The Supreme Cat Show is organised every year by the world's oldest cat registry, the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy, and used to take place each October at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), in Birmingham, England.[1] However, in 2022 it moved to the NAEC.[2] Special awards of UK Champion and Supreme Champion can be gained at this show only. A contestant cat wins each show's "Best in Show" award.
The first Supreme Cat Show took place in 1976. Until then the GCCF itself did not organise cat shows, but licensed shows put on by the breed clubs and area clubs affiliated to it. The Supreme Cat Show was devised as a special show, only open to cats which had won an open class at another championship show under GCCF rules, much in the same way that Crufts is only open to winning dogs. The show grew in size each year until it became big enough to be held at the NEC, which has been its home ever since.
Unlike most other shows, the GCCF's Supreme Show has no miscellaneous or club classes; it does, however, have classes other shows do not have. There are four Adult Open classes for each championship status breed: Champion Male and Female classes for full Champions, the winners being eligible for Grand Challenge Certificates and Pre-Champion Male and Female classes for cats with one or two Certificates, competing for Challenge Certificates. The same applies to the neuter classes which are split into Premier and Pre-Premier classes for males and females.
Cats which are already Grand Champions do not compete in these classes but in special classes for Grand Champions, Imperial Grand Champions, UK Grand Champions and UK & Imperial Grand Champions only, the winner being eligible for a UK Grand Challenge Certificate. Grand Premiers, Imperial Grand Premiers, UK Grand Premiers and UK & Imperial Grand Premiers compete for a UK Grand Premier Certificate. In these classes several breeds may compete together. UK Grand Certificates are only awarded at the Supreme Show; two such Certificates from different judges give the cat the title of UK Grand Champion/Premier or UK & Imperial Grand Champion/Premier if it has additionally gained that title. There is no Reserve UK Grand Challenge/Premier Certificate.
Best of Breed winners at the Supreme Show do not get certificates but compete against the other BOB winners in their section for Best of Variety.
The seven Best of Variety Adults (Persian, Semi-Longhair, British, Foreign, Burmese, Oriental and Siamese) compete for Supreme Adult, the seven kittens for Supreme Kitten and the seven neuters for Supreme Neuter. The Supreme Adult and the Neuter can add the coveted word 'Supreme' to their title.
Finally, the Supreme Adult, Supreme Kitten and Supreme Neuter compete against each other for the honour of being judged Supreme Exhibit.
Non-pedigree cats (cats of traditional “moggie” appearance) and pedigree pet cats (cats looking like pedigrees with known, unknown, full or half pedigree background) are also permitted to enter the Supreme Cat Show.[3] They can also compete for the same levels of title as the pedigree cats but these are for "Master Cat" titles as opposed to "Champion" and "Premier" ones. They then go on to compete to win the title of Supreme Non-Pedigree or Supreme Pedigree Pet Cat. Classes are also included for kittens, with both non-pedigree and pedigree pet kittens competing for the title of Supreme Household Pet Kitten.
Prior to 1992, there was no individual overall Best in Show Supreme Exhibit. The show was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
| Year | Breed | Pedigree Name | Owner | Breeder | Section | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
| 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 |
Numerous activities take place alongside the competition judging. There are children's activities, such as judging of soft toys, and a large range of stalls selling cat related items, such as cat food, toys, accessories, collectables, books, magazines etc. Various other cat organisations, such as the Feline Advisory Bureau and Cats Protection regularly have information stalls. There is also a large section of the show hall given over to Club Row, where various cat clubs affiliated to the GCCF have stalls where visitors to the show can come and meet the different breeds of cat and obtain information.