Goodness, where to start...
Pearl and I were showing at the Ely & District CP pet cat show - a household pet show to raise much-needed funds. It's the branch's main fundraising event and attracts the best household pets in the area. As both Pearl and Toby were homed from Ely CP, I always support the event by entering Pearl in the show.
There was an entry of 39 cats (two absent), which included a Supreme group winner, several Supreme class winners, National class winners and winners of GCCF championship shows. The standard of the entry is extremely high for such a small show.
Madam Pearl's open class was Shorthaired Non-Pedigree Female. It was the biggest open class in the show with fourteen cats entered, all of them present. For judging purposes, the class was split into three sections according to age; 3 and under, 4 to 9 and 9 and over.
Pearl put on a lovely performance for her open class judge (by being nosey) and won her section, beating in the process Cleo, a lovely tortie who she's never beaten at a show before - that in itself was a brilliant achievement.
Then, Pearl went one better, beating the other two section winners (another lovely 10 month old blue girl and a stunning veteran blue-cream and white) to win the open class overall and therefore get the BIS nominaiton as the best shorthaired female.
She did brilliantly in her side classes too, with two firsts (cat shown before but not won BIS & cat shown in best condition), a second and a third. She also won an award for the best local cat.
I had brilliant fun during the day as I helped out by putting all the rosettes on the pens (by which I mean ALL the rosettes in ALL the classes for ALL the cats) which is a brilliant way to see the gorgeous cats in the show.
Unfortunately I now have no feeling in my feet...
Anyway, Pearl had her chance to go across the table for the BIS judging against the three other non-ped group / open class winners; a tortie longhair girl, a longhair ginger kitten and a tabby & white shorthaired boy. All the cats did really well going across the table and it was a very tough line-up from which to choose the non-ped BIS.
I wouldn't have wanted to have been those three judges...
But when the judges did choose their BIS...
They chose Pearl!!!
I was absolutely gobsmacked to say the least. Well, to be totally honest, I was in tears. To see my special little girl do so well in such a tough show and take her place in the posh pen at the front of the hall was just utterly overwhelming. It is her FIRST EVER best in show and to do it at her local show (I live 5 mins away from the show hall) is very special indeed. She is my little star
and i love her to bits.
She won a beautiful rosette, two lovely trophies along with some toys and other goodies - they're sat here on the table and even though they're infront of me, I still can't quite believe it. I fully expect to wake up and think that it was nothing but a dream - think this one is going to take quite a while to sink in, even more so than the TICA show.
To be able to share the win with some great friends I've made in the cat fancy was even better; Linda who fostered Pearl when she was rescued and who encouraged me to show, Philippa, Ruth (who came down all the way from Leeds), Steve, Jenny, Rod and all the rest of the folks from Ely CP. It's absolutely amazing!
Oh yes, and then I umm, added to a good day by winning the photo show - not with Pearl this time, but with a photo of Philippa's black & white boy, Kinky.
Philippa let me have the rosette, but in turn I owe Kinky a box of his favourite treats.
Sounds fair to me!
I certainly won't be forgetting this day in a hurry...
Have attached a pic or two of Madam Pearl in her posh BIS pen.
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