Cumberland Cat Club Show

13th October 2006

John S Harrison


My thanks to Show Managers Jennifer & Ian Fleming and the Committee for inviting me to judge again at this very popular Northern show - one I've enjoyed for 20 years. My thanks to Mark for stewarding for me.

I was very disappointed with some of the Orientals, and dismayed to find so many with defects, aggressive temperaments, or in poor physical condition. Certainly not a good advertisement for the Breed.

AV Oriental Grand, Male
Gr Ch to Holdsworth's UK GD CH WESTGARTH SORCERERS SECRET 37d
At nearly 5 years of age this superb male still retains all the qualities one could possibly require in an Oriental : he is a magnificent chap. A large masculine cat of excellent Oriental type. Ears of excellent size, shape and set. Excellent top of head. Eyes of excellent shape and set. Excellent profile and chinline. Strong body of correct Oriental type with balanced legs. Good length tail well tapered. Coat of excellent length and texture. Excellent even colouring, even to the chin and muzzle, the body being almost totally devoid of any markings making him the nearest to a red SELF I think I've seen. Excellent condition and temperament. A really delightful chap and certainly well deserving of the Grand.

Norwegian Forest Cat Adult Male
CNH Healing's CH NORDLYS NICHOLAS 3yr 10month
Unfortunately this lovely chap really did not want to come out and play - such a pity because he showed a lot of quality in the pen.

AC Colourpointed/Mitted Ragdoll Adult Female
1 CC & BoB Carr's EMERISLE SKYSTHELIMIT 66a 1yr 11month
A pleasing female of overall pleasing type and quality. Ears of very good size and shape, correctly set. Excellent flat top of head. Very good profile. Excellent firm chin. Eyes of good size and shape. Excellent cheek development, very good muzzle shape. Body of very good type and substance, good short neck. Good legs and bone. Tail a little short. Excellent coat length and texture, for perfection I'd like a little more contrast. A delightful exhibit, well worthy of the CC & BoB.

2 Miskelly's EMERISLE TURKISH DELIGHT 66g 12month 2wk
A nice youngster of overall good type and fair size. Ears good size and set. Good skull, profile a little too straight overall. Excellent eyes. Good cheek development. Neat muzzle. Good square chin. Very good body type. Excellent coat length and condition. Very good colouring. It will be interesting to see this lass when she has matured.

Norwegian Forest Cat, Male Kitten
1 Christie's NORSHELIAN TOR LARSSON 67/31ts 5month 3wk
A very promising youngster indeed. Head of overall excellence showing correct balance. Ears very good size and shape, correctly set. Very good lines to wedge. Good profile showing just the slightest dip to the nose. Excellent eye shape. Excellent body type with perfect balance. Excellent legs and paws. Excellent coat length and texture. This lad really does show great promise, I hope his very grumpy nature will improve …. his language was choice, and his intent clear!!!

Norwegian Forest Cat, Female Kitten
1 & BoB Johnstone's TUYET QUAVARA 67/20 19weeks
A well grown young lady of great quality - she really is an excellent kitten. Head of overall excellence with perfect balance. Ears of excellent shape and size, perfectly set. Excellent lines to wedge. Excellent profile. Excellent body type. Excellent coat length and texture. Excellent condition, Excellent temperament. A really pleasing kitten of great promise, if she continues to develop she will take some beating. A real joy to judge.

Bicolour Ragdoll Kitten
1 & BoB Sprot's RAGALYN BIJOU 66/31 19weeks
A kitten of overall excellence. Ears of excellent size and shape and correctly set. Excellent top of head. Excellent profile with nose of perfect length. Cheeks showing good definition for age. Very good muzzle. Eyes very good size and shape, just a little pale in colour though they have time to deepen. Excellent body type, well boned and grown for his age. Coat of excellent length and texture. Very good points colour, excellent markings. Excellent condition and temperament. A magnificent youngster with so many qualities, if he continues to develop this early promise he could well have a show career to equal that of his illustrious mother.

AC Colourpointed/Mitted Ragdoll Neuter
1 & PC Hutching's SASSENA RUMBLE 66 13months 3wks
A large strongly built chap of overall good type. Well set ears of good size and shape. Good top of head. Good profile though nose just a fraction long for perfection. Cheeks showing fair development. Good muzzle & chin. Excellent body type. Coat of excellent length and texture. Well up to PC standard.

BoB : Lawrence's GR PR SONNYWOOD BOSSA NOVA 66a 6yr 5month
A large and impressive cat of overall excellence. Excellent head shape. Ears excellent size shape and set. Excellent top of head. Excellent profile. Excellent eye shape. Excellent muzzle and cheeks. Excellent body type of correct length, well boned and muscular. Excellent coat length and texture. Excellent condition. Well deserving of the BoB and a pleasure to judge him again.

Asian Smoke or Burmilla Adult Male
1 cc n/a Hamilton's CREAMCOUNTY KENNBURY BIZET 72/43nsq 2yr 6month
A rather large cat with a tendency towards heaviness. Ears of good size and set. Fair top of head. Fair profile spoiled by a pronounced bump on his nose. Eyes good size but rather deep set. Coat of good length and texture. Good colouration.

2 Holt & Higgins NEMOREZ RYDER OFTHESTORM 72/43s 12month 2wk
Head of fair type. Ears good size rather high in set. Good profile. Eye shape untypical of breed with a flat upper lid. Good body type. Coat rather open and woolly and slightly harsh to the touch. A rather disappointing exhibit.

BoB: Brooksbanks GR CH LUNBROOK KISSES FORME 72/43bsq 1yr 7month
A pleasing exhibit of overall excellence. Excellent head. Lovely profile showing very neat nose of correct length. Lovely eye shape. Excellent body type. Excellent coat length and texture. Excellent colour.

Also considered for BoB:
Holt & Higgins UK GR CH NEMOREZ MAGIC DRAGON
Davidson's GR CH KARAKORAM PRINCESS MARIKO
Bradley's KAMEHAND MILADY MORTICIA

Havana, Adult Female
1 CC & BoB Page's WESTGARTH PRIMALADSINA 29 9moths 2wk
Ears of excellent size shape and set. Excellent top of head, good profile just tending towards being a little too 'Roman'. Excellent balanced wedge. Excellent eye shape and set. Excellent body type with perfectly balanced legs and tail. Excellent coat length and texture, colour not quite sound to the roots. Excellent condition. A very attractive exhibit, but what a foul temper! Well deserving of the CC.

Oriental Black Adult Female
2 Linton's CH SHADOWSQUAD CHYNNA 37 1yr 8month
A small female of fair type. Ears fair size and shape. Fair profile but unfortunately the skull is uneven showing a distinct depression at the brow. Eyes of good size and set, colour appeared to be rather more yellow than green. Bite noticeably undershot. Coat of fair length and texture. Shown in good condition. Unfortunately I did not think this exhibit had the necessary qualities, and showed too many defects to warrant the award of a first prize.

BoB : Hirst's GR CH FIORDILISIO SO FEALOREN 37 2yr 4month
A very pleasing female of quality who has matured well since I last saw her. Excellent condition and temperament. Well deserving of the BoB.

Oriental Lilac Adult
1 cc n/a Gibbon's SAITAN DREAM BOY 29c 18months
A male of medium type. Ears fair size, shape and set. Fair profile though the skull is uneven. Fair lines to wedge. Eyes good shape and set. Bite difficult to assess due to missing teeth but from those present and the set of the canines appeared to be undershot. Body of medium type, rather lightweight and lacking in muscle tone. Coat rather long and not close lying. I did not think he reached the required standard for the award of a CC.

Oriental Red Adult BoB :
Holdsworth's UK GD CH WESTGARTH SORCERERS SECRET 37d

Oriental Classic & Mackerel Tabby Adult
1cc n/a Gibbon's SAITAN FAMOUS FOOTSTEPS 41bs 3yr 5months
Good head type. Ears good size shape and set. Fair profile. Eyes good shape and set. Body of good type with balanced legs and tail. I detected an umbilical hernia which was confirmed by the Duty Vet. Pattern showing agouti invasion overall. Split spine line and mis-shaped oysters. Unfortunately this exhibit was lightweight and not in show condition.

Oriental Bi-Colour Assessment Adult
No Merit : Gibbon's D'SHIVAS CHEROCKEE 48/40t 18month 3wk
Unfortunately I have mislaid my copy of the Merit and am therefore unable to provide a critique on this exhibit - fortunately the owner has the top copy.

Oriental Longhair Adult
1 cc n/a Cassar-Simmonds PIPPASTRO PELE D'ARGENTO 62/43bs 14month
Ears of excellent size and shape, set just a little low. Excellent profile over, though she has a distinct skull depression which was confirmed by the Duty Vet. Excellent lines to wedge. Excellent Eye shape and set. Excellent long elegant neck. Excellent body type, with long slender legs and well balanced tail. Excellent condition. Excellent coat length and texture. Excellent light shading of clear chocolate on a bright silver ground. Excellent temperament. In all respects a superb cat excelling in both type and coat. Unfortunately I could not overlook the obvious skull depression and in accordance with the GCCF Standard List of Withholding Faults for all Breeds had no alternative but to withhold the CC - such a great pity.

Oriental Red Kitten
1 & BoB Cox's KHERAF REDHOTSHOT 37d 20weeks
Ears of very good size shape and set, Very good profile. Excellent lines to wedge. Eyes of very good shape and set, the colour appeared to be a rather two toned orange/green. Excellent body type. Long slim legs. Excellent tail length and texture. Excellent rich colour though still showing a very distinct ghost pattern. Excellent condition. A very bad tempered young kitten who objected strongly to being handled - I hope this improves otherwise it will hamper his show career. Other than his temper a quite superb kitten.

Oriental Tortoiseshell Kitten
CNH Gibson's KERAF RAINBOWSEND 37e 20weeks
Unfortunately we were unable to handle this kitten - she certainly wasn't playing and was all set to use teeth and claws. She did bite me and had she been an adult I would have completed a Biting Certificate. I cannot recollect being unable to handle an Oriental kitten of this age before. She looked to be of excellent quality, but unfortunately that is totally immaterial if she cannot be handled.

Oriental Bi-Colour Assessment Kitten
Merit : Samphier's APPLEJACK RHAPSODYINBLUE 48g 21weeks
Unfortunately I have mislaid my copy of the Merit and am therefore unable to provide a critique on this exhibit - fortunately the owner has the top copy! What I can say is that this wonderful kitten is a quite outstanding example of an Oriental, let alone a Bicolour! Her head & body type and coat length & texture are faultless. Then add her colour - bold patches of blue and cream with white - and you have possibly the most beautiful Oriental kitten I've seen for many years ……. definitely a sweet little lass to drool over! Excellent condition & temperament. My heartiest congratulations to her breeder and of course her doting owner …. though my offer of a good home is still there!!!!!

Havana Neuter 1 & PC Holdsworth's BILSTES CONKER 29 15month 3wk
A well grown male of overall very good type. Head of very good overall type. Ears of very good size and shape, perfectly set. Excellent lines to wedge. Very good profile. Excellent eye shape and set. Excellent body length, balanced legs and tail. Excellent firm well muscled feel. Very good coat length and texture. Excellent even colour, not quite sound to the roots, but within acceptable range. A very good natured chap shown in excellent condition, well deserving of the PC.

BoB : Dryden's GR CH & GR PR TRELGANDORF HASTY HARRY 2yr 5month
A very large strong cat with the required Oriental elegance. An excellent cat in all respects well deserving the BoB. Excellent condition and temperament.

Oriental Lilac Neuter
BoB : Phillip's GR CH & GR PR SEIDO SORTILEGE 7yr 4mnth
A grand old lady past the first flush of youth, but still a beauty. Head of overall pleasing shape and type. Body, though firm and nicely plump, now just lacking a little in elegance and refinement but at 7years old there are few Orientals that can still take a BoB! Well deserved and a pleasure to handle her again.

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