Why Do Hobbiest Show Koi?

[Akai-San]

In the interest of the new Koi Show Season, I often wonder why Koi Shows are held. I understand why Koi Farmers/Breeders have an interest in marketing and placing their "life long" work out to the public and hobbiest to be judged in a competitive atmosphere for Grand Champion (To be the Best). The pride and commitment to ones profession of producing such wonderful works of art is still mind boggling to me, yet I am very grateful for all their efforts year after year. We should all be so lucky.

However, when hobbiest get together and put on a Koi Show, what is the real reason for holding the show? I guess very much like dog shows, a group of people/hobbiest get together to seek perfection in a standard. I think that it is a little odd that non-farmers/non-breeders take koi selections, koi shows and judging competition so seriously. This standard is not necessarily created by the hobbiest...but bought from the creators for various sums of money. Sure we raise and grow some of these creatures in our ponds, but it is still the Farmers/Breeders creation.

Which brings me back to my original question:
Why Do Hobbiest Show Koi?

[schildkoi]

The answer could be anyone or combinations of the following or even more!

Share Koi with the public..education
Check one's "eye" in selecting a quality koi
Check one's husbandry skill in raising a koi
Comaraderie and sharing information with other hobbyists
The desire to win a $6 trophy

[aquitori]

To be honest, I show because I want to win....I dont care about the trophy as long as I have bragging rights for the year for that show.

For me as a hobbyist the win will only prove that I have been keeping up with my skill to either maintain or make the fish better. Yeah, it's part ego, but hobbyist at some point have to start setting goals for their fish and with those goals it can only make a hobbyist better at their husbandary.

I would be a liar, if I said I show fish to help support a show and that's it. As hobbyist we want to show the public that come that this is what our hobby is about and that is beauty. I am sure some will say everyone has their own preference when it comes to beauty, but quality will always shine if the hobbyist has done his/her part. I am at a phase in my hobby that I will bring out the fish when it is ready and I am sure to win. It is comrodery amongst the best at show and to me it is skill against skill.
JMHO

Tony

[KoiCop]

Quote: Originally Posted by schildkoi Share Koi with the public..education Check one's "eye" in selecting a quality koi Check one's husbandry skill in raising a koi Comaraderie and sharing information with other hobbyists The desire to win a $6 trophy

All the above for me, Steve.

[Brutuscz]

I'm a trophy whore...no doubt about it!!! I love winning, no matter what the competition ....Good thing my Giants are going to win this sunday!!!!

[koiczar]

Antionio

Well, at least YOU'RE HONEST!! I really think that that's what it's about for most who enter - ego. This stuff about supporting the club, is just so much theatrics. I don't think anyone who shows any kind of animal is in it to support the show. They all want to win. That's the competitive spirit amongst us humans.

Now, that being said, what about the people who simply have a fish brought to a show by a dealer/breeder? Or someone who buys a fish picked by someone else 'cuz they don't have "the eye"?This is where EGO AND BRAGGING RIGHTS shouldn't really fit together. That's all for ego. Bragging rights, to me, is when you have groomed a fish, in your own pond ( like Duke for example) and bring it out at it's best. And when you win, then you should have the right to brag. Otherwise, it's all about nothing more than winning a $6 bowling trophy, as Nancy once put it!

Anyway, that's my two cents worth on the subject. Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Mike

[kntry]

Everyone loves to win. That's a given.

The reason I love to win is because it says I'm doing something right with my husbandry skills. The trophies are great fun to win but they're dust collectors. Besides, once you get them home there isn't anyone to show them to that really understands.

For me, it's about learning from listening to what the Judges have to say about my fish. You can listen all day long to what's being said about someone else's fish but you really start to learn when they're talking about your own fish.

It's about learning what I'm doing right and more importantly, what I'm doing wrong or what I could do better.

It's about sharing the weekend with a bunch of people as crazy as I am about koi. I can't think of any better time than talking koi and ponds with people who understand the obsession.

It's just plain fun.

[kayoti]

Hi! Am new to this forum trying to figure out how to do things....
Disclaimer: If this is posted it was by mistake...
Sorry in advance....
Now I'm stuck .... How do I get out of here?

[koiczar]

Kayoti

Welcome. No mistake! Glad to have you as a new member. Enjoy your stay.

Mike

[PapaBear]

Just like mountain climbing. Because its there and because we can.
MOST people have at least a little bit of a competitive spirit in them so that has to play at least a partial role in it, but Steve's list extends beyond competition and goes to the other side of it. Competition includes camaraderie and education as well. Some of us just enjoy seeing and learning, no matter the subject, and Koi are a worthy subject. A passing fancy for some, a cause-celeb for others, but at least for a time a source of pleasure.
As soon as we have one decently finished for show, we're on it. In the meanwhile, we work toward it. The next GC is not swimming in our pond, but a sometime down the road show entrant certainly is because we can and we want to.