Spotlight Awards 2018

And our spotlight goes on.....

.... exibitor of the year CFA show season 2017/2018 - Krista Jannarie from Finland

Krista came into the CFA family in 2014, but she can look back on a long history in the cat fancy. Originally she started in FiFe1984 with her first Persian cat, followed by Korat in 1987 and Siamese in 1994. Krista is our sunshine at the shows. She always has fun and good mood, never a complain, always willing to help. When I personally recall the lst show season I can not count how many times I called her and said can you please take a picture of me and my cat......

Krista deserves this award more than anybody else. And we are happy to have her in our region.

Please read the following story, told by herself, about her start in CFA;

At the end of 2014, with the assistance of Pauli, flew to Finland Siamese females CFA GC Alexy Bluebell of Deraza, aka“Kukka”, and CFA GC, RW Alexy De Lilac, aka “Nuppu”. These females form the base of my Siamese breeding, along with Eija Siik's magnificent US import male CH Pharoahsgems Sinuhe of Kelmikerho, already earlier brought to Finland. Currently, in both breeding and shows, is already the third generation of CFA-purebred Siamese grown in Finland. Besides my own breeding, they are bred at Kelmikerho-cattery.

I find it wonderful to go to shows, and I travel around Europe on show trips as often as my health, time, and monetary situation allows. We have a wonderful group of people running the local society Cat Fanciers of Finland, and I'm glad to be a part of it. Without all my cat enthusiast friends I couldn't have made all those fun trips, as I am a pretty timid driver, and would rather not sit behind the wheel abroad. CFA-shows have given me a lot. Friends, great moments, joy of success, lots of fun memories, and learning new things. You can't always win, but it's also part of this hobby, and doesn't “slow the pace”.

.... clerk of the year CFA show season 2017/2018 - Alice Maria Rossol from Germany

With Alice as our clerk of the year once again we have a, let me call it, a brand new CFA member in the spotlight position. I'm so glad that we got some " new blood " in region 9. She was from the very first moment highly interested in almost everything and learning very fast!

Let me tell you a secret; when she was announced at the regional awards banquet as our clerk of the year, she hasn't expected this and we had a hard time to find her, because she left the ball room. I was told a ladies thing....but finally we found her. Definatly a sighn that we surprised her.

Please read the following story, told by herself, about her start in CFA;

The 1st CFA show I attended with my „Suukhii“  was in March 2015 in Niedernhausen with the Cat Friends of Germany. Next to my cage was a nice couple, that seemd to be very experienced in the CFA showing system that for me was kind of „book with 7 seals“. I asked them so many (stupid) questions and the nice gentleman was extremely patient and friendly and encouraged me to show my Somalis as well – it was CFA judge and our new Regional Direktor Michael Schleissner who was this nice fellow exhibitor.

So in october 2015 I visited my 2nd CFA show – again in Niedernhausen and I showed my Somali neuter Almaros Benito....

Benito finished the 2015/2016 show season as my 1st Grand and even Regional Winner! And the CFA virus caught me! I started showing kittens from my 1st Abyssinian litter and they did pretty well against very strong competition....

The next Grand was my red Aby boy Almaros Ringo Star, this season we reached National Award of 2nd Best of Breed and Regional Winner as 6th Best Cat in Region 9 as well as his son, Almaros Xtreme Sauvage Xemail, who became 6th Best Kitten in Region 9, Best Abyssinian Kitten and 3rd Best Abyssinian Kitten National!

I attended the Annual in Chicago 2017 and was deeply impressed – and overwhelmed by the honor of being co-owner of National Winner and Breed Winner PtiPrince Rudolph Nurejew of Almaros, I took part as Delegate for Rolandus Cat Club and Cats N Cats at the Annual in Atlanta this year. As a member I am supporting the European CFA Clubs of Cats Friend of Germany and the UK Cat Fanciers. As Secretary of „my“ club, the Cat Friends of Germany, I just want to do a good job.

Besides showing I got interested in the Show System itself. Teo Vargas encouraged me in doing so and supported me by helping to get all the necassary informations:so in November 2016 I did my 1st Assistance with Chief Ring Clerk Frank Düker and CFA judge Barbara Jaeger, my 1st Solo as Chief Ring Clerk I had in Belgium with Yanina Lukashova-Vanwonterghem in February 2017 –  Since June 2017 I am registered CFA Chief Ring Clerk. I had the pleasure to work with a big number of CFA and Guest judges in almost all European countries: in Kiew and Odessa - Ukraine, Helsinki - Finnland, Madrid and Barcelona – Spain, London – Great Britain, Moscow – Russia, Erba, Chiudono – Italy, Grote Brogel – Belgium.

And the Highlight was at the International Show in Portland in November 2017 as Chief Ring Clerk for Michael Schleissner.

I really love my job as a clerk, even though it can be a really tough job, but I love the logic of the system and I love to see all these different breeds and beautiful cats and their owners and to meet all these different people,  cultures and mentalities, that all make CFA for me one of the best choices – I found some real friends here...

To get the award „Clerk of the year“ was something so surprising and unexpected – it really got me out of my shoes.