Birman Cat Club
5th November 2011

BEST IN SHOW WINNERS

OVERALL BEST EXHIBIT
UK & Imp Gr Ch & Imp Gr Pr Mlyward Sassafras (13c7)

BEST ADULT AND BEST MALE ADULT
Ch Nicadaemus Sirocco (13c13)

BEST FEMALE ADULT
Gr Ch Arezza My Fairlady (13c14)

BEST KITTEN AND BEST MALE KITTEN
Syralette Perle D'Azure

BEST FEMALE KITTEN
Ryuichi Antonia (13c4)

BEST NEUTER AND BEST FEMALE NEUTER
UK & Imp Gr Ch & Imp Gr Pr Mlyward Sassafras (13c7)

BEST MALE NEUTER
Imp Gr Pr Snowwitch Summerstorm (13c2)

BEST NON PEDIGREE HOUSEHOLD PET
MC Foodee

BEST PEDIGREE HOUSEHOLD PET
Solo

Show Report

This is a show that I have really been looking forward to attending as it had promises of being a great day out. Not only was it not that far from home - 10 minutes - but it meant that I could take one of my cats that hates the car with a vengeance. The second he goes in the carrier he starts making such a racket you would think he was being murdered !!  Earplugs in and off we went to the Ken Marriott Sports Centre in Rugby, not far from the town centre so that any Rugby fans could go and have a look at the Rugby Museum but also they could see the school were William Webb Ellis first picked up the ball and ran.

The show was well attended with 140 cats including Non Ped and Ped Pets. There were also several exhibition pens and the lovely Socks and Cookie from Blue Peter.  On exhibition was the 2008 Supreme Winner the lovely Maine Coon Supreme Uk Imp Gr Pr Dairymaine Sarnia Cherie.

There were several lucky pen prizes of Ł28 as this was the 28th Show for the Birman Club. There was also a Photo Competition an amazing raffle and a prize every time tombola. There was also a lovely present given to every exhibitor by the Show Manager.

Best In Show was judged by Mrs D Butters, Mrs L Grant and Mrs S Tokens. I was glad it was them and not me trying to choose the Overall Winner but it was a unanimous decision that Uk Imp Gr Ch and Imp Gr Pr Mlyward Sassafras owned by Ron Hayward and Dennis Mlynek.

A thoroughly enjoyable day, congratulations to Elaine Culf and her team for putting on such a great show. The day was topped by the fact that I got back home so fast !

Carole Kemp
Show Reporter

This year’s show under the innovative new management of Elaine Culf assisted by Lynda Ashmore, Hall Manager Jim Warrender and a dedicated team of FOBs (Friends of the Birman Show) was truly a triumphant success. The strategy of offering lower entry fees plus a further reduction for a 3rd or more cat entered resulted in the highest number of entries since 2005: 140 in competition, 9 of whom were Pedigree and Non-Pedigree Pets, plus 8 in decorated Exhibition pens.
 
The schedule also offered further attractions including: one Lucky Catalogue voucher giving a free entry for the 2012 show; £28 cash prizes for three lucky pens celebrating the club’s 28th Championship show; a chance to meet the famous Blue Peter Ragdoll cats Socks and Cookie, with free admission for children wearing the Blue Peter badges; a photo competition with special rosette prizes for photos in Cutest Kitten, Most Amusing and Cats at Play categories. This was very well supported with many cute and funny photos and was judged by the show’s guest of honour, the Lady Mayoress of Rugby, Councillor Gwen Hotten who also presented the prizes.
 
And there was so much more by way of surprises and thoughtful touches!  Stud owning exhibitors much appreciated the empty pen between any two pens containing entire males, and all the pens had a generous array of food samples and gifts, including – and this is one of the thoughtful touches – an up-market snack bar for the human to enjoy, as well as the usual feline biscuits and sachets. The wonderful triple glitter-ball stick is now being much enjoyed by my Birmans!

The biggest surprise was surely the catalogue, which caused a sensation by having a beautiful colour cover featuring last year’s Overall Best in Show winner, Seal point kitten Mlyward Xcaliber, with a gallery of photos of Birmans of all 20 colours on the back cover, and it is planned to continue this practice in future years.  And the rosettes!!  Truly magnificent great “dinner-plates” with a shield centre for the 9 Best in Show winners, and sumptuous ones also for the Olympian and other certificate class winners.  There were special red rosettes for exhibitors whose cats had an All-Red-Card day, named Judge’s Choice rosettes for each judge to award to their favourite exhibit, and a magnificent People’s Choice rosette for the exhibit voted as favourite by exhibitors and visitors via a ballot box. During the afternoon every exhibitor received the most generous surprise gift of a travel alarm clock.

The Exhibition pen section of the hall was graced by the 2005 Overall Best in Show winner, big Seal neuter UK & Imperial Grand Premier Lingcomb Endymion, and by two famous and stunning Maine Coon guests owned by Saffron Rabey: UK & Imp Gr Pr Dairymaine Chilli Pepper and Supreme UK & Imp Gr Pr Dairymaine Sarnia Cherie. plus a pen exhibiting three very appealing RagaMuffin cats who attracted much attention. There were two most interesting “memory lane” tribute pens, with photos and memorabilia of two famous Seal Birman neuters of the past: UK Grand Premier Melvas Romeo (1988 Overall Best in Show winner) and Grand Premier Flash Tyson, who famously used to appear on exhibition in his little “Tyson” boxing ring.

Among the various sales, raffle and tombola tables were the Club’s own eye-catching Merchandise and Welfare & Rescue stalls offering a tempting range of items to buy, and the Merchandise stand displayed the clever idea of a large map of the UK studded with coloured pins showing the places from which all the exhibitors had come to support the show – from as far apart as Cumbria and Devon.

The show had such a great “buzz” all day with so much interest and excitement for exhibitors and visitors.  It was wonderful to see so many of our fabulous Birmans on show and I just wish the afternoon could have been a bit longer to enable me to see them all properly.  My congratulations go to Overall Best in Show Exhibit UK & Imp Gr Ch & Imp Gr Pr Mlyward Sassafras and her proud owner/breeders Ron Mlynek and Dennis Hayward. “Sassy” also gained her Olympian Bronze title to make the day even more special.

Thank you and congratulations to Elaine, Lynda, Jim and the members your team for giving everybody such a fantastic and memorable day – roll on next year!

Janet Osborn
Exhibitor and Household Pet judge