Judges

Ring 1

Ring 4

Ring 2

Ring 5

Ring 3

Reserve Judges

TICA All Breeds Judge

Amanda Bright is a Distinguished All Breed judge with The International Cat Association (TICA) where she has been judging for over 26 years. Prior to that she was a SH Specialty judge with the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA). She is also a Ring & School Instructor. Her Cattery names, Kyina (CFA) & Taliskercats (TICA) are synonymous with excellence – a reputation earned with over 50 years of breeding and showing. Today Amanda breeds Russian Blues exclusively and her cats appear on pedigrees around the world. Over the course of her time in the cat fancy she has had Persians, Himalayans, Burmese, Bombay, Siamese, Turkish Angoras, and Abyssinians.

CCCA

Bernadette J. Roberts is the retired CEO of a Queensland statutory authority. She is a senior tutor judge with Cats Queensland Inc. and the CCCA nominated Trustee of the Feline Health Research Fund. With her spouse, Ian Honour, she has been breeding and showing Turkish Vans, Orientals and Siamese for over 30 years. Bernadette’s current priority is trying to ensure the continuation of the Turkish Van breed in Australia when Ian and she retire from breeding. She is currently mentoring newer breeders to achieve this aim.

Deon Scheepers

1993 – 1997 SACC
Showed and worked on RCC committee
 Committee member and trophy officer

1997 – 2011 CFSA
 Worked on shows as steward and general assistance
 Started on FFC as committee member when we initiated the club
 Started my judges course and  all breeds judge in 2009
 Worked and assisted all round at show and always helped in setting up COTY shows.

2011 – April 2016 CFSA President
 Became President
 Started implementing new breeds for acceptance with the help of the Registrar and others
 Still in the process of replacing the Registrar registering program but this has had a few glitches but is ongoing.
 Being ambassador for CFSA trying to promote closer co-operation between the different organisations.
 Judged at SACC clubs in Gauteng, Northern Cape and KZN
 Judged for WCF as a full All Breeds Judge for shows in Gauteng, KZN, Northern Cape and Cape Town
 Resigned as CFSA judge and CFSA President

2014
Judged at WCF shows in Malta as All Breeds Judge

 April 2016  to 2022
 Became WCF judge after leaving CFSA
 Accepted judging assignments for PCS, CCC, TCS, BRS and ABCC
 Licensed WCF All Breeds judge until 2025

 2022
 Judged at SACC for TCS, CFC and Rand Cat Club
 Judged at the Pet Expo for CFSA and CASA

 2023
 Judged at multiple CFSA and SACC shows (FFC, NCS, RCC, TCS, CFC)
 Judged in Australia for Ancats in Melbourne and Sydney
 Judged at the PET Expo for CFSA and Independent Judges Forum
 Judged at CFSA for the annual Gold and Ruby show

 2024
 Judged at multiple CFSA and SACC shows (FFC, NCS, RCC, TCS, CFC
 Resigned from WCF
 Judged at Gauteng Top Cat
 Joined SACC organization

Ian is a CPA and the Principal of Byanda Services, a firm providing accounting services to local government bodies throughout Queensland. Ian’s work has taken him from Haddon’s Corner to Thursday Island and many places in between in western Queensland. Ian has owned and loved Orientals since marrying Bernadette Roberts in January 1985 and they have bred together under the “Byanda” prefix from 1990. Ian and Bernadette have also been enchanted by, and bred, Turkish Vans since 1990, when GDGC Vanstar Willow Wisp of Vanwillow entered their lives and introduced them to the unique characteristics and playfulness of this breed. Ian is an experienced Judge in Groups One and Two. He obtained his Group 2 licence in 2000. He has been a member of numerous cat-related committees for Clubs, State and National bodies. He is the co-breeder and co-owner of many Cats of the Year, in both the Oriental and Turkish Van breeds. He is committed to cat welfare and care of all pets, especially companion cats. Ian thoroughly enjoys judging Group 4 (Companion) exhibits whenever he has the opportunity.

Brenda Neukircher

The L’Exquisite cattery was first registered with the Southern Africa Cat Council in 1995 and I started off by breeding and showing Persians and Exotics way back then. My first two stud boys were a black bi-colour Exotic and a blue smoke Persian and I just fell head over heels in love with the smokes. Since then, I have bred and shown Persians/Exotics in every colour division with the exception of silvers and goldens.

I have been involved in every facet of show life – from stewarding for many years, to show managing, chairing judge’s panels and, of course, as an exhibitor and a judge.

With the internet exploding and the world shrinking as a result, I have made some wonderful friends overseas who trusted me with their breeding. The result of these relationships was many National and Regional Winners. I have been privileged to own (and on occasion have bred) National Best cat in 2002, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. In 2019 TSC Almathea’s Blue Marine was overall Best Adult at SACC COTY and in 2018 and 2019 I owned Best overall Persian/Exotic in SACC. L’Exquisite has also been named best Cattery, had best litter, best kitten and best neuter at many COTY over the years.

I have also owned and shown a snow spotted Bengal, a short-haired Munchkin, a semi-longhair Munchkin and two Siberians.

What started off as a hobby has long since mutated into an abiding passion for all breeds of feline and has allowed me the privilege of judging in several countries where I get to do what I love most – handle and judge all breeds of cats.

I have always loved cats and for as long as I can remember have had a cat or two – including a beautiful Burmese cross domestic, as pets.

My introduction to the pedigree cat world was through a good friend who had a Siamese cat she used to show, so for fun, I tagged along.

From there my love affair with Siamese and Orientals began. Soon after I got my first show spay, a beautiful Seal Tabby Point.

I decided that I wanted to do more in Cat Fancy so in 2008 registered and successfully completed the Stewards Training Course. I also registered my prefix Mingyang and in October 2008 I had my first litter of Siamese / Orientals.

Whilst stewarding I handled various breeds but fell in love with the ‘Clowns of the Cat World’ – the Devon Rex and in conjunction with a good friend and workmate, bred a few litters of these darling, funny cats. I am currently owned by 3 Norwegian forest cats and a Siamese.

In 2012 I started my journey to becoming an all breeds Judge. I had a goal of becoming an all-breeds judge and after some delays by Covid I finally achieved my goal. I have had the pleasure of judging all around Australia and in New Zealand as well.

Outside of the Cat Fancy I am a qualified Vet Nurse working on the beautiful mid–North Coast of New South Wales. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with friends and family, photography and collecting anything to do with frogs and cats.

Breed Interests: Present: British S/H, Devon Rex Past: Burmese, Mandalay, Persian, Russian Blue, Foreign White Longhair, Balinese and Oriental Longhair. Judging: National and International All Breeds Judge with CCC of A. Having been introduced to the cat fancy from birth, I guess it was inevitable that I would find myself part of the greater cat world later in life. I can remember the days of the closed shows, where everyone was locked out during judging and only allowed back in when the Judges had finished in the afternoon, to find out whether your prized “puss” had done you proud. I do enjoy the open shows as well though, where the Judges comment on the exhibits as they go – makes for an exciting day. While I no longer breed, I do help with the continuing success of the Carinya British SH breeding program along with Chris & Terry Merritt. My greatest breeding success was winning Group 3 Kitten of Year with CCCA Ch, BDGC Nevaska Dream Start – Devon Rex as well as several Best of Breed Exhibits of Year with the Devon Rex. I am a current member of the Exotic Cat Club of Qld Inc., the Curly Coats Cat Club of Qld Inc., the Cats Qld Inc. Council Committee & on the CQI & CCC of A Tutor Judges Panel. I have previously held the positions of Secretary & Registrar of Cats Qld Inc. While my 2 desexed kids are now too old to be on the show bench or would rather be at home on the bed, I take absolute joy in showing our Carinya children to their very best potential.

I am very fortunate to have been involved with cats from a very early age. I grew up surrounded by Persians and Exotics. After a few years showing our neuters my Mum Rosy and I registered the prefix CAPTIVATING to breed Persians and Exotics in 1996.

I had two wonderful mentors with my grandparents Graham and Sue Gordon who helped me realise my dream with breeding, showing and judging cats. This includes showing and co-owning the 2012 Best Longhair Entire Cat in NZ, Willangi Nadal (Imp Aust). I currently do not breed cats but I am owned by 2 Exotic neuters, 1 Exotic spay and 3 Persian spays.

I live North of Wellington in Porirua City and work in Wellington City. I am also very passionate about Thoroughbred horses and have a few small shares in some racehorses too.

Judges Training: In 2009 I joined the Judges Panel as a Junior Longhair Judge and in June 2011 I became a Senior Longhair Judge.

Judging: I have enjoyed judging all over New Zealand with both NZCF and Catz Inc and in Victoria and Queensland in Australia. I feel privileged to have been invited to judge for the Flash Felines show in 2023. I look forward to assessing all the beautiful exhibits.

Being introduced in 1977 to the incomparable Siamese by a colleague, Christine Wright of Shadowfax Cattery fame, my lifelong feline addiction commenced in 1981 when I got my first prefix with NZCF.   

Over time, I have been involved in many facets of administration within the cat fancy at both club and organisation level, both local and international. 

Along my judging journey, I count myself extremely lucky to have been mentored by some of the best, in both SH and LH. 

Unfortunately, a good number of which are no longer with us.  

At differing times over the past 4 decades, (say it quickly and it doesn’t seem so long ☺ )  I have had the pleasure of breeding Siamese, Burmese, Russian, Abyssinian, Ocicat, Sphynx, La Perm, Selkirk, Munchkin and Bengal.  During my LH training, I also bred Ragdolls for a short time. 

In 2002, I was the first graduate of the Catz Inc. Judges programme as a SH judge and eventually became a SH Tutor Judge. In 2011 I qualified as a LH Judge. 

 In 2012 I was invited to join the Ancats Australia judges’ panel. I accepted as this allowed me earlier exposure to many more cat breeds than were currently available to Catz Inc. judges in NZ. (These were the early days in NZ when sharing of judges was still not allowed.)

I eventually became an All-Breeds Tutor Judge with Ancats and for many years I was on the Ancats Breed Standards Committee.  I was also very pleased to have been accepted as a WCF All Breeds Judge.

Living now in Ngaruawahia, I am a member of Hamilton Cat Club and also on their Committee.   

I still breed LaPerms, Selkirks and Munchkins. I love the dwarf breeds, which contrary to some opinion of some, is a healthy mutation to work with.  

Given the almost universal acceptance now of Australasian judges, I decided in 2023 to apply to join the NZCF Judges Panel and happily was accepted.