SHOW SCENES

The Franciscan Silver and Golden Fancier's Cat Shows 2005, 2007 and 2009

Winners of the 2005 Franciscan Silver and Golden Show. Best Cat in Championship: GC Dalee Special Edition of Wyndcreste; Best Kitten: GC Ultamint Imagine; Best Cat in Premiership GP Kittikamir Redeemer, illustrated by Diana Bowles.

The Cat Fanciers Association licenses shows all over the US as well as Europe and Japan. You can find the CFA Show Calendar to find an upcoming Cat Show near you here: CFA Show Schedule. CFA's Northwest Regions Show Schedule can be found here: CFA N.W. Region Show Schedule.

Reputable and responsible breeders and ehibitors show their cats regularly or as often as they can. Showing and breeding is a fun and rewarding hobby. Yes, it is very expensive hobby, but it is highly rewarding to see one's cats and kittens recognized and awarded for their beauty, personality and healthy condition, by not only the Judges, but the lucky new Moms and Dads adopting and welcoming a new purebred kitten or a cat into their lives.

CFA Judge Jean Grimm awarding rosettes to Pam hill, Mix mcGraw and Ardell Sims, FSGF 2004 Show.

Cats are shown in three classes: Kitten (four months to eight months of age); Championship (eight months and older); Premiership (spayed and neutered cats eight months and older. Recently the non-competitive Veteran's Class (cats eight years of age or older) has been added to showcase the beauty and health of our older cats. Also Junior Showmanship competitions and Cat Agility competitions have been added to the activities of some shows. Please visit the CFA Show Schedule for more detailed information.

CFA Judge Donna Fuller awarding rosettes to Pam hill and Sally Daniels, FSGF 2004 Show.

CFA Cat Shows are fun venue for the whole family. One can see many of the recognized breeds of cats competing for ranking, placement and titles. Exhibitors make sure their entries are in the best health and condition and groomed to perfection before they enter a show and present their special Show Cat for judging in the rings. Many exhibitors travel around the country showing their most special Show Cat and compete for National and Regional Titles. Click here to view the 2006 Top Ten Silver and Golden Persians in Championship, Premiership and Kittens for the 2005/2006 show season.
2005 Top Ten

GC Shadedknoll Jingle Belle Best Silver Kitten in Show 2004 Franciscan Silver and Golden Fanciers' Show.

The Franciscan Silver and Golden Fanciers organized and sponsored two shows so far: one in April of 2004 and the second in April 2005. Our next show will be held March 10 and 11, 2007. Please click here for the 2005 Show Report. A huge thank you to all that entered our show! We look forward to seeing everyone in 2007 for another fun show.

Karol Cummins holding GP Wyndcreste Flaubert and CH Wyndcreste Chutes and Ladders 2004 Franciscan Silver and Golden Fanciers' Show.

Another fabulous Silver Persian and Exotic Specialty Show is sponsored by The Dixieland Silver and Golden Fanciers held annually every second weekend in December, in Charlotte, North Carolina. This show is attended by many Silver and Golden exhibitors from around the world. This year we enjoyed entrants and visitors from coast to coast as well as from the Netherlands, France, Spain and Germany. Please click here for the 2005 Dixieland Show Report. We welcome everyone's entry and participation in our two exciting Silver and Golden and Silver Exotic Specialty Shows next year! Please save the dates and make plans to attend! Indeed, it is an awesome sight to see the judging cages fill and refill with many beautiful Silver and Golden Persian and Exotics, and watch the perplexed expressions on the faces of the judges, viewing so many beautiful Silver and Goldens.

Kathy Zennaiter and GC Silverestate Last Event 2004 Franciscan Silver and Golden Fanciers' Show.

The CFA International Show. is another very exciting show, which attracts entrants and visitors from around the world. It is held every third weekend in November in San Mateo, California. Click here for my 2005 CFA International Show Report.

Most of the other color Persians have a very extreme flat face, giving some an almost angry or sleepy expression, whereas most colorbred or traditional Silver and Golden Persians sport a more moderate, more refined, open and sweet expression, yet which still meets the current written standard.

Gail Persinger and GC Kittikamir American Idol 2004 Franciscan Silver and Golden Fanciers' Show.

The standard merely specifies the nose be short, snub, and broad, with "break" centered between the eyes. It does not specify that the break be deep or shallow nor does the CFA Breed Standard specify that the nose be placed between the eyes. Only the standard for the Peke-faced Red does and they are extinct. The Peke-face Red Persian Standard states: "The nose should be short, depressed and indented between the eyes," that said, this CFA Standard was dropped in or around 2004. Further, colorbred Silver and Golden kittens very rarely, if ever, have malformed skulls, sinuses, malformed bites and crooked jaws commonly found in other color Persians. If one does, one can find an "other color" persian far back in the pedigree.

Susan LaFlash and GC Echo Hill Nigel of Silvr Shadoz 2004 Franciscan Silver and Golden Fanciers' Show.

In the show ring some Judges look only for the extreme head/face, putting pressure on Silver and Golden Persian breeders to conform, but is a quick win in the show ring a good reason to compromise the health and well being of our gorgeous colorbred Silver and Golden Persians? A judicious outcross to another color persian is beneficial to widen the gene pool improving coat quality and boning, but there is a price to pay in terms of loss of coat and eye color, not to mention the influx of the undesirable traits mentioned above and noted by breeders experienced with hybridzation. As there is a lot of out crossing to other color Persians being done today in many Silver and Golden breeding programs, we are seeing a number of issues and odd color kittens crop up, many, many, many generations from the original outcross.

Mix McGraw and 2M Bernicia and 2M Athena 2004 Franciscan Silver and Golden Fanciers' Show.

A well known and experienced "extreme" Silver and Golden Breeder recently made the following remark on a Silver and Golden chat list: "I often wonder about how today's Persians [are] supposed to have "improved" over the Persians of 30 years ago. The Persian standard is obviously interpreted differently now than it used to be and we breeders have to conform to the standard if we want to show our cats competitively... I certainly would love to go back to the days when I never had to wipe my Persians' eyes! I love the sweet faces of my cats but that is not to say I don't love the look of the Persians of yesteryear. Like you, I find many things disturbing about the way we are breeding so many problems into our cats so they can win in beauty contests."

Ardell Sims and Dazzle M Jazabel and Dazzle M Sgt. Pepper 2004 Franciscan Silver and Golden Fanciers' Show.

Most Silver and Golden Breeders fell in love with Silvers and Goldens because of their unique and ethereal expression and work hard to preserve their more moderate but exquisite look. They proudly present their best cats and kittens in the show ring as they do indeed reflect the standard as it is currently written. On the other hand, many of the newbies begining to breed and show in the Silver and Golden Divison favor the more extreme look, but they have not had the experience to know the difference between today and yesteryear. They do not remember the days in the past, when in any given litter the only major "fault" was a long nose--who ever said a "long" nose on a Silver isn't gorgeous--look at GC Gray-Ivy Aladdin! That said, there are several very beautiful "extreme" persians being shown today.

Colorbred or more "Traditional" Silvers become more and more beautiful and gain type with age. One can often see six to twelve year old silvers competing in the show ring and they look absolutely gorgeous. It has been said by the same well experienced "extreme" silver breeder, that the more extreme silvers tend to gain a closed in expression as they age, especially if their eyes could have been wider set in the first place. Extreme Silvers while darling as kittens or young adults, tend to lose that ethereal look silvers and goldens are prized for as they mature and become more coarse in expression as opposed to refined. In the mean time, the debate continues about "Traditional" vs. "Extreme" Silvers and Golden Persians. There are strong feelings on both sides of the fence, but as responsible breeders we must place the health and well being of our kittens above all considerations including the show ring.

Sally Daniels and Diana Frailey in Judge John Webster's Final

Sanmar Rosebud held by Shirley Crawford in Judge Vicki Nye's Final

Karol Cummins and Shirley Crawford relaxing between rings

Anita Kimberlin and Ultamint Imagine in JudgeVicki Nye's Final

Vicki Blandford, Gail Persinger and Teresa Bailey in front of Bistro Jeanty in Yountville, CA

Sally Daniels presenting Diana and Gail with the Best Decorated Cage Rosettes.