Oklahoma Today July-August 2003 Volume 53 No. 4

&HURW C O Y
with Special Guest JEANNEROBERIWN
September 23,2003
200 p.m.
Bartlenille Community Center
%reat orJfnj for senior uduits -
fun for the whale group!"
For "no-deposit" rindom,
toll 14004554746.
Far infomt~tion on Barflsrvllle area ~mprtlom,
activitias, miuumntsand lodging,
CAU TOU~I i.~n,n3.200&
Collecting koi can be expensive. Some rare varieties and larger fish can rell for as muct
as $15,000. Here, the jumbo champion from last year's koi show held in Oklahoma Ciq
The Art of Beina Koi
FISHING FOR COMPLIMENTS AT THE OKLAHOMA KO1 SHOW
DONTCALLTHEMOVERSIZEDGOLDFISH.JAPANESE MONKS DEVELOPEDKOI,
or Nishikigoi, after discovering a color mutation in a common carp. Fast forward
two hundred years to find members of the Oklahoma Koi Society so passionate about the
fish that some make special trips to Japan to purchase new specimens for their backyard
ponds. Can't understand the lure? Check out these unusual fish on Labor Day weekend at
the 2003 Oklahoma Koi Show.
"Koi are treated lie pets," says Harry Greer, president of the Oklahoma Koi Society.
"Our members name their fish and grow very attached to them."
Koi are long-lived fish, able to thrive for decades in awell-maintained backyard pond.
Though not as demanding of our attention as our four-legged fiends, koi do require regular
care and upkeep. Pond water must be filtered and oxygenated, and the fish should be fed up
to five times a day during summer for maximum growth. Many koi owners construct bridges
and paths with the pond as the focal point of the yard.
While the annualLabor Day show is the biggest fish in this dub's pond, monthly meetings
help keep passions high.A typical gathering might find &my active members munching on
&es and watching a home video documenting a koi harvest in Niigata, Japan. Some members
ofthe group attend koi shows as distant as Phoenix and San Diego.
At thisyear's show, vendorswill be on hand to discuss pumps, filters, food, ponds, and more.
Koi enthusiasts fiom across the counuywill bring a wealth of information and experience.
Come discover for yourselfwhy the enigmatic star of the 2003 Oklahoma Koi Show
could never be confused with a goldfish. -Ami Reeves
The Oklahoma Koi Show will take place Augwt30-31 at the Oklahoma State Fail;groundc
in Oklahoma City oklakoi.org
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OKLAHOMATODAY .JULY/AUGUST 2003