"Camilla" is the first and only Korat to become FIFe WORLD WINNER!
Her Breeder (Camilla Baird) and her Owner (Donatella Mastrangelo) can't express their joy and wish to thank all those judges who voted for her on the Best in Show pannel! This result is really important for the Korat breed and we wish it will be the first of many more to come!

The Climax of the FIFe World Show, Milan, March 21, 1999

Dramatis Personae

EC. IP. Primprau's Meo Hao
Donatella Mastrangelo (owner)
Camilla Baird (breeder)
an onlooker and scribe (Jen)

A very long wait through hordes of Persians and Exotics, and throngs of Semi-Longhairs, and at last it's time for the Shorthair Section to be judged. The suspense whilst the adults and kittens are considered is palpable. Camilla hugs her knees with hands that are white knuckled. Donatella's face has no colour, yet the nervous tension is evident in the slight sheen of perspiration.

At last the female neuters are paraded across the stage. Meo is first up, carried in the firm, capable hands of Biagio, a steward who knows her well, and handles her confidently, thus giving her the security to relax. The Korat breed is described by the President, other breeds follow swiftly, and the judging by the panel of seven is underway.

The Aby and Russian are finished. My impression is that they are both out of the competition. The other five return for a second look, until only the Korat and a Chartreux are there. Will it be one of these two?

The stewards are asked to parade the cats along the projecting stage, whilst each judge deliberates for a brief moment longer. There is a silence as all eyes fix on their voting cards.

"Judges your vote", calls the presenter;

The cards are turned and held up. My view is immediately obscured by the anxious pair beside me. I can only listen for the numbers, thank goodness I'm wearing a translation kit.

669 wins by 5 to 2. Meo is a World Winner!!!!!!!

Donatella and Camilla are ahead of me. Camilla is pacing beside the stage in excitement, whilst Donatella is doing an extremely good imitation of the mating's victory roll on the carpet beside me. Now they rush together and hug ecstatically.

Why not?? We have a Korat World Winner. She is the one and only, the first, and it has taken 15 long years. We cheer her appropriately in Spumante, in our three different languages. Then for the toast:

TO MEO. AND MAY SHE BE THE FIRST OF MANY.

Jen Lacey
(the impartial reporter!!!)

The ultimate experience!
(written by Camilla Baird, the breeder)

Now to my report from the World Show! Jen has already revealed the incredible result, but I will follow with my report anyway. I wrote it Sunday evening while I was still dancing on pink clouds and needed to express my joy and pride somehow - Donatella and Jen had left for Rome, so I was alone at the hotel in Milan...

After 17 years of Korat breeding in FIFe and hearing derogatory remarks like 'why recognise a 'new' blue breed?' and 'Korats never win anyway', we showed them all! We finally did it! We have a Korat World Winner - EC/IP Primprau's Meo Hao won BOX SH Neuter at the World Show in Milan 1999!

We were a small very international Korat delegation in Milan - Jen Lacey from UK, Camilla Baird from Denmark, Donatella Mastrangelo and Susanna Zorzi from Italy. 4 Korats were present at the show

• an adult female, Jadeye's Arrogance,
• a 6-10 female, Jenanca Sanyanai Anakot,
• a female neuter, Primprau's Meo Hao,
• a male neuter, Primprau's Ditakah Pakhdi.

All Korats got their certificates by Eiwor Andersson from Sweden, a judge very familiar with Korats. She nominated Meo without even comparing her with the competition - this was a promising sign, but we didn't dare hope for anything more - who ever heard of a Korat winning at a World Show?

As it turned out, the SH Female Neuter panel was tough - 7 cats, an unusually high number of female neuters. Tension in the Korat camp was at its highest while counting votes - 5 out of 7 for the Korat! Meo was World Winner! Donatella, as her owner, and I, as her breeder, were ecstatic! We couldn't believe it! While we were on the stage presenting the Meo at the World Winners Parade, "We Are The Champions" was blowing out the loudspeakers - it was a great moment!

All Korat breeders can be proud, as this kind of result is the ultimate proof that what we are working for - a beautiful and healthy breed - is indeed worthwhile. This result will bring a lot of good PR to the Korat in FIFe and in Italy - can we ever get enough good PR?

As Meo is a very international cat with a Norwegian mother, an American father, a Danish breeder and an Italian owner. she is truly a World Winner. Without the good and solid co-operation between Korat breeders across the world, we would not have had a Korat FIFe World Winner today. WW99 EC/IP Primprau's Meo Hao is the result of co-operation between Korat breeders from US, Norway and Denmark.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank some people who helped make this possible:

- Anita Hem, Sawat's Korats in Norway - Anita has bred GIC Sawat's Kirilin, Meo's mother. I want to thank Anita for letting me breed with Kitty.
- Maureen Cray, Yang Chen Ma Korats in US - Maureen has bred Hoo, Meo's father. Maureen sent over a wonderful boy, who has meant a lot to several breeding programs in Europe.
- Elfi Kleive for letting me use IC Yang Chen Ma Hoo Who's for his first litter. Hoo is Meo's father and has influenced her good looks a great deal. Elfi helped getting me started in breeding - this litter is very much her idea... Also without Elfi's hard work 20 years ago with getting the Korat recognised in FIFe, this could never have happened!
- Donatella Mastrangelo for showing Meo so much, so she could qualify for this World Show.

Without all these things preceding the World Show, we wouldn't have a had a Korat WW in Milan 1999...
We can all proudly note the cat's name: WW99 EC.IP. Primprau's Meo Hao

Camilla Baird
Primprau's Korats - Denmark

17 years of long waiting - and a dream come true...
(written by Donatella Mastrangelo, the owner)

From the moment the Korat was recognised in FIFe (1982), this is the first time that such a high title goes to a representative of this breed during a world competition. Finally a Korat is World Winner!

The good news immediately went flying around the world, thanks to modern technology, and there has been a chorus of admiration!. From United States to Australia and Europe, many congratulatory messages reached my mailbox! It has been a real triumph, and finally this breed gets the recognition that it deserves, and that never, until now, occurred in such an important show.

It's only by chance that this cat is mine!...
Her name, Primprau's Meo Hao, is not very easy to remember, but all my friends, many Italian exhibitors, and some others from abroad, know her other name 'Camilla', which comes from her breeder's name, my friend, Camilla Baird. Camilla, the cat, has a special meaning for many of us who breed Korats...

She was given to me as a gift about four years ago, when it happened that I had to neuter my first Korat pair due to the fact that they both carried a terrible genetic disease. With her I was supposed to continue my breeding activity without any risk and, because of her extraordinary beauty, I also started showing her until her European Champion title, gained during the World Show in Budapest in 1996.
Unfortunately, things didn't turn out as we hoped, and we discovered that she was carrying the defective gene too. So, after the birth of her third litter, and the occurrence of the third kitten affected by Gangliosidosis, Camilla was spayed.

After years of studies and researches which involved Korat breeders from all over the World, finally the remedy came with the discovery of a DNA test to determine the carriers of this terrible disease and eliminate them from breeding stock. The test, the possibility to test, the solution to this problem, that could have brought the breed to the point of extinction, has been possible because of the sacrifice of three Italian kittens, thanks to perseverance in research, and also to the cooperation amongst breeders and scientists worldwide.

Camilla, for many of us, is the symbol of this victory against this terrible illness. That's the reason this 'World Winner' title is so special, and that's why, apart from the long wait, HER World Winner title carries such great symbolic value for many of us. Camilla, my lovely Camilla, wanted to present us with this gift, the dream come true. But, above all, she couldn't find a better way to thank us for all the sacrifices and pain we suffered for such a long time...

Finally, I also want to thank those who had, and still have, an important role in my breeding activity. Namely:
Camilla Baird, who gave me this absolutely beautiful creature, for her friendship and support during these years;
Dr. Massimo Castagnaro and Dr. Henry J. Baker, for their love and help in winning the battle over Gangliosidosis;
Jen Lacey, for her sincere friendship, who also helped a lot giving me one of her beautiful 'gems';
All Korat breeders around the world who helped and supported me during those tragic periods...
All FIFe international judges who made this Korat success possible and this dream, so important for all of us, a reality.

I, Donatella Mastrangelo, and FIFe WW '99 Primprau's Meo Hao, want to thank everybody from the bottom of our hearts and wish ever brighter success to all those who breed seriously, honestly and with real passion!"

Donatella Mastrangelo
Jadeye Korats - Italy