06/01/2026
Another Tri-State Young Koi Show is in the books, and what a fantastic weekend it was.
First and foremost, I want to congratulate the owners of several fish that did exceptionally well at the show.
š Charlie Angelillo took Best in Variety (Size 1 Sanke) with a Sanke that was bred right here at Miyabi Koi Farm. That award was especially meaningful to me because Charlie took a chance on one of my own fish and believed in it enough to put it into competition.
š Ed Walters and his wife took the Chairmanās Show Award with a Shiro Utsuri bred right here at Miyabi Koi Farm. Seeing a Miyabi-bred fish earn one of the showās most prestigious awards was a tremendous honor and a highlight of the entire weekend. Moments like that make all the long hours, muddy boots, and late nights worthwhile. (I think if being a Shiro Utsuri proves to be much for it going forward, that it might make an excellent Bekko someday š)
š Bob Schlecht took both Second and Third Best in Variety (Size 1 Sanke) with two Matsue Sanke imported from Japan and supplied by Miyabi Koi Farm.
To all of you, thank you. Not just for purchasing fish from me, but for believing in them.
Anyone who has been around the hobby for a while knows that many people automatically gravitate toward a fish once they hear a famous Japanese breederās name attached to it. Thereās absolutely nothing wrong with that as
Japan produces the finest koi in the world, and I will continue importing their beautiful fish for years to come.
But it means a great deal when someone looks beyond the breederās name, judges a koi on its own merits, and is willing to take a chance on a fish bred here in the United States. I know thatās a leap of faith for some people, and every time someone makes that leap, it motivates me to work even harder to improve my breeding program and continue raising the quality bar. For that, I am genuinely grateful.
I also want to thank everyone who stopped by the tanks throughout the weekend, offered encouragement, shared stories, and supported Miyabi Koi Farm. I was humbled by all the kind words and conversations.
Even more exciting, every fish we brought to the show found a new home and we completely sold out!
That level of support means the world to me, and I canāt thank everyone enough.
One story from the weekend really stuck with me.
Charlie stopped by my tanks and his eyes immediately landed on a Sanke. We talked about it for a while and eventually he asked, āWhoās the breeder?ā
I paused for a second and told him, āActually, thatās one of mine.ā
He didnāt hesitate.
He started talking about the body, the pattern, sumi placement, the beni, and what he liked about the fish. I told him that I was really hoping it would end up with someone who would show it.
His response?
āLetās do it. My tank is right over there.ā
I asked him one more time if he was sure he wanted to show one of my fish.
āAbsolutely,ā he said. āI think itāll do well.ā
Later that evening, during dinner, the award sheets started making their way around the room. I was absolutely stunned to see that fish had taken Best in Variety For Size 1.
On the deck outside, I congratulated Charlie, and thanked him for taking a chance on me and on one of my fish.
He just smiled and said:
āI never thought it wouldnāt win.ā
Sometimes a few simple words can mean a lot.
Now for the really funny storyā¦
āPierogiā
I had the pleasure of meeting Elliot and Angela during the show. They kept stopping by my tanks, and once I realized they appreciated a good joke, I knew we were going to get along just fine.
They picked out a few fish and immediately started giving them names. One Kin Showa apparently had a pirate vibe, so āPirateā was born.
The next day they returned and were looking through the tanks again. Angela pointed out a Ginrin Chagoi and asked me about the ācharogiā.
In my head that sounded suspiciously close toāpierogi.ā š„
Now, if you know me, you know my brain occasionally grabs onto something and refuses to let go.
Within seconds I wasnāt thinking about koi anymore.
I was thinking about pierogies.
Angela mentioned that I was staying near several Polish delis and offered to order some. At that point I was fully committed to the idea. A short time later I found myself enjoying pierogies, wings, and latkes that absolutely hit the spot.
Fast forward to later that afternoon.
Angela had her eye on a little Ginrin Goshiki that had developed into a rather plump little fish.
I looked at it and said:
āYou know... this one looks like a little pierogi.ā
āMaybe one day itāll grow into a jumbo dumpling.ā
The laughter started immediately, and just like that the name stuck.
So now Angela owns two koi from the show:
š“āā ļø Pirate
š„ Pierogi
And if Iām being completely honest, Pierogi might be my favorite koi name of the weekend.
Beyond the awards and the fish, what really stood out was the people.
I met hobbyists, vendors, old friends, and plenty of new faces. The conversations were great, the laughs were genuine, and it reminded me once again why this hobby is so special.
The club also deserves a tremendous amount of credit. Changing venues with limited notice is no small task, yet the show was organized, welcoming, and ran beautifully from start to finish. People often see the tanks and the awards, but they donāt always see the countless hours spent planning, setting up, tearing down, and solving problems behind the scenes.
To everyone who volunteered, organized, transported equipment, moved tanks, filled vats, handled paperwork, and made the weekend happen, you deserve a huge thank you.
Koi may bring us together, but itās the people who keep us coming back.
For those of you on Long Island who werenāt able to make it to the show but would still like to see some of the koi that were exhibited, please reach out to Ed Walters. He brought home several Miyabi koi from the show, including the Chairmanās Show Award winner, and Iām sure they would make a wonderful addition to the right pond.
You can find him here:
https://www.facebook.com/share/1EkW1vkfqY/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Hereās to another great show, some beautiful fish, new friendships, a few well-earned awards, and at least one koi that will forever be known as Pierogi.
There was also a beautiful ending to the trip. Because we completely sold out, I didnāt have any fish to haul home. That gave me the opportunity to stop by Mitsuwa Marketplace in Edgewater, pick up some Japanese groceries, and treat myself to a sit-down tempura dinner before heading back.š¤
It was the perfect way to wrap up an unforgettable weekend.
And once again, thank you to everyone who stopped
by, supported Miyabi Koi Farm, purchased fish, shared a laugh, or simply said hello. We completely sold out before the end of the show, and I couldnāt be more grateful for the incredible support. š
