The Yellow Submarine Race
Many koi clubs have what is usually called a “tategoi grow out” contest. Tategoi is a Japanese term for a koi that has future potential, meaning it is going to get better as it gets older. So it's about acquiring a koi with potential and seeing how well we, as koi keepers, assist that fish in reaching it's true potential. The board considered different types of koi for this contest and decided on yellow ogons (single colored, fully scaled, metallic koi), as the type for this year. Thus the term yellow submarine race. Because ogons are a single color, the judging will be based on size (conformation) and skin quality, no patterns in multiple colors to be concerned about. These fish will be distributed in June and the first judging will take place in September. The winner will receive........ a yellow submarine trophy. This contest is intended to run for several years, with the second judging being in September of 2012, and yet again in 2013. Because koi gain the bulk of their growth in the first five years, we want to see how these koi develop over time. It's quite conceivable that a different koi may win each year.
The club is about to purchase two groups of yellow ogons. Group one will be from Japan, and the parent of these koi are over 30 inches. These fish will begin the contest at about 10”. Our group buy for the club gets us a great discount on these potential monsters, somewhere near $100. Some of our members ponds just can't accommodate a koi of that size, so, Group two. Group two will be high quality domestic bred ogons of about 5”. Because of genetics, this group of fish will probably top out at 25”. Right now, it looks like these koi will cost around $35. I plan on buying a couple of each. Yellow ogons are the most popular koi in the United States. The ones I decide not to keep after a year or two will do well at a future auction! So, here's your chance to acquire an ogon with great potential at a very reasonable price, and learn a great deal from the experience, like how great is the difference between Japanese koi and domestic koi.
Here's how the members will select their entry into the race. All the koi will be bagged and given a number. Each participating member draws a number out of a hat, the bag with your number is your fish. That way our judges and more experienced members won't have an unfair advantage in the selection process. Details at the April 6 meeting, which will be at 7 pm at the Rockrimmon Library.
