First Place: C - This Shiro Utsuri has it all, perfect conformation, color and pattern. Usually, it is the color on the head that goes afoul first. Not only is this Koi's head color good, the sumi and white are very nicely placed, with the sumi splitting the head. The body color and pattern are wonderful. The clean white, the deep ebony sumi and the sharp kiwa, are excellent. The pattern is well balanced, with a white shoulder and yet a streak of sumi connecting the head to the second sumi. The white is good all the way to the tail. Usually sumi tends to get more predoninant as it moves toward the tail, The motoguro seems like an extension of the head sumi. As a final touch the little black eyes set off the white on the head. Great quality.
Second Place: B - Now here's good color and sharp kiwa. Look how eye appealing the sharp contrast between the snow white and the deep ebony is. Even the sumi on the nose is deep and sharp. The ratio of sumi to white is well balanced, as is the pattern. Minor negatives are the poor motoguro, the head pattern not being as attractive as th first place Koi and it is never appealing to have the last step of sumi right onto the tail.
Third Place: A - A little thin to fulfill good conformation, as one gets the impression this is a younger Koi. The white is pretty clean and white, including the white on the head. There is too much sumi motoguro, but if the remainder of the Koi is oustanding, even Utsuri without motoguro have won first place. Better moroguro would help this Utsuri. The pattern on the head is attractive, especially as it divides the white from the sumi. Again, this becomes a subjective issue. The rest of the body pattern suffers from being on the boring side, needing less white and more black bands artistically placed.