Junior Showmanship

Junior Showmanship Program

Juniors are important to the sport of pedigreed cats. Juniors who learn about good sportsmanship, cat care, breed standards, presentation and cat shows will be valuable to the sport in the future. The purpose of Junior Showmanship competition is twofold:

1. To introduce and encourage Juniors to participate in the sport of pedigreed cats, providing them with a meaningful competition in which they can learn, practice, and improve in all areas of handling skills and sportsmanship; and,
2. To educate them in the care of cats including feeding, vaccinations, habitat, and to educate them about breeds and their standards.

Junior Showmanship classes are held so that young people can: Experience winning and losing among those who are similar in age; learn the correct way to present and handle the breed they own; practice presentation skills in competition; improve their knowledge about their breed and others; prepare to show in regular classes in the future.

Junior Showmanship classes are judged on the ability of the Junior to handle his/her cat and the knowledge of his/her breed. The quality of the cat is not judged. Juniors will be asked to demonstrate: Presenting their cat to the judge in a manner that emphasizes its best attributes; answering basic questions on the breed standard; answering two or three questions on general care of cats.

The cat must be appropriate for the abilities of the Junior. A very small child should not attempt to present a large Maine Coon cat, for instance. The Junior should be able to handle all phases of the care and grooming of his/her cat. The judge will mark down if he/she feels that the Juniors were not responsible for the total care of the cat they are presenting. Cats should be groomed as they would be for the regular ring. Judges will not evaluate the quality of grooming of the cat, but the effort made by the Junior to prepare their cat for the ring.

Juniors will be judged on their ability to present their cats in the same way the cat would be properly presented by the judge in the regular ring. Juniors will also be judged on their ability to make their individual cat look its best. During all parts of the competition Juniors should handle their cats in a quiet, smooth manner. The Junior should strive to make the cat stand out as the most important part of a team effort. Juniors should concentrate on the cat and not on the judge, but always be aware of what is going on in the ring.

There are many ways that Juniors can advance their knowledge about Junior Showmanship outside the ring. Obtain a copy of the breed standard for your breed and learn it thoroughly. Seek the advice of breeders of your breed to learn about presentation, grooming and general cat care. Read books on cat care, and on other breeds, and obtain videocassettes and pamphlets from CFA on breeds and the care of cats. Observe the regular rings, and ask questions on presentation when the judge is free. All of these will enhance the performance of the Junior in the Junior Showmanship competition, and help him/her to enjoy the experience of the sport of pedigreed cats.

While the judge must consider all areas important in evaluation of the overall capabilities of Juniors, it is doubly important that the Junior present the cat in the proper manner for the breed being shown and that the Judge is cognizant of the proper presentation for that breed. It is imperative, therefore, that the judge should have prior knowledge of the breeds to be presented in Junior Showmanship classes so that they familiarize themselves with the proper ways of handling those breeds. If the Show Secretary does not supply a list then the Judge should request such a list well in advance of the show date. In the individual presentation of the cat the Junior should demonstrate the ability to show the cat to its best advantage in pose. The Junior's attention should remain focused on the cat, and not on the judge, although the Junior should be able to take direction from the judge if called for. Also, the Judge must observe the relationship between the cat and Junior, to gain insight into how well the cat is being presented.

• Is the cat responsive to the handler?
• Does the cat appear posed or interested at all times?
• Is the cat under control?
• Are the cat's main faults being minimized?
• Are the cat's attributes being maximized?
• Do both cat and handler appear relaxed?

For more complete guidelines to participating in the Junior Showmanship Program, please download and print Junior Showmanship - Guidelines and Regulations (a PDF file that requires Acrobat Reader). If you are unable to do that, please email your name and mailing address and we will mail you a printed copy of our Junior Showmanship - Guidelines and Regulations.

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