Over the weekend we had the opportunity to travel to Pigeon Forge Tennessee to attend the Volunteer Cat Club’s TICA Allbreed Cat Show. This was the year’s largest cat show to be hosted by a TICA club with 250 total entries on Saturday, and 71 of those entries being in the Long Hair Championship class (this is the class our Maine Coons competed in). To put that in perspective, the Regional Director of the South East Division of TICA made comment that in his 40 years of judging, he has never had the privilege of judging in a show with this many entered cats!

Since they did so well at the last show we attended this month, we decided to enter both Orion and Uno together again. Thankfully, they both did really well with the 2 1/2 hour drive there and back, AND with staying overnight in the hotel.

Another upside to the trip was the fact that the fall foliage was at its peak in the Great Smokey Mountains and the scenic views we had to opportunity to witness while in the area were absolutely spectacular!

Now it would be an understatement to say that the competition at this particular show was tough!

The first day and first ring we immediately realized just how tough things would be when little 9 month old Uno was up against the current number one rated cat and number one rated Maine Coon Polydactyl in TICA in the world (Regional Winner Supreme Grand Champion Mishikoonz Mystic Lake). This gorgeous Red silver tabby boy was not only a spectacular example of the breed, but ginormous in size too! I’m talking about poly paws the size of the palm of my hand and legs nearly as thick as my wrist. He was such a cuddle bug too! His owner, Cari Tucker, allowed me an opportunity to hold him and as I was passing him back I couldn’t help but think to myself, “HOW IN THE WORLD is such a petite woman able to lug such a big boy all over the country and to over a hundred show rings this season without developing some sort of back or joint condition (I say this tongue in cheek of course just to further drive home the imagery of this gorgeous, ginormous boy)?!” 😅

Orion’s competition wasn’t any easier. He was up against some stunning examples of the breed, both male and female. One female in particular especially caught my eye: Purrcificoon Poppy Fields 4Ever. She was a black (brown) torbie with exceptional size and structure, and a gorgeous warm colored coat. I later found out she was the number one rated Maine Coon in TICA (and despite being judged in approximately 70 rings, is only about a thousand points behind the aforementioned Mystic Lake who has been judged in over 100). Poppy’s owner, Jim Kane, Co-Owner of Purrcificoon, and his mentor, Judy Friedman of CoonsKin Cats, were two of a handful of breeders we had the pleasure of connecting with over the long weekend, both from TICA’s SW division in California. 🥰

All in all it was a really fun three day weekend away. The club volunteers, members, and judges put on a fantastic show! Orion and Uno brought home a bunch of title points and Orion even managed to get another final (10th best cat of 56 total LH AB), making him eligible for his Double Grand Champion title.