Looking Back at Spring 2010 Shows

Due to my extremely heavy work schedule lately (do you hear those violins playing) I have been terribly negligent of my blog lately so thought I would write a quick catch up of the events and shows of Spring 2010.

Northern Ireland Cat Club March 2010

First of all we had the NI club show in March, this time held in a new and improved venue…Sixmile Leisure Centre Ballyclare on 6th March 2010.

We were pleased with the venue change, although it was a little bit further for us to drive. The hall was spacious and bright and it was within walking distance of the town. The town didn’t have a lot of shops, but there was a large ASDA and another supermarket very close by.

A good cat count, 133 cats entered including non-pedigree. We had a mixed day, with Squeek (Lorrentino Tiger-Lily) gaining her first GCCF Grand PC, but Keisha and Nikki were both withheld. A few cats not only had their certs withheld, but first place as well, the judge obviously only thinking them worthy of a second placing, which we thought a bit unusual to say the least!

We enjoyed the day anyway, and the show finished very early which was a bonus for those of us travelling from a distance!

Overall results as follows:

• Best Persian – Pr Sheerbliss Voulez Vou
• Best Semi Longhair – Int Pr Ishcus Red Devil
• Best British – Gr Pr Cassiobury Touchoftheblues
• Best Foreign – Gr Ch Shoelina Nina Milkina
• Best Burmese – Ch Molynmeux Princess Aoifa
• Best Oriental – no entries
• Best Siamese and Overall BIS – Roysterer Silver Shadow
• Best Non Pedigree – Ally

Nikki (Lorrentino Givemesomelove)

GCCFI Supreme Show April 2010

Next up was the prestigious Supreme show, held for a second time in the Roadstone Group Social Club in Dublin on Sunday April 25th. We had been planning to bring all three of our Rexes to the show, but due to an unfortunate incident (small matter of husband breaking his leg the day before!) I decided only to bring Keisha our Devon Rex who was trying for her 2nd Tara Grand Cert.

To my delight she was awarded the Tara Grand by Mr Gow, which means her official title will now be Tara & Int Gr Pr Lorrentino Lilyofthevalley (at least I think that’s how it should be written!)

I thoroughly enjoyed the day, despite being all on my own for a change. Everyone showed great concern for me and my poor other half (who was still in the hospital at this stage) which was very much appreciated. It was also nice to catch up with friends old and new. The venue was again excellent in my opinion, plenty of food and comfortable seating on offer, and it did seem somewhat busier this year I thought.

Overall results as follows:

• Supreme Neuter – Sup. Gr Pr & Int Pr. Ishcus Red Devil
• Supreme Kitten – Sheerbliss Hayleys Comet
• Supreme Adult and Overall Supreme Exhibit – Int Gr Ch Shadanza Tanzanite
• Supreme Non Pedigree – Bailey

That marked the end of the Irish show season until September so to keep ourselves amused we decided to attend a TICA show in Newbury in May.

NaturallyTICA ‘Texas Hoe Down’ May 2010

This 2 day show took place in the Northcroft Leisure Centre, Newbury on 29th/30th May. We traveled over by  ferry to Holyhead and then drove to Newbury. The show was small for a TICA show (about 100 cats) but there was a good atmosphere and great facilities at the leisure centre. We stayed in the Hilton Newbury Central and I must say they couldn’t have been nicer or more welcoming!

We brought all three of our Rex girlies over, which was quite a challenge! Keisha and Nikki did quite well, Keisha being placed in 6 finals over the two days, and Nikki being placed in 3. Nikki gained enough finals and points to make Grand Champion Alter, which we were delighted with. Squeek decided that she definitely didn’t like this style of judging and really gave the judges some attitude!!! As a result she didn’t final but she did beat our Keisha and another Devon Rex in one ring for BOB so her daddy was very pleased with that

An enjoyable show, and a nice weekend in a pleasant hotel, but I would be reluctant to do such a long drive again…

Now it’s only a matter of weeks until the Irish show season starts up again, and I’ll hopefully have more news on that shortly!

Finally, here’s our latest “standings”:

Keisha (Lorrentino Lilyofthevalley):

• 1 Reserve Imperial under GCCF
• Tara & International Grand Premier
• TICA Supreme Grand Champion Alter (SGCA)

Squeek (Lorrentino Tiger-Lily):

• International Premier
• 1 Grand PC and 3 Reserve Grand PCs under GCCF
• 2 Grand PCs under GCCFI

Nikki (Lorrentino Givemesomelove)

• 1 PC under GCCFI
• TICA Grand Champion Alter (GCA)

 

What’s On – GCCFI Supreme Cat Show 2010

The GCCFI Supreme Cat show is being held this Sunday, April 25th 2010, in the Roadstone Group Sports Club, Kingswood, City West, Dublin.

The Supreme Cat Show is Ireland’s premier show case of all the top winning show cats in the country. All of the cats entered must have qualified by winning their class at a previous GCCFI Championship show, so there are sure to be some very beautiful examples of each breed on display. It’s also a great opportunity to see some of the more rare and exotic pedigree cat breeds, which you might not have seen before. At the end of the day the judges will choose the Supreme Kitten, Supreme Adult, and Supreme Neuter from all those entered, and then one of those cats will be crowned Overall Supreme Exhibit 2010, the ultimate title!

As if all that excitement wasn’t enough to keep you amused, there will be talks by well-known TV vet Pete Wedderburn, animal behaviourist Jim Stevens of the Pet Behaviour Centre, and also a cat grooming demonstration by experienced cat exhibitor and breeder Maura Lenihan of Coomakista. In addition, there will a children’s drawing competition, and lots of stalls selling everything for cats and cat owners!

The show venue, the Roadstone Group Sports Club, has a bar and restaurant on site and plenty of free parking. It is located opposite the Maldron Hotel Citywest on the Naas Road (N7), and is only a few minutes drive from the M50 (Red Cow exit). It is also accessible by bus and LUAS.

The show is open to the public from 12.30 to 5pm, and admission is just €5/€3. So do come along and see some lovely cats and meet their friendly (and often quite mad!) breeders and owners…

View Larger Map

 

25th Anniversary Midlands Cat Club Show 2010

The Midlands Cat Club Show was held this year on the 21st February 2010 in the Kilmurry Lodge hotel in Limerick. A very special show this year as it was their 25th silver anniversary! Every pen received a special anniversary rosette and there was a raffle for a commemorative piece of silver. The show attracted a record number of entries – 114 cats!

Despite the flurries of snow on the Saturday evening when we arrived at the hotel, most of the exhibitors we spoke to did not experience any major problems getting to the venue. There was, and always is, a great atmosphere at this show. I think it is a real bonus to be able to enjoy the show without having to step outside for anything, as coffee, lunch and all the necessary facilities are all available within the hotel.

It’s a real shame more Irish hotels are not open to the idea of cat shows. They are really missing out on a lot of business as there were great crowds of visitors in attendance throughout the day, plus of course many exhibitors who stayed over in the hotel for one or even two nights. The Kilmurray Lodge must be commended for their support of the Midlands Cat Club over the years, and I must say each year we attend we find that the hotel has always improved in some way or another. This year, for instance, we found a very pleasant outdoor smoking area had been added to the hotel bar.

Cornish Rex Nikki

Anyway, back to the show, which seemed to run very smoothly and Carmel and the show team were all in great spirits for the 25th anniversary! It was our first show for our new Cornish Rex Lorrentino Givemesomelove (aka Nikki) and she seemed to settle in well and attracted a lot of attention We later discovered that Nikki is the first ever Cornish Rex to be registered under the GCCFI! We were delighted with our results, as both Squeek and Nikki got their awards – Squeek getting her 2nd GPC and Nikki her 1st PC. This also meant that Nikki qualified for the GCCFI Supreme show in April, which was the icing on the cake! As Keisha is already a Grand Premier under GCCFI we put her on exhibition rather than in competition, and she really enjoyed herself in her cosy decorated double pen. We got to show off all her awards and rosettes from her other shows too!

Keisha on Exhibition

The best in show results were as follows:

• Best Persian: Sheerbliss Mystical Charm
• Best Semi-LH: Coontastic Tangerine Dream
• Best British: Labrys Warrior Princess
• Best Foreign: In Gr Ch Shadanza Tanzanite
• Best Burmese: Coomakista Portraitofagirl
• Best Oriental: Itihat Christianne
• Best Siamese: (no entries)

Overall Best in Show went to the beautiful Labrys Warrior Princess. Many congrats to Em and Jacqui!!

Best in Show non-pedigree went to a long-haired black and white called Harvey.

After the show we attended the judge’s dinner, something we had never done before, and it was very enjoyable getting to meet and speak to all the judges and the show management team.

We look forward to the next Midlands show and we hope it goes from strength to strength over the next 25 years!

Here’s our updated “standings”:

Keisha (Lorrentino Lilyofthevalley):

• 1 Reserve Imperial under GCCF
• International Grand Premier
• 1 Tara GPC under GCCFI (needs 1 more to make Tara Grand Premier)
• TICA Supreme Grand Champion Alter (SGCA)
• TICA Best Devon Rex Alter in Europe North 2008/2009

Squeek (Lorrentino Tiger-Lily):

• International Premier
• 3 Reserve Grand PCs under GCCF
• 2 Grand PCs under GCCFI

Nikki (Lorrentino Givemesomelove)

• 1 PC under GCCFI

 

Coming Up – Irish Supreme Show 2010

The 20th Irish Supreme show 2010 is being held in the wonderful City West venue again, the Roadstone Group Sports Club. If you wish to enter, your cat must have qualified by winning a certificate at a previous show (or kittens must have won a 1st place in their Open class or have been under 4 months old on 21st February 2010). Schedules are available here. The closing date for entries is 20th March 2010.

So get your entries in and let’s make this year’s show one to remember!

The map below shows the Supreme show venue and also the nearby cat-friendly Ibis hotel…

View Larger Map

 

Master Cat Titles Offered at the Ulster Show 2009

The Ulster Siamese and All Breeds Cat Club held their 30th show on Saturday 7th November 2009. It took place in their usual venue, the Bangor Castle Leisure Centre. For the first time ever at an Irish cat show, Master Cat certificates were on offer for non-pedigree cats!

Earlier in the year the GCCF had introduced a scheme whereby non-pedigrees could compete for titles. Prior to this, there were no certificates or titles available for non-pedigrees, despite the fact that other registries, such as TICA, have offered titles for non-pedigrees for a number of years. We were delighted when we heard the GCCF had finally followed suit, and were hopeful that the GCCFI would implement a similar scheme. However, we were disappointed to learn that,  for the moment anyway, the GCCFI will not be offering titles for non-pedigrees.

So it was all the more exciting when we received the Ulster schedule and saw that they were offering Master Cat certificates at their next show. In an effort to support this move we decided to enter both of our moggies, Piggley and Spud, in addition to our two Devon Rexes, Keisha and Squeek.

Show day arrived and despite an interesting drive up to Bangor with 4 cats, we soon got them all settled in their pens. Piggley had been shown once before for fun, so it was no bother to him, but Spud, being quite a nervous boy, looked a little bewildered by the whole experience…

We went off to the nearby Bloomfield centre for some breakfast and a little Christmas shopping while the judging took place. When we arrived back at the show we were delighted to discover that Spud and the other cats were all in fine form, and many results were already going up. Keisha was going for her first Imperial cert, and was awarded the Reserve, the Imperial cert going to a fine Tiffanie Rushbrooke Kahlua Over Ice. Squeek suffered the same fate, being awarded the Grand Reserve, while the Grand went to a Russian Blue Dushenka Xariabella.

Spud

The non-pedigrees had mixed results, with Piggley coming 1st in his class of 2, and getting his first ever Master Cat Certificate!!! Spud came 2nd in his class of 2, but did later win the miscellaneous class ‘Best Mouser’ Overall though Spud seemed a little stressed so I don’t think we will show him again – I think he prefers his home comforts!

Piggley

Keisha was awarded Best of Breed later on in the day, beating our Squeek and also Grizabella Fiachra (who we were delighted to see back out on the show bench!). Squeek unsurprisingly got a WNH (would not handle) from judge George Gow, who was doing the best of breed, but I must say she was extremely grumpy by this stage though!

All in all, another enjoyable show, and there were some very nice things on offer at the adjoining craft show stands. Time seemed to drag on a little more than usual in the afternoon, so we were glad to finally set off for home with our 4 cats, who thankfully slept all the way!

Here’s our updated “standings”:

Keisha (Lorrentino Lilyofthevalley):

• 1 Reserve Imperial under GCCF
• International Grand Premier
• 1 Tara GPC under GCCFI (needs 1 more to make Tara Grand Premier)
• TICA Supreme Grand Champion Alter (SGCA)
• TICA Best Devon Rex Alter in Europe North 2008/2009

Squeek (Lorrentino Tiger-Lily):

• International Premier
• 3 out of 3 1st Opens as a kitten
• 3 Reserve Grand PCs under GCCF
• 1 Grand PC under GCCFI

Piggley-Pooh:

• 1 Master Cat Cert under GCCF

 

Cork Cat Club Show 2009

This year’s show was held in Cobh on Sunday 18th October. A very confusing one-way system in Cobh made the place a little hard to find, but we got there in the end! The day was pretty miserable with some heavy rain at times, but some dry spells too, and it was quite mild for the time of year so can’t complain really.

The show hall itself (Great Island Community Centre) was a little small I thought, especially considering the entries were up a little on last year (97 cats entered). It was nice and bright inside though, with very good lighting and nice quiet flooring. It was within walking distance of the town, and within short driving distance of many of Cork’s tourist attractions such as Fota Wildlife Park. There was little space for anything other than the cat pens in the show hall, but there were a small number of stands, and also a pet photographer. There was very little seating unfortunately, except for a small area upstairs, but the cats could not be seen from there so it wasn’t ideal really. This meant that we ended up spending most of the day on our feet, which was somewhat tiring to say the least! Drinks and snacks were available from a small stand in the foyer, which was useful if, like us, you didn’t want to face the walk into the town in the rain!

We had expected a long wait for results, due to the late arrival of ourselves and others, and also in light of there being only four judges engaged; but to our delight many of the open results were up already on our return to the show hall around 12.30pm. The side classes were a different matter though, I don’t think the majority of those results went up until 3pm or later!

There was a simply huge crowd of visitors throughout the day, which made a change from the last few years. The management team must have put a huge effort into advertising I think – either that or there is simply nothing else to do in Cobh on a rainy Sunday afternoon It was great to see such good support for a cat show, and I must say most of the visitors were very courteous and respectful of both cats and exhibitors, but it did unfortunately result in parts of the show hall becoming very very crowded, which made it quite difficult for exhibitors to get to their cats at times.

Surprisingly there were no rosettes indicating Best Kitten/Adult/Neuter in each section (though I believe there were trophies awarded to cats whose owners were Cork Cat Club members). This made it difficult to see which cats were being considered for Best in Show. In any case the Best of Variety winners were as follows:

• Best Persian: Catscastle Galatea
• Best Semi-Longhair: Sup Pr Ishcus Marvin
• Best British: Cassiobury Indiana Jones
• Best Foreign: Nikelsilva Neptune
• Best Burmese: Somatir Norma Jean
• Best Oriental: Khardagia Cait Saidhe
• Best Siamese: Shadowsquad Anam-Cara

Although we didn’t hang around for the overall Best in Show announcement (as it just went on way too long!) I later heard that it was the Blue British owned by Ronnie Brooks: Cassiobury Indiana Jones.

Overall we enjoyed the show very much and it all seemed to run pretty smoothly. The information that was provided with the schedule on cat-friendly hotels, and tourist attractions in the area, was most useful and much appreciated (if only other shows would provide similar info!). Our stay in the Bella Vista Hotel was just wonderful, and the two evenings we spent in the hotel bar with fellow cat exhibitors were great fun!

Devon Rex Ketcherex Rakasta Klaatu

The highlight of our day was getting to finally see the new Devon Rex on the block – Monty (Ketcherex Rakasta Klaatu) owned by Mark and Ann. He seemed so relaxed in and out of his pen and was totally unfazed by the crowds. Many congrats to him on his 1st and Best of Breed, and we wish him every success at future shows. Our own two Devon Rex girls had a good day out too – Squeek gained her 1st Grand PC and also won Best of Breed over our other Devon Rex, Keisha.

Here’s our updated “standings”:

Keisha (Lorrentino Lilyofthevalley):

• International Grand Premier
• 1 Tara GPC under GCCFI (needs 1 more to make Tara Grand Premier)
• TICA Supreme Grand Champion Alter (SGCA)
• TICA Best Devon Rex Alter in Europe North 2008/2009

Squeek (Lorrentino Tiger-Lily):

• International Premier
• 3 out of 3 1st Opens as a kitten
• 2 Reserve Grand PCs under GCCF
• 1 Grand PC under GCCFI

 

Erin Cat Club Show 2009

This show was held for the first time in the City of Lisburn Racquets Club, which in my opinion was a big improvement over the previous Erin venue, and was much more suited to a cat show. The show was held on Saturday 5th September 2009, and the day was pleasantly warm and sunny, which made a nice change!!!

There were a total of 110 cats entered, and there was plenty of space for them all, plus some trade stands, in the show hall. There was a large spacious seated area upstairs where coffee and snacks were available, and also a snack shop in the reception area. There seemed to be plenty of free parking available, and the venue was not too hard to find. The venue was a little further out of Lisburn than the previous venue, but still within walking distance, and it was a nice day for a walk. The Sprucefield Centre, with a huge Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury’s, and a number of other retailers, was also nearby  - only about 5 minutes by car.

Everything seemed to run very smoothly on the day, with the majority of the Open class results up by the time we returned to the hall at 12.30pm. The side classes also went up very early, and the Best In Show pens were filled by 3pm, allowing everyone plenty of time to admire the winners and take plenty of photos before the show closed at 4pm.

We thoroughly enjoyed the day, and were delighted with our own results: Keisha got her 3rd Grand PC under GCCF, making her up to International Grand Premier. Squeek also did well, getting the Reserve Grand PC, and also BOB.

Sphynx Belzebub Orchis

The Best in Show results were as follows:

• Best Persian: Sheerbliss Nemo (Exotic kitten)
• Best Semi-Longhair: Glendavan Miss-Defy (Ragdoll kitten)
• Best British: Labrys Warrior Princess
• Best Foreign: Belzebub Orchis (Sphynx adult)
• Best Burmese: Int Ch Kymian Henrietta
• Best Oriental: Chinkilynx Mysunny Boy
• Best Siamese: Metaxa Mikhail (Siamese adult)

Overall Best in Show went to the Ragdoll Glendavan Miss-Defy.

British Labrys Warrior Princess

Here’s our updated “standings”:

Keisha (Lorrentino Lilyofthevalley):

• International Grand Premier
• 1 Tara GPC under GCCFI (needs 1 more to make Tara Grand Premier)
• TICA Supreme Grand Champion Alter (SGCA)
• TICA Best Devon Rex Alter in Europe North 2008/2009

Squeek (Lorrentino Tiger-Lily):

• International Premier
• 3 out of 3 1st Opens as a kitten
• 2 Reserve Grand PCs under GCCF

 

Upcoming Irish Cat Shows – September to December 2009

At long last, it is almost time for the new Irish show season! For those of you interested in cats or cat showing in Ireland, here are details of the next few cat shows:

Club	Date	Venue	Details
Erin Cat Club	Saturday 5th September 2009	City of Lisburn Racquets Club, 36 Belfast Road, Lisburn. BT27 4AS	GCCF All Breed Championship Show Closing Date: 3rd August Show Manager: Mr D Dowds & Mr S Cahoon 028-92693186
SABCCI	Sunday 20th September 2009	Knocklyon Community Centre, Dublin 16	GCCFI All Breed Championship Show Closing Date: 15th August Show Manager: Mrs V Brooks email
Cork Cat Club	Sunday 18th October 2009	Great Island Community Centre, Cobh, Co. Cork	GCCFI All Breed Championship Show Closing Date: 21st September Show Manager: Miss M Baker 021-4811773
Ulster SABCC	Saturday 7th November 2009	Bangor Castle Leisure Centre, Castle Park Avenue, Bangor, Co Down. BT20 4BN	GCCF All Breed Championship Show Closing Date: 5th October Show Manager: Mrs J Ferguson 028 91852404 & Mrs C Ervine 028 93382185
GCCF Supreme Show	Saturday 21st November 2009	National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, B40 1NT, UK	GCCF Supreme Championship Show (qualification required) Closing Date: 30th September Show Manager: Mrs C Leighton email

The closing date for entries into each show is usually 4 to 6 weeks before the show date. If you wish to enter you will need to contact the show manager for a schedule and entry form.

If you would just like to visit a cat show, they are normally open to the public from around lunchtime, and there is a small entry fee. Cats shows are a great place to see all the different breeds of cats and to meet breeders, and they usually also have a number of trade stands selling cat food and accessories.

I have also listed the GCCF Supreme Cat Show, which is held in the UK every year. This show is the highlight of the GCCF show calendar, and is a great place to see show-winning cats as every cat entered must have qualified by winning a certificate at a previous GCCF championship show. There is also an abundance of trade stalls selling all sorts of cat products, so it can be a great show to visit for some shopping! As the NEC is withing walking distance of Birmingham airport, it is totally feasible for Irish visitors to travel over with Ryan Air or Aer Lingus on the morning of the show and return to Ireland the same evening.

 

Another International Premier and Other Show News

At the Irish Supreme show, held for the first time in a wonderful new venue in Dublin’s City West, on April 26th 2009, our Devon Rex cat Lorrentino Tiger-Lily (Squeek) attained her 3rd PC, making her a GCCFI Premier, and also an International Premier, as she had already attained her GCCF Premier title at the Northern Ireland Cat Club show, held in March 2009.

Squeek has had an amazing show career to date, and has been awarded all her PCs at consecutive shows both here in Ireland and in the UK. Long may it continue

I have been extremely busy for the last few months, and have been neglecting my cat show blog terribly! There have been some very enjoyable shows that I haven’t had time to report on so I’m afraid readers will have to make do with a (relatively) short summary…

Northern Ireland Cat Club Show

First we had the Northern Ireland show on March 7th 2009, which was held in a new venue – a large church hall in Ballymena. Although I must say I did prefer the previous venue, the new show hall was spacious and couldn’t be faulted. There were some minor issues with parking and the weather didn’t help (as it rained heavily at both the start and the end of the day), but all in all I think it was a good choice. There was a large entry of 155 cats, and there was adequate space in the hall for them all along with their owners. The town of Ballymena was within walking distance which was a bonus, and it had plenty of shops and eateries to offer. The factory outlet centre, Junction One is also only a few miles away.

Judging seemed to run smoothly, and most open class results went up very quickly. Judge Ms Molenaar-Elzinga did not seem to approve of the standard of Devons or Cornish on show and withheld a lot of them, including our fabulous Keisha, who had only a couple of weeks earlier been chosen as Best Foreign Exhibit in the Midlands show! She did however award Squeek a PC, which made her up to Premier

Here are the Best in Show results:

• Best Foreign: Ismisha Riff Raff (a well-deserved win for Singapura Moby who is owned by our friend Amy French and bred by Stephen Long of Ismisha).
• Best Burmese: Ch Girona Keri
• Best British: Pr Cassiobury Touchoftheblues
• Best Semi-LH: Klassyklogs Katriona (Birman)
• Best Persian: Sheerbliss Dream Cometrue
• Best Oriental: Chezs Eragon of Wiccanways
• Best Siamese: Pr Siawye Cookiecat
• Best HHP: Lilac owned by a Mrs C Copes

Overall Best in Show: the Oriental Chezs Eragon of Wiccanways

Irish Supreme Show

Next was the prestigious Irish Supreme show, held on 26th April 2009. The show was held for the first time in a new venue in City West, the Roadstone Group Sports Club. In comparison to the RDS, where the show was held for several previous years, this venue was a huge improvement in my opinion (and that of many other exhibitors we spoke to on the day). I have since heard that some of the trade stand holders did not have a good day, but I really think that may have been due to the current economic climate and the fact that it was the show’s first year at this venue, rather than there being an issue with the venue itself.

The venue had everything an exhibitor could ever want anyway – a large show hall, a bar and restaurant on site, and free parking. It was easy to find and very convenient for those of us travelling from outside of Dublin in that we didn’t have to travel into the city centre. An added bonus was that one of the very few pet friendly hotels in Dublin is situated only a few miles from the venue (Ibis Dublin West).

We were delighted and honoured to have Keisha and Squeek’s breeder Sally Goulty and her husband Stuart come over from the UK to visit the show, and by all accounts they were not disappointed!

The show was also featured on RTE’s programme Capital D! Click here to watch (the cat show segment starts at approx 17 minutes).

It was a wonderful day out in a wonderful new venue, with the icing on the cake being that Squeek got made up to International Premier and Keisha also got her first ever Tara Grand Premier Certificate! Judge Mrs Wilding also gave them both glowing critiques, which we are very proud of!

Here are the results:

• Supreme Adult: Int Gr Ch Vita-Nova’s Dreamer (Exotic)
• Supreme Kitten: Ladydoll Boadicea (Ragdoll)
• Supreme Neuter: Ishcus Marvin (Maine Coon)
• Supreme Exhibit: Ladydoll Boadicea

TICA Shows

We also attended the first TICA show of the 09/10 season, held on 16th and 17th May 2009. From this season forward England has lost its isolated status and has also become part of a new TICA region Europe West, which also includes Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland, and Iceland.

The show was held in Stantonbury, Milton Keynes and it was an all Specialty (SP) ring show, which meant that all finals were either for short-haired or long-haired cats, i.e., there were no All Breed finals. We only brought Keisha to the show, as we are hoping to campaign her for a Regional title this year, and had we brought Squeek they would have been competing against each other. She achieved 3 finals on the first day (two 4ths and a 2nd) and 1 final on the second day (a 4th). It was a very enjoyable show, as the TICA shows always are! Unsurprisingly (!) there were no other Devon Rex entered, but we did get to see some cute Pixie-bobs and some outstanding Bengals, along with a whole host of other breeds.

Here’s our updated “standings”:

Keisha (Lorrentino Lilyofthevalley):

• International Premier
• Grand Premier under GCCFI
• 2 GPCs under GCCF (needs 1 more to make International Grand Premier)
• 1 Tara GPC under GCCFI (needs 1 more to make Tara Grand Premier)
• TICA Supreme Grand Champion Alter (SGCA)
• TICA Best Devon Rex Alter in Europe North 2008/2009 (unconfirmed)

Squeek (Lorrentino Tiger-Lily):

• 3 out of 3 1st Opens as a kitten
• International Premier

 

Show Report – Midland Cat Club 2009

The Midland Cat Club show was held on Sunday 22nd February in the Kilmurry Lodge Hotel in Limerick. We had a very early start, leaving our house in Cavan at 5am! Weather and road conditions were quite good though so we made good time and arrived at the show just after 8.30 am. We were met by quite a long vetting-in queue, with one vet in particular giving each cat a particularly thorough (and in my opinion a somewhat rough) examination, but it was moving along rather quickly so we were soon inside the show hall. We had entered both Keisha and Squeek in the show and they were both penned just inside the hall entrance door. Initially we thought they wouldn’t be too happy with this positioning, but as they day wore on we realised that we were luckier than most as there was quite a good gap between the entrance and the row of pens, whereas the space between some rows was very tight. There was a very good entry for the show – 120 cats in total – and the show hall was filled to capacity.

We got to meet quite a few new cats – some lovely Abyssinians bred by Stephen of Ismisha, and (to our delight) a new Devon Rex – a very handsome lilac male owned by Emma McLoughlin. There were a large number of British Shorthairs entered, which is unusual, and also some fabulous Ragdolls. There were also a good selection of household pets (non-pedigree) entered, with some interesting names – in particular a large cuddly boy called Bailey Monster B Boy Bedazzle!!!

Show Manager Carmel Byrne gave everyone a nice welcome at 10am and asked us to clear the hall for the judging. We immediately went to the hotel’s restaurant for a full breakfast, which was enjoyable, if a little overpriced. The results board was in a corridor off the main show hall, which meant that we could check our results throughout the morning. With the show being held in a hotel it was great that we were able to sit in the bar or in the reception area and relax over a coffee and a newspaper.

The show hall was reopened fairly on schedule, just a few minutes after 12.30. We returned to Keisha and Squeek to discover that they had made quite a mess of their once neatly laid-out pens, the blankets were all in a heap and Squeek in particular had managed to get cat litter everywhere Other than that they were quite happy so we tidied them up and gave them a bite to eat and then went in search of our results. We were chuffed to discover that Keisha had got her Grand PC from Val Kilby (her 3rd in Ireland, so making her up to Grand Premier!) and Squeek had got her PC from Maria Chapman too. Keisha was also awarded Best of Breed! For some reason, the Open result for the other Devon Rex, Danger, was not up yet, but we were keeping our fingers crossed that he would also get his PC, especially as it was his owners first show. Later on in the day he did indeed get his PC, and we were very impressed with how he took to his first show, remaining very relaxed in his pen throughout the day.

The afternoon dragged a little, despite their being a small number of trade stands, a book stall, and a tombola to keep us all amused. It was good to have the time to catch up with several of our fellow exhibitors though, many of whom we hadn’t seen since last October. We were very happy to hear that there were also some brand new exhibitors at the show, which, combined with the higher than usual entry, gives one a good feeling about the future of the fancy in Ireland. We had entered quite a few side classes and were delighted when Keisha came 1st in one, and 2nd in another (out of five). Squeek also placed 1st in one of her side classes but was unplaced in the other. But the best was yet to come…

We were standing chatting with some other exhibitors when we noticed someone hanging a Best Foreign Neuter rosette on Keisha’s pen This meant she would be in with a chance of getting Best Foreign and did indeed make the rest of the day more interesting for us! She was up against a beautiful Abyssinian kitten and a Singapura adult which we believe had travelled over from the UK. It was to our huge shock and delight when a couple of stewards came down and brought our Keisha up to the Best Foreign in Show pen!!!! A bit nerve-racking too, as this meant she would be taken out and examined by the judges in front of everyone for the Best in Show judging. We were sure to get ringside space for watching the judging, and in the end she did OK- she did panic a little bit as she got about halfway down the judges table, but the judges did a really good job of calming her. We were so proud, especially as Keisha is usually very nervous of strangers!! There was some stiff competition for Best in Show, including:

• Best Persian: Johnnycake Maverick
• Best Semi-Longhair: Ladydoll Boadicia
• Best British: Cassiobury Touch Ofclass (Ch)
• Best Foreign: Int Pr Lorrentino Lilyofthevalley (our Keisha!)
• Best Burmese: Katcenne Speranza Wilde
• Best Oriental: – (no entries)
• Best Siamese: Int Ch Calvos Mystic Belle

The Persian, Johnnycake Maverick, took the ultimate honour in the end – Best In Show 2009!

Best In Show judging - Persian

Best In Show judging - Ragdoll

Best In Show judging - our Keisha

After all the excitement, the show was finally closed and we collected Keisha from her fancy pen. We also received a Royal Canin umbrella and food voucher (first time we have ever won anything other than rosettes at a cat show!). We were staying in the hotel on the Sunday night, which I highly recommend, as it was great to be able to just go upstairs after the show, and relax with the cats and celebrate their success. Later on we had dinner and a few drinks in the hotel bar, but after such an early start we weren’t able to stay up too late and went to bed shortly after 10pm!

The show was very well organised and as far as I could see everything ran very smoothly on the day. I heard there were some hiccups in the weeks before the show (judge cancellations and an astonishing change of policy by the hotel on cats staying in rooms – later reversed!) but this was all sorted out by the inimitable Show Manager Carmel Byrne and her team. Many thanks to them all for a very enjoyable show!

Here’s our updated “standings”:

Keisha (Lorrentino Lilyofthevalley):

• International Premier
• Grand Premier under GCCFI
• 2 GPCs under GCCF (needs 1 more to make International Grand Premier)
• TICA Supreme Grand Champion Alter (SGCA)
• TICA Best Devon Rex Alter in Europe North 2007/2008

Squeek (Lorrentino Tiger-Lily):

• 3 out of 3 1st Opens as a kitten
• 2 PCs under GCCF
• 2 PCs under GCCFI