These are the most beautiful fish by variety in Italy 2024

Although I had to photograph everything in half a day, I received good support from the volunteers, which allowed me to capture the best fish of each variety on camera in addition to the Major Awards.

Best in variety Kohaku Italian Koi Show 2024

The Kohaku who won the Grand Champion automatically receives the best in variety award in Italy. The photo above clearly shows how cleanly defined the Koi is, how beautifully even the Beni lies on the fish and how fresh and clear the fish looks. Matteo Bondioli can be proud of this achievement. The construction of the fish can certainly be a bit more massive, but quality counts.

Best in variety Sanke Italian Koi Show 2024

As an honest journalist, I must confess that among the best in variations, I did not think this sanke was the best. Sanke is a particularly difficult variety and a good bet on the show is therefore not so obvious. This koi deserves its credits with a beautiful skin quality, but for a best in variety there are quite a few sloppiness such as Tobi hi, red that does not form a pattern and the sumi has not really come through anywhere yet. The Koi does have nice large pectoral fins; The physique and also the shape of the fins reveal to me that we are dealing with a man. The Maruten spot on the head is charming, but of course we miss a nice big red pattern behind the shoulders. Perhaps Matteo Biasin can put some body on it.

Best in variety Showa Italian Koi Show 2024

This Showa by Alessandro Lasagni is candy for the eye. Not for nothing also the Supreme Champion of the show. You can imagine this tricolor as Kohaku, without black. Even then, a nice fish remains. With the black draped over the full length of the fish, this fish gets a unique character. The Koi has still not finished completely. The quality of the sumi is striking, the base of the tail is firm and I am glad that there is just some Beni to be seen on the tail part. I secretly hope that this fish will continue to develop and that we can compare the development again in the future. Good luck and have fun with these great prizes and challenge that awaits you Alessandro Lasagni!

Best in variety Tancho Italian Koi Show 2024

Daniel Callegari brought a Ginrin Tancho with him to Cremona. To be honest, he could just as well have received the prize for Best Kinginrin and then you wouldn’t have been surprised. But the Tancho, wearing only a red spot on the head of the Koi, is a prize with more honor in my opinion. The spot is not perfectly round, that’s not my thing at all by the way, but it is well placed between the eyes. It does look a bit vulnerable to me to be honest. The edges are slightly frayed. I hope the pigmentation stays or becomes more defined, but I don’t have a lot of confidence in it I have to say. The Koi absolutely needs sunlight. In the barrel it was definitely an appetizing fish to behold. Congratulations Daniel Callegari!

Best in variety Utsuri Italian Koi Show 2024

This koi brought in by Andreas Zanchin of Zankoi actually made everyone stop at the barrel. The intensity of the red pigment alternating with deep black patterns across the body give a strong contrast against the blue vessel. The build of this Hi Utsuri is strong and the black fins give the Koi even more character. Of course we see some Goma Sumi. By this we mean the specks of black that do not belong to the pattern. Goma means sesame, referring to the effect as if sesame seeds have been sprinkled over the Koi. But within the Hi Utsuri class this is widely accepted and even rare when a Hi Utsuri does not have this. The further pattern of this Koi from Zankoi near Venice is a textbook example of what we like to see in Utsurimono, which means mirrored and exactly that effect we see in this Koi. Along with a nice Hachiware, division of the head by the sumi. The completely black pectoral fins give Andreas Zanchin’s Hi Utsuri a particularly powerful appearance.

Best in variety Asagi Italian Koi Show 2024

This Asagi selected by Stefana Rivola from Koi Italia was perhaps one of the best fish of the show when you go purely by quality. Although small, we strongly appreciate the flawless net pattern, the soft yet powerful blue and also the Beni on the cheeks and in the pectoral fins. Soon an interview with Stefano will appear on KoiQuestion.

Best in variety Goshiki Italian Koi Show 2024

Andreas Zanchin also took the best in variety Goshiki. A second best in variety for the dealer who also always visits the koi shows in the Netherlands and Belgium. The Goshiki is cool, has a bright look in red and a good pattern; For now, that is. For the future, I think the middle pattern is too small to really make an impression. A koi grows from the abdomen and this will then be closer and closer to the dorsal fin. The last pattern on the ozutsu is again super positioned. A very good achievement and not always obvious to keep them so clean. Congrats Andreas!

Best in variety Doitsu Italian Koi Show 2024

This super cool Doitsu Karashigoi really impresses when you see her swimming in the barrel. You rarely see as smooth as the dermis of this Koi. Combined with really an almost perfect scale along the dorsal fin and beautiful soft mustard color, the fish just makes an impression. Allessandro Lasagni, who also received the prize for the best Showa, can be very proud of his selection. We are curious to see if the hobbyist will be back in 2025 and may fight for the highest title.

Best in variety Kawarimono Italian Koi Show 2024

Another very good Koi is this scaly Karashigoi from Daniele Paveri. Do you see those typical apple cheeks? This is a welcome phenomenon among most hobbyists. The whole body is really nice and powerful as you would expect from this monochrome class and the fish actually still shows the necessary growth potential.

Best in variety Hikarimoyo Italian Koi Show 2024

Erik Carmine received the prize for the Best Kujaku. This multicolored metallic fish is certainly worth it, but to be honest, it is not a Koi that I am immediately very impressed with. You just want the sumi to be recognizable in every scale; that makes a Kujaku, which means peacock because of the fact that the same effect can be found in the feathers of a peacock. Here too, in my estimation, we are dealing with a man. The reflection on the head and in the fins shows that the shine is good. The pattern is also sustainable for the future and if this fish continues to develop the sumi, it can still be very positive. Good luck Erik Carmine.

Best in variety KinGinRin Italian Koi Show 2024

We find another monochrome fish in this Chagoi, a Kinrin that is. This Koi is equipped with strong irridophosphores, a clear skin and a good body. Manuel Balzani has a very refined taste for Koi and shows that you can also score high with a single-colored fish.

Best in variety Hikari Utsuri Italian Koi Show 2024

Daniel Callegari brought a personal favorite. I have always had a soft spot for the Gin Shiro Utsuri, a metallic black and white Utsurimono variant. What is so incredibly difficult about this variety is to let the sumi develop into a deeper black. The pigment competes with the receptors for the skin’s radiance, which often makes sumi pale gray at best. However, this koi shows that it can be done and also shows little carelessness. Further challenges of this variety are mass breeding on the fish, but I think we are dealing with a young fish that will enable Daniel Callegari to make the Koi even better in the future. In the best case, the menware comes through even better.

Best in variety Hikarimuji Italian Koi Show 2024

Manuel Balzani, also good for the BIV Kinginrin, brought another single-colored fish. This time it’s a Gin Matsuba. You may now think ‘this fish has two colors, right?’ and that’s true, but the matsuba pattern in the scales is not recognized as a pattern and therefore falls into the Hikarimuji class. Congratulations Manuel Balzani.