All Breed Judge - Ms Lesley Morgan Blythe
Last year, I volunteered as a steward in a cat show at Berjaya Times Square, Kuala Lumpur, (see here) I had the oppurtunity to meet Ms. Lesley Morgan Blythe (LMB) who was a judge for the pedigree section. Again, I met her at Surabaya, Indonesia while attending a cat show there (see here) and again become her personal steward. It was great fun and educating working with her and now, I decided to write an article about LMB.
Name: Lesley Morgan Blythe (LMB)
Type of Judge: All Breeds
Attached to: Australian Cat Federation – Tasmania
Above: LMB with a Burmilla
My introduction to the cat fancy was in 1964, with Chinchillas and shaded silver Persians, my first breed. My mother acquired a Burmese in 1965, so that became another interest. In 1968 my parents (Tops and Trevor Jowett) imported the first British Shorthair breeding pair into Australia, and thus the “Redwyton” British (top winners in several continents) began.
Diversifying, I bred the first lilac tabby point Siamese on the bench in Aust, in 1969. Since 1985, I pioneered Exotics in Australia (”Comyn” prefix), breeding quite a number of Group 1 (in Australia, Persian/Exotic and all Semi Longhair) Cats, Kittens and Neuters of the Year. Most recently, I bred Group 1 Kitten of the Year in 2000 (Persian) and 2002 (Exotic).
In complete contrast, from April 1997 I became owner of a castrated tawny Abyssinian housepet/show neuter, who was 1997 Group 3 Kitten of the Year, and 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 Group 3 Neuter of the Year, as well as National Desexed Abyssinian, 1998. It’s fair to say that my taste in cats is catholic!
Above: LMB with her faithful Abyssinian named Zack
I qualified as a judge of all shorthair in 1968 in the days when there was a very limited number of breeds in that category, and in 1971, added Longhair, British and Manx (as the licence then was) to become All Breeds (AB).
(Probably, and scandalously, the youngest AB judge ever – it could never happen now with so many more breeds and more sophisticated training!)
Above: LMB eyeing on a Siberian
In 1979, I qualified as a FIFe International All Breeds judge, during the period ACF was a FIFe member body. This has never been revoked by FIFe. Since then, I have been fortunate enough to judge many times in all states and territories of Australia, as well as NZ, and have on many occasions judged in Malaysia, Singapore, UK, Sweden, Holland, Finland, Norway, Germany, Denmark, Italy, France, South Africa and Austria. I represented the Australian Cat Federation Inc at WCC (World Cat Congress) meetings from 1995.
For some years, I have been involved in various administrative positions within the Tasmanian (and national) cat fancy, and was Acting President ‘97 - ‘98, International Liaison Officer for the national body, the Australian Cat Federation 1989 - 2003, (and from June 2006) as well as editor of the ACF Judges’ Guild journal, “Felijudge” and the ACF Yearbook. I am VP of the committee of the Cat Association of Tasmania, and have been head judge tutor (All Breeds) in Tasmania since the 1970’s.
Above: LMB attending the very first Malaysian Cat Club Cat Show (1982)
Above: LMB presenting prize to winner (1982 MCC Show)
Above: LMB holding a Kucing Malaysia during her visit in 1992
Above: LMB attending a dinner function in one of Feline Society of Malaysia’s event.
