Showing with GCCF

The Selkirk Rex has been at Championship status with the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) since June 2009 and the breed is currently enjoying tremendous success both in the Pedigree section and also in the newly created Pedigree Pet section where Pedigree cats can be shown and judged on temperament, grooming, condition and purrsonality.  It is a section where the Selkirk Rex variant in particular has shone with many BIS wins and last year a Selkirk variant Slinky Malinki was Supreme Household Pet Exhibit 2010.

A list of GCCF shows can be found here http://www.gccfcats.org/showsnew.html

At GCCF shows the cats are judged from their individual pens with judges taking them out to assess them on a trolley and often with a Selkirk from their steward's arms as they cuddle away.  This suits cats who like the security of their own space.  Exhibitors have to leave the show hall while judging is on - during 10am to 12.30/1pm - and all the cats must have white litter trays, blankets and food/water bowls so as to retain anonymity during the judging process.

Cats are judged in their open classes and then against the opposite sex for the Best of Breed or Best of Group (in Pedigree Pets) awards and also can enter as many miscellaneous classes as the owner wishes.  The Selkirk is in the British section and for Imperial and miscellaneous classes they are up against British Shorthairs as well as other Selkirk Rex.  In the Pedigree Pet section the cats are judged in colour groups with all colours entering the same Imperial, Grand and Miscellaneous classes.

Cats compete in the kitten classes until they are 9 months at which point they move to the revelant adult or neuter class.  Household and Pedigree Pets MUST be neutered at 6 months to continue showing in the section.

The title structure is as follows:

Cats start in the Open class:

3 Challenge Certificates (adults)/Premier Certificates (neuters)/Mastercat Certificates (pets) awarded by 3 different judges gives the title of Champion, Premier or Mastercat

Cats can then compete in the Grand class:

3 Grand Challenge Certificates (adults)/ Grand Premier Certificates (neuters)/Grand Mastercat Certificates (pets) awarded by 3 different judges gives the title of Grand Champion, Grand Premier or Grand Mastercat

Once a Grand the cats can then compete in the Imperial Class:

5 Imperial Grand Challenge Certificates (adults)/ Imperial Grand Premier Certificates (neuters)/Imperial Grand Mastercat Certificates (pets) awarded by 5 different judges gives the title of Imperial Grand Champion, Imperial Grand Premier or Imperial Grand Mastercat

Once a cat is Imperial titled that is the highest class it can go for at normal championship and breed shows.  However an adult can be neutered and work up the title ladder as a neuter and both adults and neuters can be shown as pedigree pets BUT once the move is made to the pedigree pet section, the cat should not then be shown in the pedigree section again.

The Supreme Show held once a year at the NEC Birmingham in November offers unique titles of its own.  Cats in all 3 sections who have attained Grand and Imperial status can compete in the UK Grand classes. 2 UK Grand certificates from 2 judges gives the cat the title of UK Grand.

In addition to this the adults and neuters who are crowned Supreme Adult and Neuter and the Household pets who are awarded Supreme Non Pedigree and Supreme Pedigree Pet are allowed to add the word Supreme to the start of their title.

You may therefore see a cat with the title

Supreme UK & Imperial Grand Champion for example and this would show that adult cat had attained all the adult titles it could achieve with the GCCF.

**IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT SHOWING WITH THE GCCF OR ARE A FIRST TIME EXHIBITOR WHO WOULD LIKE TO BE PUT IN TOUCH WITH A MENTOR FOR YOUR FIRST SHOW PLEASE EMAIL sarah@selkirkrexshowing.co.uk**