JUDGE REPORT DUBLIN 2015 Mrs JANET GREEN A visit to the Fair City and a Cat Show all in Spring sunshine! What could be nicer? It was an honour to be present at the GCCFI’s landmark 25th Anniversary Show and a privilege to handle the exhibits. The Ballinteer Community School provided an excellent venue with good lighting and excellent facilities. The hard work of Show Manager Ronnie Brooks and her Committee Mrs Dobbs, Miss Goodison, Mrs Hehir, Mrs Sluiters and Mrs Taylor plus numerous helpers was much appreciated. The Irish Cat Fancy has many high calibre cats demonstrating a wealth of bloodlines in many breeds. Despite a few imperfections the cats I had were, on the whole, of excellent quality though a few needed more intensive show preparation for what, after all, is a beauty contest. Among the cats I judged the Exotics and British Shorthairs were outstanding with some of top international quality. So if you are thinking of entering from outside of Ireland with these breeds – be very afraid! I would like to give honourable mention to the following Foreign and Brit exhibits – Noonan’s oh-­‐so-­‐continental British Shorthair Lilac male FINCH’S MILTREE LOFT, his progressive quality and outstanding physique for his young age is breath-­‐
taking for this breed. He was my BOV British adult and it was no surprise when he went Supreme Exhibit; Wren’s LIMATZ SUPER MAN a British Shorthair Black Silver Tabby male with perfect crispy short quality coat and a classic text book coat pattern who ran the winner so very close; Patton’s PR LABRYS SOUFFLE GIRL a well “risen” British White with a truly traditional fantastic coat quality so well turned out ; Slater’s PR HOONIKATZ SILVER BELLE charming Silver Spottie of classic quality; Nichols’ SUP GR CH NICKELSILVA NEPTUNE superior “I’ve-­‐been-­‐everywhere-­‐man” Korat with silver blue fur and dew drop eyes; Bowles’ ZARACATZ ZIGGY POP, Tiffanie, excelling in conformation and my best groomed cat of the day being fabulously prepared by his owner who could teach some Longhair exhibitors a thing or two. All the cats handled well and were so good natured. My day could not have gone so well without the help of my two stewards Karen Tanner Mason and Zolte Foldes. Thank you Ronnie for your kind invitation and for the charming gift which will hold a happy memory. PERSIAN SECTION TABBY COLOURPOINT PRE-­‐CHAMPION, MALE SUP CC & BOB Malcolmson’s JENZJEWELS MERLINS GOLD Male Red Tabby Colourpoint 31.03.13 The first thing that hit me at first sight of this quality 2 year old was the size of his head. Maturing well, the wonderfully dominant, large, round head had a well-­‐rounded forehead, excellent breadth across the top and a super broad muzzle. Ears were well placed; he had a strong chin with an acceptable bite. Viewed from the side the profile is beautifully flat with a short, broad nose and a distinct stop conforming to the required standard. He had lovely blue eyes, large, round and expressive and although we always dream for a deeper blue in Colourpoints his eyes were a lovely representative colour. Sadly many Colourpoints have decreased in size over the last two or three decades so it was great to see this cat’s large physique and wonderful substance – an asset to this breed. Cobby in appearance without any sacrifice of size he is broad backed with excellent width across the shoulders carried on short, sturdy legs. And, yes, I loved the tiger feet! With a short dinky tail this cat had perfect balance all round. In coat the pelage was quite wonderful, especially for this time of year, soft and drippingly long but it was beginning to show signs of that end of season look. The colour was very good with defined red tabby points contrasting with the light apricot body colour. Grooming could have been better. There was some thinning of the coat in places and OK you can’t groom what isn’t there but the fur on the back legs and under belly needed better preparation to separate the individual hairs and more attention was needed to the areas around the eyes. With more experience and an upgrade in his presentation this cat could be a serious title contender. He has an ideal show presence and temperament and is a cat worth working on. His best is yet to come. TABBY COLOURPOINT PRE-­‐CHAMPION, FEMALE SUP CC Malcolmson’s RISETTA SUGARPUFF Seal Tortie Tabby Colourpoint 23.07.13 Another Colourpoint with excellent head type this female had a large head which balanced the body well. She had a smooth, rounded forehead and a super flat profile, short nose with stop, wonderful cheeks, super firm chin and a perfect bite. She had expressive, large, round eyes of an excellent blue colour. Ears were medium in size and the shape could have been improved by the removal of the tips of fur to create a more rounded look. Body conformation is typically Persian, short, well-­‐coupled and of excellent weight and muscle tone. However I found the legs a little fine in boning, (not unusual for a female) but she had lovely rounded, fat paws. A short, full tail rounded at the tip balanced the body beautifully. The soft, long coat showed an excellent distribution of tortie colours in the points together with the required agouti tabby element. The fur on the back was rather too dark and detracted from the preferred contrast with the coloured points. From the same stable as the male Colourpoint this cat also needed more and better grooming. In particular she needed more work on her underparts which are just as much part of the cat’s coat as the upper coverings yet which often get neglected simply because it’s an area that is not that easy to see or (I know I know) to get at. A lovely character. This cat is still developing and will benefit from a more experienced presentation technique. CHINCHILLA SHADED SILVER CHAMPION, MALE SUP GR CC & BOB Guiney’s CH ZILVA OSCAR WILDE Chinchilla 02.07.13 My heart melts whenever I come across this breed and this was no exception. A beautiful looking “Chinnie” with wonderful Persian head type is a delight to share a table with. His head is large, with great breadth between the neat ears, lovely full cheeks, excellent chin, level bite, and a short nose with the correct depth of desired stop. Excelling in Persian looks I loved the openness of this cat’s expression which is so endearing. I found his body to be short and very compact, strong, well-­‐muscled and with a short full brush, -­‐ typically Persian. Chunky short legs and lovely round fat furry paws completed the picture. This cat carried a beautiful pelage which had obvious received great care from the owner. Soft and long with correct white undercoat, the black tipping was just a fraction unevenly shaded in places which is probably seasonal with an impending change of coat. I was very pleased to find clear hocks and paws and no tarnishing. All leathers were correct. Overall a most attractive exhibit which was very well groomed and expertly presented. A charmer to handle (Oh -­‐ how I could be tempted!) My best Longhaired cat of the day. CHINCHILLA SHADED SILVER PRE-­‐CHAMPION, FEMALE SUP CC Guiney’s PUREJEMS DOLLY PARTON Chinchilla 24.06.14 Only just adult (and in reality simply a lovely big kitten) with heaps of developing still to do. This is one of those occasions when I wish we had a Junior Champion class for under 15 months as this is one of those breeds where maturing doesn’t come quickly. Due to her immaturity I found the head a little small so it didn’t balance with the body that well but it was of excellent shape, round, with excellent width between dinky, well set ears. The cheeks are still developing, with a fair chin and good bite. She had a pleasing side profile with a short nose, super eyes, large, round and green, typical for the breed. The body, though strong and well-­‐muscled, has some growing to do. The limbs are a little fine-­‐boned. Paws are large and round and she has a short well shaped brush. All very promising for future conformation. This girl had a lovely quality coat, soft and long, with a dense pure white undercoat and the top hairs showing clear black tipping. I found the tipping to be a little heavy and uneven on the back but this was probably old kitten coat and will change with adulthood. There was a little smudging on the paws and one heavily smudged hock. From the same stable as the BOB male this young female is undeniably attractive. She has considerable quality, enough to give her the CC and only needs time to body-­‐up. Beautifully presented and a pleasure to judge. DILUTE SHADED/TIPPED CAMEO PRE-­‐CHAMPION, MALE 1st Craig & Bell’s SUNLIT GEORGE Cream Tipped Cameo 15.10.13 With a wonderfully wide head, fat cheeks, super chin and good bite this well-­‐developed male was a very eye catching exhibit. He had gorgeous big round copper coloured eyes which were unfortunately tearing today. He has a lovely side profile and short nose but with a very deep stop and a somewhat narrowed nasal aperture which, on another and better day, might have been acceptable. However today he was audibly irritated. This was almost certainly brought on by powdering as part of his show preparation also affecting the eyes and causing excessive tearing – my reason for withholding the Supreme certificate. Such a pity as this is a cat of obvious superior quality but we could not ignore this on the day. This cat has a super strong body and it was a pleasure to handle a Persian of such fabulous weight and muscular development. He will be spectacular when he reaches full maturity. He has strong limbs which for perfection could be a little shorter as he tends to stand a little high. He had super paws and a short tail. The coat quality was excellent -­‐ soft and long, with a beautiful ruff and breeches, tufty feet, ear furnishings and a wonderful brush. There was good contrast between the silvery white undercoat and the tipping which was a medium cream colour. Leathers were correct. In excellent physical form, this was a calm and showy cat shown in very nice condition by a caring owner but just fell victim to a quirk of preparation. DILUTE TORTIE &WHITE PRE-­‐CHAMPION, FEMALE 1st Molloy’s CATSCASTLE BARCELONA Blue Tortie & White 13.03.14 A pretty youngster still very much in development with promising head type. Broad and round the head balances with the body quite well with filled out cheeks and an excellent strong chin. The forehead just falls away slightly without detracting too much from the roundness. She has a short nose, lovely flat side profile and what super eyes! – Large and round and a very expressive deep copper. The ears are neat and well placed. The body conformation was excellent, short, broad and strong, well coupled, typical for the breed though a little fine in boning. She just needs a bit more time. She has a lovely short well-­‐furnished tail but sadly with a defect at the tip. The colour patching on the coat is dreamy, light blue and cream with white in a pleasing distribution and it was of excellent soft texture and good length. A number of white hairs needed removing to give definition to the delineation of patching so important in the bi-­‐ and tri-­‐coloured breeds. Sadly the whole effect was marred by staining on the face and paws. Showing a white patched cat always involves a big degree of work and time not just on the coloured parts but a great deal of vigilance to keep the white areas as pristine as possible. No easy task I know! Overall this was a very charming female with oodles of attraction and one which I liked very much but the standard of presentation coupled with the tail fault was enough to deny her of the Supreme certificate. AC EXOTIC SH GRAND CHAMPION/HIBERNIAN TARA GR CC & BOB Wall’s GR CH SHEERBLISS ENRICO Blue & White Bi-­‐Colour Exotic SH, Male 14.04.07 Oh what a wonderful cat! A mature exhibit which epitomizes everything an Exotic should be – in simple terms – a short haired version of a Persian. Head type is glorious excelling in top width, really round with super chubby cheeks, short flat nose with perfect stop and text book profile. He has large deep copper orbs (so good for his 8 years) coupled with neat little ears set a yard apart and well positioned with that slight forward tilt. Altogether the face has a very attractive expression – very kissable! What impressed me most about this Exotic was his body shape. His perfect conformation tells you why this breed is in this section –“Persian conformation – Persian classification”. In my eyes a true Persian in underwear! He has everything except the frills. Short, cobby, strong, well boned, well chested, chunky short legs, large round feet and a short tail with rounded tip. The coat is of a light blue and pristine white with a wonderful balance of colour to white so pleasing to the eye. Dense and standing out from the body the quality of the fur was today just a little coarse in texture along the back without doubt due to seasonal change. After all it is the month of May. A fabulous quality exhibit so mature he has everything including a caring owner who has taken so much pride in this cat’s presentation. Congratulations to his breeders and owner on his achievement. A pleasure to judge. SELF EXOTIC SH PRE-­‐ CHAMPION, MALE SUP CC & BOB Craig & Bell’s D’EDEN LOVER TOM FOOLERY Black Exotic SH 16.10.11 What super head type! Large, broad and beautifully rounded. He has an excellent flat side profile. Short nose with stop, fab cheeks, excellent strong chin and perfect bite. With the addition of superb, large, round copper coloured eyes and the neatest of well-­‐placed ears this cat shouts quality. No wonder when I see his cattery name. Mature and very masculine this boy has a typically chunky, broad body and is short legged with a correct short tail to finish. A cat of very nice balance. The dense jet black coat was so thick I spent ages wading through it trying to find the zip fastener with no success! There are not many Exotic coats of this superior quality and although genetic make-­‐up is paramount a helping hand from the care of the owner has a significant part to play. It was no surprise this cat was BOV Adult SELF EXOTIC SH PRE-­‐ CHAMPION, FEMALE 1st Morris’ SHEERBLISS TOTAL ECLIPSE Black Exotic SH 02.05.13 At 2 years old this Exotic female is still developing and showing many excellent qualities. She has super head type, large and round, still developing in the cheeks and a good chin. Unfortunately her bite appeared less than perfect today with a lower canine appearing not in absolute alignment. Her ears are well placed, medium in size and just a bit open at the base but age is on her side and this will probably improve. Eyes are this cat’s outstanding feature – large and round and of a colour to die for – a dark dark brown. The best colour I have seen in ages. Facially so expressive this female has a lovely look. Short bodied with great conformation, excellent weight and maturing well for a female. The limbs are of a proportionate length still a little fine in bone but they may become heavier with maturity. She has lovely round paws, and a short tail, well-­‐shaped but not quite perfect displaying tension at the tip. The coat is of excellent quality, short, soft and dense and standing well out from the body. It was sound in colour, jet black without any shading and clearly well cared for and presented. A cat of quality breeding I was sorry to withhold but due to more than one imperfection I felt duty bound to withhold this prestigious award. TABBY/TABBY & WHITE EXOTIC SH PRE-­‐ CHAMPION, MALE SUP CC & BOB Morris’ SHEERBLISS FABIO Red Tabby Exotic SH 31.03.12 This 3 year old has lovely head type but still needs to mature a bit as the head could be a little larger to ideally balance with the body size. General shape and proportions of the head are excellent, round, with a smooth, round forehead, good side profile, short nose with stop, full cheeks and an excellent bite. Ears were just a bit open at the base and may just sit better when the head has fully matured. He has fabulous eyes – large, round and expressive and a lovely deep copper colour which is always nice to see on a red where the eye colour matches the coat colour. Short bodied this cat has good musculature though he stands a little high on his legs and the tail though well shaped could also be a little shorter to balance. He had lovely round large paws. The red coat had had good density for the time of year, was excellent for length being short and not flowing in any way and had good softness for this colour. The red is dark with the tabby element on an agouti ground being clearly visible with no obvious pattern faults. A quality exhibit still maturing with his best yet to come I loved the cheeky expression and the smile which, if you know Reds, seems to come with this colour. AOC NON-­‐SELF EXOTIC SH PRE-­‐CHAMPION, FEMALE SUP CC Wall’s SHEERBLISS ARABELLA Black Tortie & White Exotic SH 21.02.09 A heart-­‐stealer! And my “take home cat” of the day. Why? – Well you don’t get many of these on your trolley. This (almost) always-­‐female variety in Black tortoiseshell and white is not quite as rare as hen’s teeth but there are not many around. If this is your favoured breed you are lucky to get one at all and breeders will not be easily be parted with these rare beauties. I am still waiting for mine! Just over 6 years old this cat has matured nicely. She has a super head, typically Persian, large and round with full, fat cheeks, a super smooth, rounded forehead, nice flat profile, short nose with stop, strong chin and a perfect bite. She has beautiful large round expressive copper eyes (which complimented the coat colours well) with that “come and get me” look. The small neat well-­‐furnished ears fitted well into the round contour of the head. With a chunky look to the body and everything that should be short (body length, legs, tail) her conformation presented an excellent package conforming to the required breed standard. Not a huge package I admit but we know what they say…..! The short soft patchwork coat is so very attractive with lots of segments in dark red, jet black and gleaming white and with the white in all the right places. She was just starting to lose a little coat with the seasonal change that spring brings so the density was just going off. Overall a super lady of sound breeding. She had a most pleasing disposition. Out of all the cats that I handled she had overwhelming patience, just waiting to be judged as if well accustomed to the cat show routine. What a charmer! XXX SELF EXOTIC SH KITTEN, FEMALE 1ST & BOB Byrne’s RAVENMOON QUEEN OF GOTHAM Black Exotic SH0 15.08.14 A well grown kitten with a super head developing, round and large and in balance with the body size. The facial expression is instantly pleasing, typical for the breed, short nose, chubby cheeks with an excellent strong chin and excellent bite. She has large round eyes of an excellent copper colour and very neat well-­‐placed ears. I was impressed by this kitten’s super body shape and size excelling in weight and soundness with great width and harmony at this age when many can still look a bit gawky. The limbs are strong, well-­‐muscled and short with an equally short well shaped tail. The coat had really good density still with a kittenish softness and promises well for an excellent adult coat. The fur was jet black and very sound being well prepared by the owner. A very promising youngster. TABBY/TABBY & WHITE EXOTIC SH KITTEN, FEMALE 1ST & BOB Kernaghan’s KERNAKITZ SUGAR N SPICE Brown Tortie Tabby Exotic SH 12.08.14 Almost 9 months old this kitten was showing great progress in her development. She has a beautiful large round head with such a lovely open expression and wide-­‐eyed look. She has a short nose with a perfect stop which is not deep in any way. The copper eye colour is developing well and promises to have great intensity. Eyes are large and round and what super cheeks, irresistible for a quick tickle. The body is well balanced, especially for this age, of excellent shape and breadth with a shortness which is complimented by short limbs and a dinky tail. Hopefully she will retain this look. The coat is short, soft and dense, as expected, showing a fabulous admixture of both tortoiseshell and tabby elements. The black/brown/tortoiseshell colours are delightfully distributed on an agouti ground giving an impression of Chinese woven embroidery. What was remarkable was the density of the coat which really did stand out from the body. In many tabby Exotics there can be a tendency to flatness brought about by the exhibitor’s mistaken grooming efforts to accentuate the tabbiness. The coat was well prepared with a sparkle. A very promising kitten of quality with a show future. BOV kitten and later went Supreme Kitten. Congratulations to her owner/breeder. AC EXOTIC SH GRAND PREMIER/HIBERNIAN TARA GR PC & BOB Lees’ GR PR SHEERLBLISS GIFTWRAPPED Black Silver Spotted Tabby Exotic SH Male Neuter 01.11.08 An impressive Exotic male neuter with great character indicative of his 6 plus years’ experience and whose maturity just gave him the edge. His head is typically round, of mature large size, smooth with a wide top and super full fat cheeks. He has a short nose with stop, large, round, copper eyes and fairly small ears which sit into the contour of the head neatly. This is a large, well developed weighty boy. Short in the body and well coupled with short strong legs and a super dinky tail, short, bushy and well-­‐rounded at the tip. The coat on this cat was outstanding for quality and condition. Short, not flowing, soft and with great density, enough to bury your fingers in. He showed a good spotted coat pattern of black on a silver ground, not the easiest of patterns to achieve in the Persian/Exotic group with the almost inevitable occasional running stripe but he was so well prepared by his owner the spotted coat pattern shone through. A wonderful and obviously well-­‐loved boy who is a credit to his owner for her attention to grooming. My best Neuter and BOV Neuter in the Persian/Exotic section. AOC NON-­‐SELF EXOTIC SH PREMIER SUP GR PC & BOB Byrne’s PR SHEERLBLISS RAVEN Black Smoke Exotic SH Male Neuter 02.05.13 Just had his 2nd birthday and still to mature but, oh my! what a gorgeous Exotic in the making. The nicely rounded head balanced with the body size really well. I loved the super sweet expression of the large round jeepers eyes of deep copper on the black face, sweet short nose with correct stop, excellent fat cheeks and a really super top of head with neat ears. This boy displayed a very substantial body, large and weighty which gave him the edge over his competitor. He has short sturdy legs giving him a chunky image. The short tail was well shaped and balanced well with the body. What a treat it was to find such a lovely black smoke coat! Solid black at first sight until the coat is parted to reveal the contrasting under coat. This is not the easiest of colour options and we could do with seeing more of these so well done to the breeder for this achievement. The fur was of correct short length, soft and dense. It was jet black but when parted displayed a wonderful, “ash” white undercoat. This is a stunning neuter and when fully mature will be hard to beat. He was well presented and a pleasure to handle. 2nd Lees’ INT PR SHEERLBLISS OHSO THEO Cream and White Bi-­‐Colour Male Neuter 14.04.07 This veteran has great head type, large and well-­‐rounded with excellent chubby cheeks which add to his rounded look. The eyes are round, large and expressive still carrying a lovely orange/copper tone at the age of 8 years. Ears are well placed, of modest size but just a little open at the base. I loved those whiskers! He has a lovely strong body, so well-­‐proportioned with a low carriage but I would have liked him to be just a wee bit more substantial. He has fabulous limbs, short and strong with lovely round paws. The coat is typically Exotic, short, longer than other shorthaired breeds but not long enough to flow, was soft to the touch and stood out from the body with density. He is a very well-­‐
marked Bi-­‐colour, with a good balance of colour to white. His cream is just a trifle hot, not unusual for an old winter coat, but was well prepared and contrasted well with the clean white markings. Owned by the same owner as the tabby neuter, a lady owner who knows how to look after an Exotic coat. Overall a very handsome chap. Hard luck to be up against the winner – a close thing.