A Unique Show

Each year the GCCF licenses around 135 Championship, Sanction and Exemption Shows - plus the Supreme Show.

The Supreme Show is unique:

it is run by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy itself
(all other Championship and Sanction Shows, large or small, are run by Affiliated Clubs)
to be eligible for the "Supreme" each cat must qualify at an ordinary GCCF Championship show
there are classes unique to the "Supreme"
there are titles which can only be won there

The show caters for all breeds of cat which are recognised by GCCF and there is a special section for Non-Pedigree cats.

There is also a competition for the best Decorated Pen.

Classes

At the Supreme Show each cat can only enter one class, but these are classes which are not held at any other GCCF Shows.

They are the start of a "knock-out" competition to select the Supreme Exhibit.

Kittens compete against other kittens of their breed and sex
Neuters
Grand Premiers, Imperial Grand Premiers and UK Grand Premiers compete in the Grand Premier class
for UK Grand Premier Certificates unique to the "Supreme"
Premiers compete in the Premier class for their breed and sex,
for Grand Premier Certificates
other qualified neuters compete in the Pre-Premier class for their breed and sex
for Premier Certificates

Neuters of Provisional status breeds compete against other neuters of their breed and sex
for Intermediate Certificates
Best of Breed
Judges then select the Best Adult, Kitten and Neuter of each breed.
BOB winners get rosettes but no certificates
Best of Variety
Best of Breed winners compete for Best of Variety Adult, Kitten & Neuter in each section:
Persian, Semi-Longhair, British, Foreign, Burmese, Oriental, Siamese/Balinese
the winners get Supreme Best of Variety Certificates.

Supreme Winners
The seven Best of Variety Adults compete for Supreme Adult
The seven Best of Variety Kittens compete for Supreme Kitten
The seven Best of Variety Neuters compete for Supreme Neuter.
and "Supreme" Certificates and trophies
Finally, the Supreme Adult, Supreme Kitten and Supreme Neuter are judged against each other for Supreme Exhibit.
There is no extra title - just the honour, a very large rosette, a silver trophy to hold for a year and the privilege of being the cover cat for the next year's catalogue.

Titles

The Certificates awarded at the Supreme Show, like those won at other shows, count towards the titles of Champion or Grand Champion, Premier or Grand Premier.
Best of Variety Certificates also count towards these titles, their "value" depending on what certificates the cat has already won.
There are also further titles which can only be won at the Supreme Show:
UK Grand Certificates are unique to the Supreme Show and two from different judges will make the cat a UK Grand Champion or UK Grand Premier.
Even a UK Grand Champion starts afresh when he is neutered, hoping eventually to gain the coveted double title of UK Grand Champion & UK Grand Premier. There are several cats with this double title, but now there are new titles to aim for - UK & Imperial Grand Champion and UK & Imperial Grand Premier.
Being judged Supreme Adult or Supreme Neuter gives a cat the title of "Supreme" in addition to any other title he or she may hold.
The value of the Supreme Certificate depends on the Certificates the cat has already won.

New Breeds

In the past, cats of Provisional status breeds competed in their own "knock-out" competition to select the Best of Provisional Breeds Adult, Kitten and Neuter, and finally the Supreme Provisional Breed Exhibit.
In 2003, for the first time, they competed against the other breeds in their section for Best of Variety.
Breeds with Preliminary status, the first stage of recognition, are judged in Assessment classes, with Merit Certificates on offer. These cats, however, do not progress any further in the show as they are judged against their standard of points and not against each other.

Non-Pedigree Cats

Household Pets, which are defined as unregistered cats with one or both parents unregistered, have their own section at the Supreme Show. The class winners are judged for Best of Group, the Best of Group winners compete for Best Non-Pedigree Longhair and Best Non-Pedigree Shorthair and finally these two compete for Supreme Non-Pedigree Exhibit.
In previous years, non-pedigree exhibits could also compete for the Whiskas Household Cat of the Year, but this competition finished in 2002.

Decorated Pen Competition

At ordinary GCCF shows the cats spend their day in plain pens with white accessories, with only their pen number to distinguish them, and the judges go from pen to pen to judge the cats.
At the Supreme Show the cats are taken to special judging rings, where they are placed in plain pens, to be judged. They spend the rest of the day in large pens which the owners can decorate as they wish.
Some are decorated to set off the occupant to perfection, others to reflect the cat's name or its breed - or even its favourite occupation. They vary from the simplicity of pure black satin, with black accessories, to set off a Red Persian, to the most intricate street scene complete with working street lamps!
Some exhibits recline at ease in their splendour, others delight in demolishing their owners' hard work almost as soon as it is completed.
These decorated pens are judged by a special panel of judges. Since 1997 the competition has had a new theme each year: we had a "21st Birthday" theme for the 21st Show, the 1998 theme was "Nursery Rhymes", for the 1999 show it was "Highlights of the 20th Century", the 2000 theme was "Millennium Predictions", in 2001 it was "2001 - A Space Odyssey", in 2002 - "Myths & Legends", in 2003 - "Film", in 2004 - "Music" and in 2005 "Transport - Ancient to Modern"The 2006 theme was "30 Years of Progress ?"
The 2007 theme will be "Cartoon Cats"