![\"\"](\"https:\/\/koiquestion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/schubben-met-tekst-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
In recent days, there has been much discussion within the Dutch koi community regarding the participation of a Baby Champion<\/abbr> at the Koi Show Noorderlicht, which was entered by a private owner but was subsequently offered for sale again by a dealer shortly thereafter. This raised many eyebrows regarding the actual legitimacy of the associated points for the rankings of The League of Rising Scales. <\/p>\n In response to these reports, we conducted an extensive investigation. As part of this investigation, we spoke with hobbyists, dealers, participants, organizers, and other stakeholders representing various perspectives within the hobby. <\/p>\n First of all, we would like to clarify one important point.<\/p>\n During our investigation, we found no evidence that the participants in question violated the League’s existing rules.<\/p>\n Not Filip Poppe.<\/p>\n Not the dealers in question.<\/p>\n Not other participants who were in similar situations.<\/p>\n Therefore, the discussion was not about breaking the rules.<\/p>\n The discussion was about something else.<\/p>\n Namely, the question of whether we, as a League, want to allow commercial arrangements, inventory, or dealer participation to influence a hobbyist ranking.<\/p>\n Our answer to that is no.<\/strong><\/p>\n Not because we think anyone had bad intentions.<\/p>\n Not because we think anyone has done anything wrong.<\/p>\n But because we believe that an amateur ranking is only meaningful when amateurs actually compete against other amateurs.<\/p>\n The League of Rising Scales was founded to highlight the achievements of both hobbyists and professionals, allow them to compete against each other throughout the season, and establish a sports-based ranking system that is understandable, transparent, and credible for everyone.<\/p>\n When commercial interests, inventory, or dealer arrangements can influence an amateur standings, it inevitably leads to debate about the sporting value of the results.<\/p>\n That is precisely the discussion we want to avoid.<\/p>\n The immediate impetus for this study was the situation surrounding the Baby Champion<\/abbr> at the Noorderlicht Koi Show.<\/p>\n Throughout the investigation, Filip Poppe communicated openly and answered all the questions put to him.<\/p>\n The investigation determined that Filip purchased the koi in question on June 4, 2026. It was also determined that the dealer who placed the koi in a dealer tank at the Koi Show Noorderlicht is not the same dealer who later announced that he would offer the koi for sale at a public auction. <\/p>\n This effectively creates a situation in which the koi has been involved in multiple commercial transactions\u2014including purchase, participation in shows, and subsequent sale\u2014within a relatively short period of time.<\/p>\n Although this was permitted under current regulations, we fully understand why this situation has raised questions within the hobby community. From a moral standpoint, one can debate whether something deserves the beauty prize or not, but that is still a completely different matter from breaking the rules or acting with malicious intent. Wanting to win has never been a shortcoming. <\/p>\n Many hobbyists have expressed concern about situations in which a koi remains part of a commercial environment for virtually the entire duration of the competition, while the results achieved are then counted toward a hobbyist ranking. This is the well-known phenomenon of \u201cbuying awards.\u201d <\/p>\n Not because we believe that a hobbyist must always house, care for, raise, or show his own koi.<\/p>\n Not because we think hobbyists shouldn’t use dealers.<\/p>\n On the contrary.<\/p>\n That has been a normal and valuable part of the hobby for decades.<\/p>\n But it is because situations like this lead to discussions about where exactly the line is drawn between hobby participation and commercial participation. In this specific case, the situation has been taken to the extreme, and the koi has been in private ownership for less than 20 days. <\/p>\n In the spirit of TLORS, the temporary purchase of a Koi without the explicit intention of actually acquiring it for one\u2019s own possession and care is not the essence for which the hobbyist ranking was created. We want to facilitate competition among hobbyists so that a friendly ranking system can emerge. <\/p>\n And that’s exactly where the problem lies.<\/p>\n Because if we make an exception for Filip, we’ll have to have the same discussion tomorrow about Geert, who won the Young Champion award in the same category at Noorderlicht.<\/p>\n And if we’re having this discussion about Geert, we might have to have it again next month about another participant.<\/p>\n Then the discussion always shifts to specific individuals.<\/p>\n But we want a system in which the rules are the same for everyone\u2014without having to periodically act as arbiters of human behavior. <\/p>\n That is why we deliberately chose not to opt for a solution that applies only to Filip Poppe or to this specific koi.<\/p>\n Instead, we looked at the underlying problem. We listened carefully to all the feedback and, based on that, analyzed the underlying mechanism that allows situations like this to occur. <\/p>\n The problem is that current regulations do not, first and foremost, make a clear enough distinction between hobbyists, professionals, dealer tanks, and combination tanks.<\/p>\n It is important to note that these findings were not used as an independent criterion for exclusion or point adjustment.<\/p>\n We have not found that Filip Poppe or any other parties involved violated the rules. The Kohaku<\/abbr> in question was not entered in the Noorderlicht competition by Filip Poppe\u2014who did have a private tank at this Koi Show\u2014but by TheKoiPage, which also entered the Young Champion in the same dealer tank on behalf of Geert Schrijvers, who also had his own tank. <\/p>\n Several participating hobbyists were displayed in a single display case. This is not uncommon, and for people who have never participated before, it\u2019s an accessible way to get acquainted with putting on shows. <\/p>\n However, in these cases, it also creates a situation of inequality; where these hobbyists have their own barrel, this arrangement allows them to register more length under their own name than other hobbyists are permitted per barrel. This is an additional factor that creates inequality. <\/p>\n The circumstances mentioned were part of the broader set of facts that prompted a critical evaluation of the current regulations.<\/p>\n The final point adjustments are based on the general application of the League rules regarding registration, classification, and point allocation.<\/p>\n This represents a deliberate choice to adopt a solution that is not tailored to a single participant or a single situation, but that applies equally to all participants and future cases.<\/p>\n In addition, it soon became clear that this situation was not an isolated one.<\/p>\n Other award-winning koi at Noorderlicht also participated from dealer tanks, including the Young Champion. In addition, similar issues were examined regarding other dealer tanks and combination tanks. <\/p>\n This made it clear that this was no longer a discussion about a single koi, a single dealer, or a single participant.<\/p>\n When Koi may only be entered in a show under the owner\u2019s own name, this creates a fairer competition in which, in most cases, the Koi are entered from the owner\u2019s own pond or, if entered in the show, are subsequently intended to actually become part of the owner\u2019s private collection.<\/p>\n Why Registration Is Key<\/p>\n During the investigation, various alternatives were considered, including ownership checks, minimum holding periods, invoice checks, and additional evidence.<\/p>\n We have concluded that such measures are difficult to implement in practice, may raise privacy concerns, and, moreover, are relatively easy to circumvent.<\/p>\n That is why we choose the only objectively verifiable starting point:<\/p>\n Official registration for the show. Koi from multiple hobbyists that are registered in a single tank by a dealer are therefore considered to be under the dealer\u2019s banner. <\/p>\n Effective immediately, that registration will serve as the basis for calculating League points.<\/p>\n This measure explicitly does not mean that hobbyists are no longer allowed to have their koi raised by dealers, receive guidance from dealers, or use dealer facilities.<\/p>\n That remains a normal, valuable, and important part of the hobby.<\/p>\n In addition, all prizes, titles, and championships won at the respective shows remain fully valid.<\/p>\n This measure applies exclusively to the processing of points within the League of Rising Scales.<\/p>\n It is important to emphasize that this measure was not introduced in response to any one specific participant or any one specific koi. We also emphasize that dealers may still submit fish on behalf of a hobbyist; however, if they wish to have these fish counted toward the rankings, this must be done under the hobbyist\u2019s own responsibility and registration, in their own name. <\/p>\n If we were to focus exclusively on Noorderlicht\u2019s Baby Champion<\/abbr>, the exact same discussion could arise tomorrow regarding another participant, another dealer, or another show.<\/p>\n That is precisely why we have opted for a general rule that applies equally to everyone.<\/p>\n All monks are the same.<\/p>\n This decision has implications for a number of results that have already been achieved.<\/p>\n The results of the shows in question remain completely unchanged.<\/p>\n No championships, prizes, titles, or judge’s evaluations from the shows in question will be adjusted; that is not within our purview.<\/p>\n This decision applies exclusively to the processing of points within the League of Rising Scales.<\/p>\n At the Noorderlicht Koi Show, several award-winning koi were displayed in dealer tanks provided by, among others:<\/p>\n \u2022\u2060 \u2060TheKoipage<\/p>\n \u2022\u2060 \u2060AB Koi Marum<\/p>\n \u2022\u2060 \u2060Friesland Koi<\/p>\n Since these koi were not entered as individual hobbyist entries, the League points earned for them will be forfeited.<\/p>\n This applies not only to the Baby Champion<\/abbr>, but also to other award-winning koi that competed under similar conditions, including Noorderlicht\u2019s Young Champion.<\/p>\n These points cannot be credited toward the Professional Ranking either.<\/p>\n After all, Noorderlicht was a hobbyist show in which dealers did not participate as competitors in a professional competition.<\/p>\n Awarding points to professionals would therefore distort competition within the Professional Ranking, since other professionals would not have the opportunity to participate. <\/p>\n For that reason, these points will be completely forfeited for the League.<\/p>\n This applies to all similar cases identified during the investigation.<\/p>\n In addition, this decision has implications for the Young Holland Koi Show.<\/p>\n Combination tanks were also used there, in which koi from multiple participants were displayed together from the rearing facilities at Veldhoven Koi Farm.<\/p>\n When multiple participants are eligible for the same achievement, these points cannot be awarded to a single participant in a fair and transparent manner.<\/p>\n These results are therefore also excluded from the League ranking. This adjustment is not the result of a violation, but rather stems from the decision to apply a single, uniform system to all comparable situations identified during the investigation. <\/p>\n Here, too, the event was open only to hobbyists, so the points do not count toward the league. In similar situations at Koi Shows where both hobbyists and professionals participate, these points will be awarded to the dealer, while the award at that particular show may still be accepted on stage by a hobbyist. <\/p>\n We realize that this is disappointing for some participants who are now having points deducted.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, we believe that a clear, fair, and future-proof system is more important than retaining points whose awarding is in question. We believe that the credibility of the league and the value represented by a position earned in the standings should take precedence. <\/p>\n Since this is a pilot year, we believe it is advisable to implement this retroactively so that the effects and consequences can be accurately measured. We emphasize that after this pilot year, no regulations may be amended during the season. <\/p>\n However, a preliminary conclusion is that the regulations will include a provision allowing for investigations into individual cases, which may result in reprimands, penalties, point deductions, or disqualification. This is to prevent abuse and exploitation of the system. <\/p>\n In this case, we once again see no reason for individual sanctions; no rules have been broken, but TLORS highlights a dynamic that has been part of the moral debate about fair competition among hobbyists for many years. We are aware that making registration mandatory could affect this dynamic in the market. <\/p>\n During the study, we looked not only at the participants, but also at ourselves.<\/p>\n In doing so, we came to the conclusion that the League\u2019s current structure itself has contributed to the confusion that has arisen.<\/p>\n Until now, the League has had an Overall Ranking that combined hobbyists and professionals.<\/p>\n In addition, in practice, a sufficient distinction was not always made between hobbyist barrels, dealer barrels, combination barrels, and situations in which ownership, submission, and presentation did not fully coincide.<\/p>\n We recognize that this lack of clarity is one of the underlying causes of the current debate.<\/p>\n The Decision<\/p>\n Effective today, the Overall Ranking for the League of Rising Scales will be discontinued.<\/p>\n From now on, the only ones that exist are:<\/p>\n \u2022\u2060 \u2060A Hobbyists’ Ranking<\/p>\n \u2022\u2060 \u2060A Professional Ranking<\/p>\n Hobbyists are compared only to other hobbyists.<\/p>\n Professionals are compared only to other professionals.<\/p>\n This allows us to largely prevent professional interests from influencing the amateur rankings\u2014and vice versa.<\/p>\n We also realize that no single measure can completely prevent every possible scenario.<\/p>\n We certainly don’t claim that.<\/p>\n Perhaps what surprised us most positively was the tremendous level of engagement from the hobby community.<\/p>\n Over the past few days, we have received dozens of messages, phone calls, emails, and comments.<\/p>\n Sometimes critical.<\/p>\n Sometimes confrontational.<\/p>\n But almost always with the same goal:<\/p>\n Strengthening the League.<\/p>\n We did not see any widespread opposition to the League in that regard.<\/p>\n On the contrary.<\/p>\n We’ve mainly seen people who want the League to succeed and are willing to contribute ideas on how we can make it fairer, clearer, and more professional.<\/p>\n We are truly grateful for that.<\/p>\n The League is still in its pilot phase.<\/p>\n That is precisely why we are using this situation as a learning opportunity.<\/p>\n For that reason, we will form an advisory panel consisting of hobbyists, dealers, and other stakeholders in the hobby.<\/p>\n Would you like to help brainstorm ideas on this?<\/p>\n Please send an email to info@koiquestion<\/abbr>.com with your name and a brief explanation of why you think you can make a valuable contribution to the League’s continued development.<\/p>\n If this week has proven anything, it\u2019s that the Dutch koi community is engaged, isn\u2019t afraid to be critical, and is willing to contribute ideas.<\/p>\n That can be complicated sometimes.<\/p>\n That can be time-consuming at times.<\/p>\n But ultimately, that is exactly what is needed to turn a pilot project into a mature, credible, and future-proof competition.<\/p>\n This situation has not only revealed the League\u2019s strength, but also the responsibility that comes with it. In addition, it has made it clear that the introduction of a competitive ranking system gives the community the opportunity to openly discuss existing habits, structures, and underlying tensions within the hobby. <\/p>\n We do not view the fact that participants, dealers, organizers, and hobbyists approach us regarding the structure of the competition as criticism of the concept, but rather as a sign that The League of Rising Scales is now taken seriously as a sporting platform. The fact that people share their concerns, questions, and observations with us demonstrates that there is confidence that these inputs will be evaluated independently and, where necessary, can lead to improvements in the system. <\/p>\n We have sought to live up to that trust through this investigation. Not by focusing on individuals, but by examining the system. Not by pointing fingers, but by further developing the competition. We will continue to shoulder that responsibility in the future, with the same independence, transparency, and willingness to make adjustments where necessary. <\/p>\n On behalf of The League of Rising Scales, on behalf of the KoiQuestion<\/abbr> team<\/p>\n Tiebo Jacobs<\/abbr><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" An investigation into registrations, scoring, and competition integrity has led to changes in the rules. REGISTRATION TAKES PRECEDENCE; OVERALL STANDINGS ARE CANCELED In recent days, there has been much discussion within the Dutch koi community regarding the participation of a Baby Champion<\/abbr> at the Koi Show Noorderlicht, which was entered by a private owner but<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":72281,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-72297","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news-en"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koiquestion.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72297","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koiquestion.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koiquestion.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koiquestion.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koiquestion.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72297"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/koiquestion.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72297\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koiquestion.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72281"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koiquestion.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koiquestion.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koiquestion.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72297"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koiquestion.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=72297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The reason<\/h2>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/koiquestion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Baby-Champion-KSNL26-2-500x800.jpeg\")
We understand that concern<\/h2>\n
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The solution must therefore go beyond this single case.<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Registration is required<\/h2>\n
Impact on the current situation<\/h2>\n
Critical Self-Reflection<\/h2>\n
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That is why we have decided to make a clear distinction between hobbyists and professionals, effective immediately.<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Building the Future Together<\/h2>\n
TLORS Panel Layout<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/koiquestion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-03-06-at-13.12.35-e1779368189747-350x350.png\")
<\/p>\n