Korat recognition in the USA
(CFA)

As KCFA secretary, the presentations I made in 1965 to each Board Member, set out the names and dates of each show and the name of each judge who had handled our cats, the extent of our Korat population, our proposed standard, the names and addresses of our breeder/owners, and some of our information sheets, accompanied by a letter of formal request for recognition of the Korat breed, and the lovely photo of Mali of Si Sawat standing between two plaster elephants that my husband took.

At the CFA Annual Meeting in March 1966, Miss Marie E. Purdy, a Korat breeder who had been active in CFA for many years, moved that the Korat cat be accepted, and the motion carried with favorable recommendation. With Bertha Nuttall's assistance, I then compiled a further presentation and Formal Request for acceptance, up-dating and adding to our information on places, dates and judges where Korats had been shown, number of Korat breeders and their stock in each Region, including Alaska and Japan, the KCFA Officers and Board, Mali's photograph, sample of pedigree of a Thai-born Korat, and sample of a pedigree of a 4th generation American-born Korat, history and background, and I included proof of the real aims of the private listing, set up by Mrs. Robert A. Clark, to show origin of our Korats in Thailand. The way seemd open to our longed-for acceptance.

We were producing litters of fine, all silver blue kittens. Inquiries were coming in from other parts of the world. We had already sent a pair of Korats to South Africa. Mrs. Clark attended the August meeting, taking with her the Preliminary Breeding Chart she had made for the Korats. In future years, this would be of tremendous interest - as it showed the first imports and their descendants, and the added imports - with the symbols to signify the silver blue and the outcross, the males and the famales. Other business precluded discussion of the Korats at the August meeting.

Then came the meeting of September, 1966. It was not quite a year since we had put in our first request for recognition. Mrs. John Bloem moved that the Korat be accepted for championship competition as an Estabilished Hybrid Breed. Motion carried. 11 Yes 4 No. Mrs. Louise Sample, CFA President, wrote us, congratulation us with "Best Wishes to you all, and I shall look forward to that glorious day when a Korat goes Best Cat in Show". I didn't dream mine would be the female first so honored! The joy for our silver Korats was somewhat tarnished at the news that they were to be registered as, and classed as, an Established Hybrid Breed, a comparatively new classification for which Jane Martinke was a prime mover. We were developing what was (still is) possibly the only natural breed being bred in the western world as well as in its native Thailand in its ancient, natural form!

Early Champions

In 1965-66, for the first time, Korats were included in the All-American lists. So honored were: Cedar Glen's Pichit of Si Sawat and OS Mali of Si Sawat, both belonging to me. Cedar Glen's Little Kay of Arcadia, who belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Ray Gardner. Mrs. Paul L. Gecking's (Mrs. Sellar's) Tru-Lu's Thai Koratie; Cedar Glen's Sukisan of Larlin, Mrs. Alayne Appel; and Cedar Glen's Kasem of Ab-Hi-Ko, Mrs. Bertha M. Nuttall.

Many of our Korats made CFA Championships. Among them were: Ch. Mali of Si Sawat (mine), Ch. CCedar Glen's DiDi (Mrs. Jean Johnson) Ch. Larlin's Sukisari (Mrs. Alayne Appel), Ch. Si Sawat's Maliwan of 3R's (Mrs. Marguerite Swift), Ch. Larlin's Kasuki of Margus and Ch. Leck of Margus (Mrs. Margery S. Hoff), Ch. Tru-Lu's Thai Timia (Mrs. Trudy Sellars), Ch & Int. Ch. Cedar Glan's Rajada (Mrs. R.D. Cooper and Mrs. J. Glen Brown, Canada), Ch. Cedar Glen's Kasem of Ab-Hi-Ko (Mrs. Bertha M. Nuttall).

First Grands

The world's first male Grand Champion was born in Bangkok in 1965 bred by Khun Luang Paripon Pochanapisuti, a former judge and professor at law in Bangkok, the cat was named McPaws Miow Thai. He was owned by Mr. P.L. McMillen of Detroit, MI. and had been purchased on April 30, 1966. He was brought to America by Mr. McMillen's soldier son and shown extensively. Miow Thai was history's first male Grand Champion Korat.

A Thai-born female Saraphi Ra' (imp.) of Jalna, was dam of the world's first two Korat Grands. Bred by Dr. Kamol and owned by Robert & Jean Clark, Virginia. Jalna's Ming-Ti of Chi'Un Ch'i was the first male Korat Grand Champion in CFA. First female to win a Grand Championship was Malaid's Doklao Noi of Si Sawat (imp.) owned by Richard Negus. Miss Catherine Barclay, Boulder, Colorado owned the fifth Korat Grand, Cedar Glen's Chalerm of Si-K'Iu. He was the world's first Neuter Grand Champion.

Written by Mrs. Daphne Negus
for a CFA Year Book