A CFA cat show is composed of a number of separate, concurrently running, individual shows held in the various judging rings throughout the show hall. Each ring is presided over by a different judge, who presents his of her awards independent of the decisions of other judges.
Individual shows can be classified as either Allbreed or Specialty. The ring type for each judge is listed in the show flyer and displayed on the ring poster at the ring.
Below is a simple guide to help you understand the acronyms related to ring types and show categories.
Ring Types
AB – Allbreed Ring
All cats, regardless of coat length or breed group, compete for the awards.
SP – Specialty Ring (LH / SH)
Only cats of similar coat length or type compete for the awards. These are usually marked with:
- LH – Longhair breeds
- SH – Shorthair breeds
SSP – Supreme Specialty Ring
The judge awards specialty finals separately for Longhairs and Shorthairs, and then selects an Allbreed final made up of eligible cats from those specialty finals.
OCP – Open, Champion, Premier Ring
An Allbreed competition where the judge awards the Best Allbreed Champion through 10th Best Allbreed Champion and/or Best Allbreed Premier through 10th Best Allbreed Premier.
Show Categories
Within each individual ring, different ring types may apply to different categories – Championship, Premiership, and Kittens; therefore, you may see these abbreviations next to the ring type:
- CH – Championship (unaltered pedigreed cats over 8 months)
- PR – Premiership (altered pedigreed cats over 8 months)
- KIT – Kittens (pedigreed kittens from 4 to 8 months)
- HHP – Household Pets (non-pedigreed cats over 4 months). Please note that the HHP class might not be available at every show. If you plan to participate in this class, always make sure that the HHP class is listed in the show flyer.
How to Read Show Flyers
And now some samples on how to read the information about the show type from the flyers.
A summary of all rings at a show may look like this:
CH: 2 AB / 4 SSP / 1 OCP / 1 SP; KIT/PR: 7 AB / 1 SP; HHP: 8
This means:
- Championship: 2 Allbreed, 4 Supreme Specialty, 1 OCP, 1 Specialty ring
- Kittens & Premiership: 7 Allbreed, 1 Specialty ring
- Household Pets: 8 rings
For each individual ring, you may see combinations like these next to a judge’s name:
Ring #1 – SSP CH, AB KIT/PR
For Championship this is the Supreme Specialty Ring; for Kittens and Premiership these are Allbreed rings.
Ring #2 – OCP CH, AB KIT/PR
Championship is OCP Ring; Kittens and Premiership have Allbreed rings.
Ring #3 – AB CH/PR, SSP KIT
Championship and Premiership are Allbreed rings; Kittens have the Supreme Specialty ring.
Ring #4 – SP LH/SH
A Specialty ring for all show categories.
Ring #5 – AB
An Allbreed ring for all show categories.
Please note that ring combinations may vary from show to show, depending on the organizing club
Understanding these abbreviations makes reading show flyers much easier and helps exhibitors and spectators follow the judging process with confidence. With this guide, you’ll be able to navigate CFA rings like a pro at your next cat show. See you soon!
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