Day 2 of the APKI Judging Course – with thanks to RS Koi Consulting
Warm Welcome at RS Koi Consulting with Steffi and Ralf
For the second day of the APKI judging course, we travelled to RS Koi Consulting in Elsdorf, Germany. As with the previous session, we left on Saturday afternoon, since it's quite a long drive. This time, we had a surprise 'stowaway' joining us: Joop van Tol of KoiToday and the KoiAcademy rode along.
In the Netherlands, Joop is a household name thanks to the koi bible trilogy he authored. These books are still available to order through the KoiToday website.
Joop, aka the variety guru of the Netherlands
Because Joop is known as the “variety guru” of the Netherlands, we invited him to give our students a guest lecture on variety recognition. Our participants are experienced hobbyists, so we asked Joop not to make it too easy—and he certainly delivered! The varieties he highlighted, both literally and figuratively (since it was 35°C that day), were anything but simple.
An excellent barbecue lunch prepared by Steffi and Ralf
The morning flew by, and before we knew it, Ralf called us over for lunch. He had prepared an excellent barbecue meal, which was very much appreciated. Once everyone’s hunger was satisfied, we moved on to the practical portion of the day: ranking two sets of Kohaku.
The high quality of the koi swimming at RS Koi Consulting made for some lively discussion. Set 1 consisted of five very nice Kohaku, all of which, I believe, were still for sale. Set 2 included six Kohaku—with a twist: one koi had already been in set 1. This was meant to test whether the scores assigned were consistent. The second group was of even higher quality than the first.
Great interaction between the trainee judges and the teachers
Again, the group discussion was great. We noticed that the better the koi, the better our students performed in ranking them. Ralf joined in to share his perspective and demonstrated that a dealer often looks at koi differently than a judge. A dealer will typically evaluate a koi based on its future potential, while a judge focuses more on current quality. As expected, Ralf’s top picks differed slightly from ours—but those differences were easy to explain. The koi Ralf selected hadn’t quite finished developing yet.
Finally, a well deserve beer
The afternoon flew by, too, and was wrapped up with a well-earned beer—at least for those who didn’t have to drive.
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Steffi and Ralf for their enthusiasm and hospitality. We're convinced it's absolutely worth visiting their facility to see their impressive collection, which mainly features Go-Sanke.
More About RS Koi Consulting
For Steffi and Ralf of RS Koi Consulting, koi keeping is more than just running a business—it’s a lifelong passion. Whether you're just starting your first pond or you're a seasoned hobbyist refining a cherished collection, Steffi and Ralf offer in-depth guidance throughout the buying process. They provide personalized advice on everything from designing the perfect koi pond and maintaining pristine water quality to ensuring the health and excellence of the koi.
So much knowledge and contact in Japan
We only caught a glimpse of their expertise during the APKI Europe training day, but even that was impressive. Ralf’s insight into the future potential of koi is truly phenomenal, and he has outstanding connections with many of the leading breeders in Japan.
Feel free to get in touch with RS Koi Consulting and ask about the possibilities. You’ll see—or rather hear—that they are nearly endless.
