Mark Coleman

an interview with TICA Judge Mark Coleman

By Jay Lehman

Jay: What made you decide to get your first cat and what kind was it?
Mark: We always had cats around when I was young. As an adult, some friends owned a Maine Coon. He was friendly and personable. I found this breed to be what I preferred after looking at many different breeds at several cat shows.

Jay: When did you get your first pedigreed (show quality) cat and what breed was it?
Mark: My first pedigreed cat was obtained in 1979. It was a British Shorthair. She was a Blue Tortie alter. A truly beautiful animal. My first breeding cats were Maine Coons. They we obtained in 1981 from Karen McInchak and Ginny Molloy.

Jay: When did you become involved in breeding and why?
Mark: I began my cat breeding career in 1981 with Maine Coons. After several years exhibiting a British Shorthair alter, and observing the Maine Coons at the shows, I felt there was considerable room for new breeders to work on improving the breed.

Jay: What breeds have you/do you breed, and why?
Mark: Over the past 20 years, I have owned: Maine Coon, Persian, Somali, Siamese, Oriental Shorthair, American Shorthair, Burmese, Exotic Shorthair, British Shorthair, and Household Pets. During the same 20 years, I have bred: Maine Coon, Persian, Siamese, Oriental Shorthair, and Exotic Shorthair. At this time, I no longer breed any cats. There is a simple reason for this. There are too many cat breeders out there producing too many pets. Those that are still actively engaged in breeding programs appear to be doing it for money instead of a scientific study to improve the breeds. I applaud those that are making a difference and understand why they are breeding cats in the first place.

Jay: When did you become involved in TICA and why?
Mark: I started in TICA in 1980. I was living in the Olympia, WA area and was attracted to the Commencement Cat Club shows (TICA's first club). They were open and friendly to the novice breeder. My first "official" TICA contact was Karen McInchak. Karen and her friends took me in and taught me a considerable amount of information regarding showing Maine Coons in TICA.
For her guidance, I am thankful. Chosing TICA was the right decision.

Jay: What other associations were you ever involved with?
Mark: I have never been "involved" in an official capacity in any organization other than TICA. In the early days of TICA, I exhibited my cats in ACFA and CFA as there were not enough TICA shows to satisfy my craving for exhibiting my cats.

Jay: When and why did you decide to become a judge?
Mark: I decided to become a judge in the early 1980's after I noticed that there was a significant deficiency of good, qualified people judging cats. I was a licensed ring clerk and had the opportunity to see many cats up close for several years, always asking the judges why they picked one over the other. After a while, I was able to second guess almost every TICA judge that I clerked for. At that time, I felt that I was ready to make application into the Household Pet judging program. While a HHP judge, I obtained my Master Clerk's license and served as Master Clerk for many shows, including the first 5 INCATS shows. I joined several clubs and helped put on many shows. During that time, I made application and qualified for advancement to Probational Specialty. Over the years, I have progressed slowly through the ranks to my current status of Allbreed, Teaching & Training Judge.

Jay: What is your fondest memory of TICA?
Mark: The three years I served as the Northeast Regional Director. This was a challenging time for TICA. Our region grew from 300 to over 700 members during my years in service as we became TICA's largest region. We hosted many shows and were known for innovative thinking and creativity. Many of the proposals I sponsored as Regional Director in the 1980's were finally
implemented over the past 10 years. I'm pleased to know that I was able to think that far ahead with sound ideas that are being used today.

Jay: What advise would you give to Russian Blue exhibitors about showing this breed?
Mark: Have the patience of a saint and be persistent as exhibitors. Most, if not all, of the TICA judges have limited experience with the breed. It is the exhibitors (and Breed Committee's) responsibility to ensure that the TICA Judging Program and the judges are well rounded with information and training regarding the particular breed. I would encourage the breeders to sponsor and organize as many Russian Blue breed seminars as they can afford in as many regions as possible. In this way, our judges are afforded the opportunity to see this breed and learn through hands-on training with experts (the breeders) offering guidance.

Jay: Do you have anything else to add?
Mark: TICA is an exciting and energetic organization. There is always room for creativity and innovation. The educaton provided to someone wanting to learn about cats is just a cat show away. I encourage everyone to join TICA and become actively involved with your local TICA club.