You are going to love this Cinderella Story

[RayJordan]

In 2002 just for fun and as a special favor for some customers with aquariums and very small koi tanks Megumi Yoshida (Tokyo Koi Dealer) bought about 1500 three day old "black" showa fry about 1/4 in. long from a Niigata showa breeder named Sekiguchi. One of Megumi's customers, a policeman named Mr. Shukuri, with a 125 gallon aquarium bought about 300 of the fry for $1 each. Megumi stopped by to help cull the baby showa fry each month for the 1st six months then every few months until only one promising baby showa remained.

At two year of age it was decided it needed to be in a mud pond and was grown by Megumi in his mud pond in Niigata. At three years Megumi's mud pond was harvested 5 days before the big earthquake when his mud pond was destroyed. At four years it was grown in another breeders mud pond (Yohei Nagasaki) and finished there since last year's harvest.

It was decided the showa had a big chance to compete for a major prize at this weekends All Japan Young Koi Show. It was sold to Dr. Saku a few weeks before the show for a nice profit so Mr. Shukuri could afford to buy some more nice koi for his aquarium.

The cinderella Showa lost by only three votes to the Grand Champion Dianichi Kohaku. It was awarded Adult Champion which is considered 2nd best koi in this show. Got to love a story like this one.

Eagerly waiting for photo's.

[maryland_ponder]

Great story Ray thanks for posting it. Lets get some pics of it here!!!!

[dinh]

very interesting... thanks for the story and waiting for pictures from you Mr. Jordan, my good friend.

--Dinh

[bekko]

A champion in a lot of 300 fry! You get better odds in the Power Ball Lottery. Good story.

-stevehopks

[RayJordan]

Maybe Brian or someone can post some pics here also. Until then here is link to some pics posted on NI
http://members4.boardhost.com/koimag...144562386.html

[dick benbow]

the koi is apply named Ray, and I can certainly understand your interest in the results.

In a standard cull of a mature female showa, I may get 4-5 fish by fall that i feel
is worthy to grow on. I think the original owners was very lucky numbers wise to
have drawn that fish let alone have someone as skillful as Yoshita san to help him drop his numbers in the selection process.

I think it helps us all understand the value of the true meaning of the word Tategoi.....i quess if i had a magic wand to change the story a bit, I would have liked to have seen the original owner sell it only after the achievement.