Supreme Cat Show facts for kids
The Supreme Cat Show is a big event for cat lovers! It's held every year by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF), which is the oldest group that registers cats in the world. For many years, the show took place in Birmingham, England, at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC). In 2022, it moved to the NAEC at Stoneleigh Park. This show is very special because it's the only place where cats can earn the important titles of UK Champion and Supreme Champion. The top cat at each show wins the "Best in Show" award.
Contents
History of the Show
The very first Supreme Cat Show happened in 1976. Before this, the GCCF didn't organize its own cat shows. Instead, it gave permission for other cat clubs to hold shows. The Supreme Cat Show was created to be a special event. Only cats that had already won a prize at another championship show could enter. It's a bit like how the famous dog show, Crufts, only allows winning dogs to compete. The Supreme Cat Show grew bigger and bigger each year. Eventually, it became large enough to be held at the NEC, which was its home for a long time.
How the Show Works
The GCCF's Supreme Show is different from most other cat shows. It has special classes that you won't find anywhere else.
There are four main classes for adult cats of each championship breed:
- Champion Male and Female classes: These are for cats that are already full Champions. The winners can earn Grand Challenge Certificates.
- Pre-Champion Male and Female classes: These are for cats that have won one or two certificates. They compete for Challenge Certificates.
The same types of classes exist for neutered cats, which are called Premier and Pre-Premier classes for males and females.
Cats that are already Grand Champions compete in even more advanced classes. These include classes for Imperial Grand Champions and UK Grand Champions. The winners in these top classes can earn a UK Grand Challenge Certificate. UK Grand Certificates are only given out at the Supreme Show. If a cat gets two of these certificates from different judges, it can earn the title of UK Grand Champion.
The cats that win "Best of Breed" at the Supreme Show don't get certificates. Instead, they compete against other "Best of Breed" winners in their group for "Best of Variety."
The seven "Best of Variety" adult cats (from groups like Persian, Semi-Longhair, British, Foreign, Burmese, Oriental, and Siamese) then compete for the title of Supreme Adult. The seven best kittens compete for Supreme Kitten, and the seven best neutered cats compete for Supreme Neuter. The Supreme Adult and Supreme Neuter can add the special word 'Supreme' to their titles.
Finally, the Supreme Adult, Supreme Kitten, and Supreme Neuter compete against each other. The winner is judged the Supreme Exhibit, which is the top award of the entire show!
Pet Cats Can Compete Too!
The Supreme Cat Show isn't just for purebred cats! Cats that aren't purebred (often called "moggies") and purebred pet cats can also enter. These are cats that might look like purebreds but have a mixed or unknown background.
These pet cats can also win titles, just like the purebred cats. However, their titles are called "Master Cat" titles instead of "Champion" or "Premier." They then compete to win the title of Supreme Non-Pedigree or Supreme Pedigree Pet Cat. There are also classes for kittens, where both non-pedigree and pedigree pet kittens compete for the title of Supreme Household Pet Kitten.
Supreme Best in Show Winners
Before 1992, there wasn't one overall "Best in Show" winner. The show was not held in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
| Year | Breed | Pedigree Name | Owner | Breeder | Section |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| 2024 | Abyssinian | Abydreames Dathuil | Michael & Lillian Eames | Michael & Lillian Eames | Section 4 (Foreign) |
| 2023 | Abyssinian | Abydreames Clara Bow | Nathan Gilbert | Michael & Lillian Eames | Section 4 (Foreign) |
| 2022 | RagaMuffin | Supreme UK Olympian Gold Imperial Grand Premier Cheham Chantilly Lace | Ellen Camilleri | Chris Powell & Alan Wells | Section 2 (Semi-longhair) |
| 2019 | Russian Blue | Olympian Silver, Imperial Grand Champion Melkelter Galiya Gertruda | Mr & Mrs P Phillips | Mr & Mrs P Phillips | Section 4 (Foreign) |
| 2018 | Red Silver Tabby & White Persian | UK Olympian Gold, Imperial Grand Champion & Grand Premier Riascatz Dandy Lion | Jade Gore | Marie Hill | Section 1 (Persian) |
| 2017 | Brown Tabby & White Persian | Imperial Grand Champion & Olympian Silver, Imperial Grand Premier Cullykhan Vivaldi | Carol Tonks | Angela Millican | Persian |
| 2016 | Blue Point Birman | Tweediemill Islay Mist | Mrs J Sharp | Mrs J Sharp | Semi-Longhair |
| 2015 | British Blue | Supreme UK Imperial Grand Premier Kolinga Emrys | Ms S Cresswell | Mr A & Mrs C Brown | British |
| 2014 | Lilac Tortie British Shorthair | Supreme Grand Premier Pinemarten Tina Sparkle | Mrs P Hopgood | Mr & Mrs Parry | British |
| 2013 | White Persian male | Supreme UK Olympian Bronze Imperial Grand Champion Gemkin Starwind | Mrs J L Nicholas | Mrs J L Nicholas | Persian |
| 2012 | White Persian male | Supreme UK Olympian Bronze Imperial Grand Champion Gemkin Starwind | Mrs J L Nicholas | Mrs J L Nicholas | Persian |
| 2011 | Black Smoke and White Cornish Rex | Champion Supreme UK & Imperial Grand Premier Crisan Camelott | Miss E M Hummerston | Mrs C A Thompson | Foreign |
| 2010 | Brown Classic Tabby Maine Coon | Supreme Champion Julescoon Dexter | Mr & Mrs Gregson | Mr & Mrs Gregson | Semi-Longhair |
| 2009 | Brown Burmese | Supreme UK Imperial Grand Champion Mainman Kisschase | Ms J Mooney & Miss S Reid | Ms J Mooney & Miss S Reid | Burmese |
| 2008 | Tortie Tabby Maine Coon | Supreme UK Imperial Grand Premier Dairymaine Sarnia Cherie | Miss S Rabey | Mrs J M Haynes | Semi-Longhair |
| 2007 | Cream Point Siamese | Supreme UK & Imperial Grand Premier Tianlex Full Monty | Dr J H Muir-Taylor | Mrs P Cook | Siamese |
| 2006 | Black Smoke Devon Rex | Supreme UK & Imperial Grand Champion Grizabella Ohbladi Ohblada | Mr & Mrs J A Boucher | Mrs I Challis | Foreign |
| 2005 | Red Tabby Maine Coon | Supreme UK & Imperial Grand Premier Dairymaine Chestaton | Mrs J M Haynes | Mrs J M Haynes | Semi-Longhair |
| 2004 | Orange-eyed White Persian | Grand Champion & Supreme UK Grand Premier Lindenlea Reachfor Thesky | Mrs J A Raffaelli | Miss G G Houston | Persian |
| 2003 | Red Tabby Manx male neuter | Grand Champion and Supreme Grand Premier Tattlebury Tudur | Mrs J Hellman | Mrs J Hellman | British |
| 2002 | Chinchilla female neuter | Supreme UK Grand Premier Yankidoodle Fairy Dust | Miss C E Wheeler | Mrs S L Signy | Persian |
| 2001 | Red Burmese male | Supreme UK Grand Champion Oakenshield Buster Bertie | Mrs N Bass | Mrs C E Kempe | Burmese |
| 2000 | Chocolate Tabby Colourpoint male | Grand Champion Amoramist Who's Gorgeous | Mrs M Holden-Ritchie | Mrs M Holden-Ritchie | Persian |
| 1999 | Chocolate Silver Shaded Oriental Shorthair male neuter | Grand Champion and Supreme Grand Premier Chelanca Lord Gyllene | Mrs C Wooler | Mrs B Fellows | Oriental |
| 1998 | Chocolate Burmese female | Grand Champion Hypnos Pearly Pandora | Ms S L Hope | Mrs S L Hope | Burmese |
| 1997 | Oriental Shorthair Red male | Champion and Grand Premier Meshuga Firestarter | Ms C J Hamilton & Mr D Cooke | Ms C J Hamilton & Mr D Cooke | Oriental |
| 1996 | Auburn Turkish Van male neuter | Supreme UK Grand Premier Akdamar Bazisey Mahsus | Mrs J Johnson | Mrs J Johnson | Semi-Longhair |
| 1995 | Auburn Turkish Van male neuter | Supreme UK Grand Premier Akdamar Bazisey Mahsus | Mrs J Johnson | Mrs J Johnson | Semi-Longhair |
| 1994 | Havana male | Supreme Grand Champion and Grand Premier Rimana Sangria | Mrs C Wooller | Mr M J & Mrs M Ward | Oriental |
| 1993 | Blue Persian male neuter | Champion and Supreme Grand Premier Firanti Blue Fiori | Miss A Bowman | Mrs D Cooke | Persian |
| 1992 | Auburn Turkish Van male | Premier Akdamar Toru | Mrs L M Keeler | Mrs J Johnson | Semi-Longhair |
Other Fun Activities
Besides the cat competition, there are many other things to see and do at the Supreme Cat Show!
- Kids' Activities: There are often special activities for children, like judging soft toy cats.
- Shopping Stalls: You can find lots of stalls selling all sorts of cat-related items. This includes cat food, toys, accessories, books, and magazines.
- Information Booths: Different cat organizations, like the Feline Advisory Bureau and Cats Protection, usually have booths. Here, you can learn more about cat health and welfare.
- Club Row: A big part of the show hall is called Club Row. Here, various cat clubs linked to the GCCF have their own stalls. Visitors can meet different breeds of cats and get information about them.
