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Let’s give the Long Fins a fair shake by Todo At the Young Fish Show my fish and I experienced a snub that has happened before, but needs to come to an end. One fish was a kohaku and the other a doitsu kujaku, but neither was allowed to compete with other koi of their class. Why? Because they were long fins. Long fin koi have suffered under a prejudice for standard finned koi for some time. Even to the point that some purists do not consider them koi at all. Of course the fact that they breed freely with standard koi belies this view. The reality we see in our own ponds is that most koi keepers today have both standard and long finned fish. Still, when long finned koi are formally judged all of them are lumped together regardless of their color, while standard finned fish are divided and sub-divided into over 100 color classes. Are we to take form this that the only distinction on long fins is their finnage and nothing else? At AFKAPS this year there was only one long fin in competition, it took 1st under 16". The question is why are not more of these fish brought to shows? Could it be that koi keepers are not keen on having all their pretty long fins ganged together by judges following guidelines that are little more than a stacked deck. I need to point out that I have no dispute with the judges at the Young Fish Show or with judges in general. They try hard to judge fairly though they must follow what has been established. Still, it is time to end this inequity. So, what can we in the North Florida Koi Club do to strike a blow for fairness in out hobby? The total solution would be to have a full slate of long fin koi competing in all the color classes. However, that would be a giant step and might be difficult for the club to absorb all at once. We could also have a completely separate long fin show, but this too is out of our reach. An alternative comes to mind that was discussed by some of us at the Young Fish Show. Viewing color classes in a broad light there are perhaps three general categories; Go Sanke (Kohaku, Showa and Sanke), Utsuri/Bekko and Kowarimono (all colors not otherwise listed). The present all in one long fin category could easily be expanded to these 3 groups (or 6 groups if divided into under/over 12") without adversely extending the judging. After all, it is not abnormal to see size categories in shows from 6" to 36" with only two inch intervals. Our own show has used 13-15 categories divided into two size groups. Compared with other shows like Atlanta or AFKAPS, this is a modest slate and could accommodate the addition of the long fin groups easily. There are some logical questions that come to mind following the previous proposal. Q: What about Doitsu and Gin Rin: A: A similar case may be made for doitsu fish, which are also lumped together. However, these fish are often included with others in the same color category (i.e. all sankes), Doitsu and fully scaled being judged together. It is felt in some quarters that a doitsu would have an advantage as they naturally have sharper kiwa (the edging of each color). But, judges know this and can discount this fact as they view the fish. Another lump-them-together category is the Gin Rin. Few will argue the stunning appearance of a diamond studded koi flashing its scales in the sun. However, just as with the doitsu, judges have over looked these scales in the past and viewed the fish based on its conformation and pattern. It would seem reasonable in both the Doitsu and Gin Rin groups to allow the koi keeper to decide how they wanted their fish judged; lumped by scale type or compete by color class. I do wonder where a long fin doitsu gin rin might be judged? Q: Why would long fins not be able to be judged under the keepers choice? A: Though criteria for judging long fins is not as well established as for standard finned koi, some standards seem obvious 1) Body: The body of a long fin tends to be longer (tail and torso combined) than a standard fish of the same length. This effects its conformation. Good conformation for a standard and a long fin are therefore different and should not be judged against each other. 2) Fins: The fins of a long fin are by nature extended and the trailing edges are not robust. Where as the trailing edges of a standard koi’s fins should show no splits or gaps, it is a rare long fin of medium to large size that does not show some gaps on the ends. Of course this does not mean that the edges can be frayed, chewed or otherwise damaged. Still, where a split in a standard would be a fault, it might not be so in a long fin. 3) Movement: Though the elegance of movement among koi is renown this aspect reaches a state of near perfection in the long fin. Hence, though a standard koi could be judged standing still, or even by photograph. To get the true flavor of a long fin it must be observed in motion. A long fin that sits on the bottom with its fins drooping around it is a poor specimen. I ask all members to consider this proposal and invite comment and debate. The committee for the fall show has not been formed as yet, so this is a good time to consider changes to the judging categories. Resources: "Where do long fin koi belong" by Bob Finnegan, AKCA web site.; Emails with Burt Ballou and Art Lembke, AKCA judges in good standing. |
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