CFA Ring Clerks
October 16, 2025
The Art of Being On Task
Karen Thomas (and CFA Clerking Chair Bethany Colilla)
If you are new to CFA cat shows, you have likely noticed the people sitting at tables adjacent to the judging stands. These are the ring clerks, who are responsible for recording in the ring’s catalog which ribbons/rosettes the judge hangs on each entry’s cage. The clerk then checks the judge’s written record of those awards against what the clerk has marked in the catalog. There are many more duties beyond that, but it is this system of checks and balances that ultimately leads to the correct scoring of awards and points earned at a given show.
Becoming a licensed CFA ring clerk requires a number of steps, and these requirements will vary depending on your region of residence. First, the aspiring clerk must attend a certified clerking school, then do four assistant ring clerk assignments with at least three different licensed clerks. Next come at least six solo clerking assignments under at least five different judges, with evaluation by each of those judges. The last two of these assignments must also be evaluated by the master clerk for that show. After completing the assignments with passing evaluations, paying the required fee and taking the clerking test, the applicant will be a licensed ring clerk. Each licensed clerk must take a clerking test every two years and pay the clerking fee every year.
The primary job of a ring clerk is to make the judge’s job easier, beginning with having cats waiting to be handled when the judge is ready to evaluate a class or breed. This is the reason clerks call, cajole, order, beg, and sometimes even fetch exhibitors to ensure all cats make it to the ring in a timely manner. It is important that exhibitors pay attention to the judging schedule (and any announced changes). Cats are always judged in alphabetical order by breed, so if you are showing a British Shorthair and you hear Bengals called, it’s time to get ready. If you are showing an Abyssinian kitten and kittens are the next group up in a ring, you know yours will be called soon.
CFA show rules require that two male cats may not be put in adjacent ring cages, except in kitten class. Clerks must also try to keep breeds and color classes in order yet still close together, so the judge does not have to evaluate two brown tabby-and-white Maine Coon Cats at opposite ends of the ring. Clerks also try to accommodate requests from exhibitors, ranging from “please allow space on either side of my cat” to “please place my cat right behind the judge … or at the end of the ring … or not in a corner … or not next to this cat” to even “tell the judge to use a toy to get my cat out of the cage.” Proper placement of cats in the ring can be challenging, especially with a large class or when there are lots of males. It is best for exhibitors to let the clerk know before their number is posted whether the cat will be absent from the ring or if there is a special placement request. Providing this information on a written note is ideal, since clerks are often handling two or three things at once and might not have time to write down a verbal request at that moment. If at a two-day show, exhibitors who leave a show on Saturday night or before the end of the show on Sunday should notify management and the ring clerks their entry will be absent. Running a judging ring is often like a game of chess when constantly thinking and planning ahead. The more organized and prepared the clerk, the more smoothly the ring will run.
Another aspect of the clerk’s job is overseeing the steward who is responsible for cleaning cages in preparation for the next class. If an exhibitor starts to put a cat in the ring cage and finds it is not adequately cleaned or dry, it is important to let the clerk know to better supervise the steward. Judges use an astonishing amount of paper towels because they disinfect and wipe down the show bench after every cat, and the clerk also monitors this supply to be sure there are plenty to finish the judging schedule. In addition to paper-towel watch, the clerk keeps an eye on the spray bottles used by the judge and steward, making sure they never run out of disinfectant. The clerk often checks to be sure the judge and steward also have beverages – Sound like a lot of work? It is! The clerk truly is the caretaker of the ring.
Preparing for the start of a show, clerks arrange the cage cards according to catalog order, and turn the cards pink side up (for females) or blue side up (for males). Cards are then separated into four categories: kitten, championship, premiership, and household pets; then they are divided again by longhair and shorthair classes. Once absentees are called and marked in the ring catalog, the clerk removes cards of absent entries and puts any transferred cats’ cards in the appropriate stack. Changes often continue to come in before the show starts and even after it has begun. It is helpful for clerks to have the CFA show rules with them as a reference, because some exhibitors will have questions about the correct class number for a color/pattern transfer and clerks can assist by finding that information.
As judging begins, the clerk is responsible for correctly writing down the awards the judge hangs on the cages in the catalog the judge will take home. The clerk should never influence the judges’ decisions in any way: It is the clerk’s job to catch any mechanical errors and inform the judge, as mistakes can happen. A judge might accidentally hang a best champion ribbon on a grand champion, or perhaps not notice there are three cats in a color class and hang the color ribbons before handling the third cat. Exhibitors often notice an error before the clerk has a chance to inform the judge, but most of the time the clerk will catch such errors.
The clerk must also review the judge’s paperwork, comparing it to the awards they have marked in the catalog. After review and any needed corrections are made, the clerk initials the judge’s sheets and takes them to the master clerk for further review. The master clerk may find errors the ring clerk missed and return the sheets for correction. Clerks are not permitted to write on the judge’s pages except for initialing them at the bottom, and know to wait for a convenient time to interrupt the judge for corrections to be made without disturbing the flow or their thought process.
Preparing for the finals (most often the top ten cats in any of the four categories) is the next important item of business. While the judge is deciding which cats to bring back for a final, the clerk can take any remaining judge’s sheets to the master clerk. This is also a good time to gather any ribbons left on cages, place the rosettes for the final at the judge’s convenience, and make sure all the cages are clean and ready for use. The clerk can then coordinate with other rings to determine whether it’s appropriate to proceed with the final. If the judge’s ring is scheduled to do an allbreed kitten final, but both the shorthair and longhair kittens are being judged in other rings, the clerk might want to change the schedule by skipping the final and moving on, then coming back to it later. The clerk needs the permission of the show manager when making a schedule change to avoid conflict. Sometimes a judge has an early flight, and that must be considered as well. One of the most important roles of a ring clerk is as a time manager. The clerk helps the judge reach a good stopping point when show management asks for a hard stop when a costume contest or other audience interest is scheduled, or by encouraging a judge to work a bit faster or slower as the end of the day approaches.
When the judge gives the clerk the list of numbers for the final, the clerk must check it for mechanical errors and verify all information. For example, making sure all numbers listed for champion/premier awards were recorded as best champion/premier of breed, as well as if a second best of breed cat (or lower) is listed, the cats that were above it in class judging are also on the list. For example, if the best champion is in the top ten but the best of breed in the class was a grand champion, the grand champion must be above the champion in the final. The clerk will also count how many males are in the final to determine whether a final can be done in one part or more if required. Clerks should call the numbers for a final in numerical order, but exhibitors must listen carefully as numbers are sometimes called out of order to allow for male spacing.
Note to exhibitors: If you are not sure all finals are done before leaving for the day, check with each ring before walking out the door. When judging runs late and you must leave to catch a flight or for some other reason, please let clerks and/or another exhibitor know. It delays a final when clerks must call repeatedly for a cat that has already left – Never assume your cat did not make a final even if it was not best or second best of breed or breed champion. Judges have sometimes used three or more of the same breed in a final. Also, your cat may be the 11th best cat for a judge, and if another’s cat has left, yours could be called up. As the judge hangs the awards, the clerk will record them in the catalog and also on a preliminary final sheet for the master clerk to review.
Most shows offer a different judge in each ring each day. For a two-day show, at the end of the day on Saturday, a clerk must make sure the judge is checked out by the master clerk and the judge’s catalog is signed and given to the judge before the judge can leave. The clerk will then tidy the area and reorganize the cards to be ready for the show on Sunday. At the end of the show on Sunday, the clerk will add the cards that were pulled for absentees back into the full pack of cards and make sure all are there and ready for the next show. It is always polite for the clerks to put them back in numerical order, by color, and facing forward for the next clerk who uses them.
Clerks get paid for their time and effort, but the amount varies from club to club. There is a clerking contract available which is seldom used. The main reward for clerking is the satisfaction of knowing you have helped make a show run smoothly and hopefully had fun while doing so. Their talents are needed and much appreciated!