Pic for Dwight,...

[Brady Brandwood]

“OK , I'll give you a question/request.....show me a five to ten year old Bradygoi gosanke....no make it even easier ...show me a 5 yr old Bradykohaku. I also love Brady though I don't really know him. He's doing great things and is definately Koi Kichi but.... I'm just kinda skeptical and need to be convinced. His nisai and sensai look great but later , what happens ? How do they hold up ?

Dwight”

Hi Dwight,

Here are a few Koi just photographed. The Sanke was born here in 1999, so it will be 8 years old in May. The other two Showas were born here in 2001, they’ll be 6 years old in May. These Koi are all three males,... which we generally assume peak at 3. Actually male Koi can be beautiful for many years, if their environment is good, and their genetics are good. Let’s look at the white on these 3 males, even on the noses. How about the edging of the red patterning??? These American males are holding up well, and the lower Showa in particular, even at near 6 years old is not yet at its peak of beauty. There is still sumi to emerge on the face. It will get even better.

Let me know what you’re skeptical about specifically, and I’ll see if I can come up with any pics or answers.

Mike M. do you have the pic of the Showa you photographed at the BKKS show? Was incredible as a younger Koi, but moved way beyond her prime by the BKKS show. What are we to expect from our Koi realistically? What do we want to see happen with them? How long should they stay beautiful?

Best Wishes,
Brady Brandwood

[Dwight]

Thanks Brady. That does go a long way to dispelling some if not all of my skeptism. The only photos of your koi or Bretts or anyone else were at most sansai so the question I had was basically how well do they hold up over time. Seven to ten years is what I have been told recently is the typical prime for high class Japanese koi so these guys are obviously on the correct path. I'd love to see some older females as welland hopefully so would everyone else. How about the size on the fellows above ?

[MikeM]

Brady: I'm on the road & those photos are not with me. I've bumped up an old thread ..."If Showa are black..." where The Nogami Showa is posted. When I saw her in 2004, I was not aware until later that she was in her day one of the finest jumbo koi ever imported from Japan. That "day" was in 1999-2001. She was a faded queen in 2004. There was still something wonderful about her, but no longer worthy of showing. In JR's metaphor, a cut flower that had wilted.