The Best Koi in The United Kingdom 2025
Recently we were with a nice company of 16 koi geeks from the Netherlands and Belgium on tour to the All England Koi Show of the British Koi Keepers Society (BKKS). That was a great experience, a nice trip with lots of humor and amazement of beautiful ponds and meetings with passionate hobbyists and their ponds. We will certainly report more about that, but for now we just focus on the pictures we took of the champions.
The level in England this year was higher than in previous years
The level in England this year was higher than in previous years. The judges certainly had something to choose from and they did their job. Below is a list of the main champions from the competition in Maidstone, England. Taking the photos with my son was a challenge; we had to put them all up in three hours and we succeeded!
Grand Champion Showa All England Koi Show 2025 owned by Andy Corrie
hese Kindai Showa shows strong
Motoguru
and a fine balance of colors. Especially the wide, flat running gill covers and the powerful head structure make a deep impression. Although the fish is already in top form, it still has a lot of potential: it is expected that she can grow to size 8 and develop even more body, especially in the shoulders. Read all about this Dainichi Showa in this article.
Best Non Gosanke + Jumbo Champion All England Koi Show 2025 – Yamabuki Owned by Brian Mead
Impressive Yamabuki. Golden yellow, balanced, clean. A golden touch this choice by Brian Mead because she is not only good for best non-gosanke, but also simply the biggest Koi at the show and thus good for the Jumbo Champion Award. In England, that’s a benching award that simply goes to the biggest Koi entered. It is a Koi you always stop to think about; Yamabuki of this size (98cm) are rare even though Patrick Makkes’ in the Netherlands is hard to beat at the moment, but who knows where this Yamabuki can still grow to. The skin quality and pigmentation would certainly allow it.
Superior Champion All England Koi Show 2025 – Kohaku owned by Joe Angel
Joe Angel brought this Nidan with him. With also the Baby Champion and Young Champion, the traditional nadan Kohaku are well represented in Maidstone this year. This Kohaku is a worthy Superior Champion; equivalent to the Supreme Champion title on the European mainland. It is the runner-up. In this picture you can’t really see well what length she represented but it was very respectable in size 7 which in England runs to 85cm.
The odome on the Koi is insanely good
What you can clearly see, however, is the Fukurin on the fish. The recessed red scales give the Koi an allure worthy of a champion. Sashi and Kiwa are nice and tight and the pattern neat with a clear head and large fins. Both the Grand Champion and this Superior Champion do not have a massive build, but they do have quality. The odome on the Koi is insanely good and gives the Koi a powerful look.
Mature Champion All England Koi Show 2025 – Kohaku owned by Andy Corrie
We have arrived at my personal favorite of the Show. Flanked by the Grand Champion in the same barrel this Kohaku thrilled me with powerful calm strokes she glided through the show barrel at Maidstone. A playful Sandan pattern is carried by probably the best body proportions I have seen on this day at the show and there was nothing about this fish that made me hesitate.
The kirekomi in the shoulder was risky
The notch in the benig, called kirekomi, in the first pattern right on the shoulder is risky, but the sashi and kiwa has held up well on both sides. It would be interesting to see how this has developed over the years. the shiroji is silky smooth and the beni especially soft even. It is my prediction that if this Kohaku manages to pick up one more size in size 8 under the care of Andy Corry; she will also be playing for the top title.
Adult Champion All England Koi Show 2025 – Sanke owned by Emma and Phil David
A personal favorite, a true prima donna with a Monroe birthmark on the face. Charming and recognizable is this Sanke from Phil and David. Bred by Sakai this Koi shows once spectacle of beauty I rarely saw so feminine, no wonder Mile Snaden of Yume Koi Japan was taken in. If not the beauty spot on the face then the tejima in the other pectoral fin and a lovely Kasane Sumi in the shoulder; critical to the look and balance. Followed by Tsubo sumi in white with a beni present in balance, this Sanke is very much a natural beauty.The head has a nice shape with that typical apple cheeks of Sakai. Still, I don’t think this fish is done developing yet and at 65cm in current condition I predict an even better future. Perhaps she may sing Happy Birthday to the president one day….
Young Champion All England Koi Show 2025 – Nidan Kohaku owned by Karen Tovey
The Young Champion is a Nidan Kohaku whose pattern on the front weighed a bit heavier than the back, yet this last beni on the obachi, the top of the ozutsu or tail part makes for an odome that was the deciding factor in the scoring. The Build for this size is very powerful and the head nicely wide. So in the barrel it was not searching and you knew immediately who the honor went to. Karen Tovey knows how to look at Kohaku as evidenced by the following award….
Baby Champion All England Koi Show 2025 – Kohaku owned by Karen Tovey
Karen Tovey brought an impressive Kohaku to the show that also really stole the show in her size. The skin quality was undeniably good. A beni so solid, soft, but deep in color that it would entice even the largest Kohaku. This beauty is a bidan Kohaku which means that the Kohaku consists of two separate red patterns and what the judges also valued highly was the beautiful lepen on the Koi’s head that runs nicely between the eyes. In the smallest champion class it is also important that a good build is present although there is obviously no real body yet.The tight outline of the sashi and kiwa is also very neatly delineated.
Best Doitsu All England Koi Show 2025 – Shusui owned by Emma and Paul David
This beautiful blue laced Shusui is a phenomenon so clean in this size. A beautiful stroke and flowing build as we rarely see either. Of course from the Marusei stables although a Konishi could have produced this as well. Nice even lateral patterns and also the head markings are neat as you would expect with stroke hi and a clean head. Moto-aka completes the fish and rightly give her the title for Best Doitsu at the All England Koi Show 2025
