The GCCF New Breeds System

'The Rules of The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy' contain a great deal of useful information, and a knowledge of them, or a copy 'to hand' for reference is always very useful. The Officers of the OSSTTS strongly recommend that all members who breed and exhibit should buy a copy of the GCCF Rules if they do not already have a copy. Copies are available for £2 from the GCCF Office or GCCF tables at various shows.

Section 1 of the GCCF Rules deals with 'The Register' and contains the rules relating to registrations, transfers, prefix, the GCCF registers, amendment to Standard of Points, breed status, and the recognition of new breed groups and new varieties of existing breeds.

When a new breed group is accepted for registration by the Executive Committee of the GCCF cats of that variety are registered on the Reference Register and as such may not be shown in competition, though of course they may put on exhibition. At this stage the GCCF do not grant a Breed Number, though it may grant a breed reference name.

Preliminary Recognition
Before the GCCF Executive Committee will grant Preliminary Status to a new breed group it must be satisfied that the new breed/variety has potential merit, and is significantly different to existing breeds. The Executive Committee and the Genetics Committee will also require:

a) a preliminary Standard of Points
b) a Registration Policy
c) a list of GCCF Full Judges
d) pedigree for all the cats already registered with GCCF

When the Executive Committee is satisfied that the requirements have been met it will recommend to the Council that the new breed group is granted Preliminary recognition together with a breed number, name, Standard of Points, Registration Policy and Judges List. Once a meeting of Council has approved the proposal the new breed/variety can be shown at GCCF shows and any further registrations of the breed will be entered in the Experimental Register. The original cats on the Reference Register will not have their registrations changed, but will be treated as if they too were on the Experimental Register, and can be shown.

Cats with Preliminary Recognition do not have an Open Class but are shown in an 'Assessment Class' by Full Judges on the approved list. The cats are not judged against each other but are assessed against the Breed Standard, and those which the Judges consider conform sufficiently to the Breed Standard will be awarded Merit Certificates. Of course in Miscellaneous and club classes the new breed will be in direct competition with other similar breeds and varieties.

There are no Oriental varieties currently with Preliminary Recognition.

Provisional Status
The length of time a breed/variety remains at Preliminary level depends largely on the number of specimens that are shown, the degree of interest from breeders, and the opinions of Judges as to their quality.

In order to consider an application for promotion to Provisional Status the GCCF Executive Committee requires the following evidence from the relevant Breed Advisory Committee:

a) facts to confirm the merit of the breed
b) signifiant differences between the new breed and existing breeds
c) a provisional Standard of Points detailing all colours/patterns
d) confirmation of Registration Policy
e) confirmation of list of Full Judges
f) candidates for appointment as Propbationer Judge
g) details of at least 20 breeders who have held a prefix for at least 3 years
h) details, plus pedigrees, of at least 50 cats registered with GCCF
i) a list of Merit Certificate winners including at least 15 cats winning 4 Merits under 4 different Judges
j) copies of critiques from Assessment slips confirming quality
k) selection of Miscellaneous class results and critiques

The above evidence must be submitted to GCCF not later that August in order that the Executive Committee can consider the application, and if successful recomend approval to the October meeting of Council. If the application the breed will advance to Provisional status with effect from the following June 1^st.

Once Provisional status has been granted cats will be registered on the Full Register or the Supplementary Register, and cats already registered on the Experimental Register will be treated as if they were on the Full or Supplementary Registers.

From the next show season after promotion to Provisional status all Sanction and Championship shows under GCCF rules will schedule open classes for the new breed/variety and judges will have the opportunity of awarding Intermediate Certificates to adult and neuter Open winners that reach the required standard. These certificates do not count towards any title.

At the present time there are two Oriental Varieties with Provisional Breed Status, these being the Oriental Caramel and the Oriental Bicolour.

The Oriental Caramel is a Self variety and is a new colour of an existing Breed Group (the Oriental Selfs) and accordingly does not have to satisfy the same criteria as a new breed group.

The Oriental Bicolour which was granted recognition by Council on February 22^nd 2006 and moved up to Provisional Status with effect from June 1^st 2008 is regarded as a new breed group, with a seperate Judge List.

Championship Status
Finally the relevant BAC for the new variety will make an application for advancement to Championship Status. For the Executive Committee to consider an application for promotion to Champiuonship status it will require the following evidence:

a) the arguments for promotion
b) confirmation of Standard of Points
c) confirmation of Registration Policy
d) details of at least 100 cats registered in accordance with Breeding Policy
e) details of at least 20 cats that have been awarded 3 Intermediate Certificates from 3 different judges
f) a selection of Open class critiques
g) a selection of Miscellaneous resulrts and critiques

The evidence must be submitted not later that August in order that the Executive Committee can consider the application, and if successful recomend approval to the October meeting of Council so that Championship status can take effect from the following June 1^st.

From the next show season after Council grants promotion to Championship status all Sanction and Championship shows under GCCF rules will schedule open classes for the new breed group/variety and it will be elibible to compete for Challenge Certificates, Grand Challenge Certificates, and Imperial Grand Challenge Certificates, plus of course the equivalent certificates for Neuters.