a baby Champion is a 'moment in time' kinda fish- I think the highly finished male beni kohaku with four steps is a natural born killer! The sanke's of this description look even more perfect for the part! This is probably the only place the thinner male body works with the tiny , multi-stepped pattern.
Best, JR

[Regenmeneer]

JR,

I picked 54 because of the whiter head and sandan pattern ( very much my personal taste).

But I was wondering, which of the three would be the one with the most future potential and why? Or even which of the tosai Kohaku in the SFF December auction?

http://www.sakai-ff.com/auction%20ko...cs/index_5.htm

Please educate us????

Regenmeneer

[MikeM]

Regenmeneer: While waiting for JR, I'll make a "future pick" before his thoughts influence mine. I'd select 52, the one DickB finds more interesting. My reason is the other two appear to me to be definitely male.(But who knows at that size?) I'm not sure about 52, but she (being optimistic) has a somewhat wider shoulder, seems to have more of a hump in the shoulder area & has some of the "stubbiness" that I associate with females. The others seem slim, sleek and graceful... male koi traits IMO. Even if 52 proved to be male, I think he'd have a body with more bulk. ...And as for the pattern on 52, not a problem if she grows large. Like DickB said, it's an interesting pattern... one you can re-discover many times over the years.