HIGHLIGHTS
My mother always told me that nothing worth anything comes easily. Little prepared me however for the trials and tribulations of launching a new breed, let alone a controversial one. There were many trying times but, in all honesty, they are in the past and well worth it. The journey was made palatable by two factors: Fellow breeders who came on board with the best interests of the breed in their hearts and the Minuet breed itself ... the yearly rise in registration numbers assured me that this was indeed a worthwhile endeavor, and one that had truly "caught on."
Below are some of the highlights of the Minuet journey. For a comprehensive, chronological chain of events to full championship status, please refer to TICA Board Minutes on the next page.
1997
Pennhaven Samantha gave birth to her first litter out of Sejumay Typesetter (a short-haired Exotic). Three of the kittens were standard (short legged). As you can see, the type varied a bit, probably due to the fact that Samantha was already 1/4 Persian. The little girl on the far right was most pleasing, having the "roundness" that best exemplified what we were striving for.
1998
We began registering kittens with TICA as "Experimental." No official approval was required for registration status and no standard was required at that time.
2000
After literally years of deliberation, a name for the breed was finally decided upon. The new breed would be called the Napoleon. This choice was made because the name carried the connotation of being short in stature (as Napoleon Bonaparte was rumored to be) yet had the distinction of being distinctive, not "cute," as so many synonyms for "short" are. The breed was registered under this name for over a decade, until it was decided by the TICA Board to be changed to Minuet in 2014.
2003
First application was made to the TICA Board of Directors for registration status.
2005
February 18: After a presentation by Joseph B. Smith, and an initial vote to the contrary, a second vote was called and the Napoleon was granted registration status in TICA. Pictured right is Bluline Albertina, bred and owned by the Founder, who represented the breed at this meeting.
2006-2010
Following a series of unfortunate political moves, in spite of our ever increasing popularity and registration numbers, I felt it best to step aside and take a break. It was a sanity saver! Fortunately, many other breeders had the breed's best interests at heart and carried on.
2011
September 2: The Napoleon is promoted to Preliminary New Breed by the TICA Board of Directors. At that point I feel ready to again get in the driver’s seat.
2012
TICA president Vickie Fisher giving top honors to a Napoleon in Taiwan.
2013
August 30: After a presentation by then breed liaison Laurie Patton, the Napoleon is promoted to Advanced New Breed by the TICA Board of Directors.
October: Chattanooga, Tennessee, one of many "Nap" Gatherings as we do our part to promote the breed.
Our junior handlers, Connor and Antonio, doing a fantastic job.
October: Impressing the judges at a TICA show in Solihull, UK.
2014
Making an appearance in the Household Pet class at a Cat Fancier's Association (CFA) show.
Making an appearance as far away as Beijing at the World Cat Federation.
August: Another "group" event at the 2014 TICA Annual.
2015
January 25: The breed's name Napoleon is changed to Minuet in TICA, per vote of the TICA Board of Directors.
August - October: TICA Vice President and Breed Liaison, Bobbi Tullo (above), along with Minuet Breed Chair, Samantha McConnell (below), work diligently with the Minuet Breed Group to draft plans for advancement to Championship status as well as draft a new breed standard. Mission was accomplished. Kudos to both of them, it was "cat herding" at its finest!
2016
January 23: Following a presentation by Breed Chair Samantha McConnell and breeder Lynn Helke, the Minuet is promoted to championship status per vote of the TICA Board of Directors, unanimously! Pictured below is Lil-Darlynn All That Glitters, bred and owned by Lynn Helke, who represented the breed at this meeting.
2018
While still in “championship probation,” a Minuet achieves the rank of 16th BEST CAT in TICA!
2019
A Minuet achieved the ranking of 20th BEST KITTEN in TICA … and with a huge sigh of relief, our probation was over. We are now a FULLY recognized champion breed of TICA.
