A National History - The Billing Years
1983 and the Northants section began their two year hosting of the show. It was held at what would become a famous koi show venue. Billing Aquadrome. At this point in time no-one could have predicted what a huge influence the Northants section and Billing would have on the National.
305 koi were entered into the show by a total of 63 competitors and Trevor Rees from the south wales section won grand champion with his Infiltration supplied 24” Sanke called Alice.
1984 saw the 9th National held at Billing for the 2nd year and hosted by the Northants section. 341 koi were entered by 73 exhibitors and Ed Clark won grand champion with a Sanke. Supplied by Infiltration this made 3 years in a row for the Goldbourne based company supplying the National winner. Infiltration was born back in 1979 by Peter Waddington, trading from his back garden at this time Infiltration was the first 'Koi-only' outlet in the world outside of Japan. Due to so many more customers than originally expected and complaints from neighbours, the business was moved to a 6,500 square foot industrial unit near Warrington in Cheshire in 1980.
In 1985 the National moved again following tradition of a section hosting the show for 2 years. Now it was the turn of the Essex section and on the 18th August at Langton Gardens, Hornchurch a totals of 57 exhibitors entered 218 koi to the show.
Ian Stewardson won Grand Champion with another Sanke. Out of the first 10 National koi shows 7 winners have been Sanke and this would be a trend that would continue over future years as you will see. Show vats had evolved over time but it wasn’t until 1985 that professional Japanese vats were used along with the Japanese style show (all koi of same type in one vat regardless of ownership).
Nearly 7000 visitors attended the National in 1986 held at Essex county show ground on the 17th August. Joe Wilmington became the first person to win the National more than once. The koi was a Tancho Sanke.
During this time a number of sections were beginning to hold local shows (open and closed) and until 1978 there had been no rules or regulations. Judges were chosen for there apparent knowledge and availability. So in 1978 the first judging standards committee (JSC) was formed consisting of Roland Seal, Peter Reynolds, Val Frost and Peter Waddington. They had the task of appointing judges, formulating rules etc.
Waddy stepped down when he started Infiltration “professionally” in 1980. For a while Val frost continued as a one women band after losing the other’s for various reasons. In the late 80’s she stood down and Alan Rodgers was voted in at a BKKS meeting and went on to refine the system towards it’s current efficiency.
The 12th National was held in 1987 and saw a major change in the way the show was run. No individual section hosted the show – instead a central show committee was formed. They decided the show was to be held over two days in the middle of August at Billing aquadrome which became the “home of the National” for some years. Obviously the Northants section played a big role in organising and setting up the show. here was a record number of entries with 471 koi being shown and Sebastian Ballan won Grand Champion with his Sanke.
In 1988 the national was struck by it’s first problem – the show was held in a exhibition style only with each owners koi in separate vats due to the risk of cross contamination of SVC. The show went back to the “English style” in 1992 and would stay this way except for one odd year in 1998.
1989 saw the return of the National to the usual competition format – for the 13th show again held at Billing aquadrome in Northamptonshire. 353 koi were entered and nearly 7500 visitors walked through the gates to see the show. Joe Wilmington won for the third time with his Kin Hi Utsuri – Interestingly this koi was purchased some eight years earlier from Infiltration for £100 at only 18 inches in size.