Solid Chocolate and Solid Lilac Persians

The campaign to produce chocolate point and lilac point Longhairs (Himalayans) was undertaken in England by a joint effort of the Briarry (Brian Stirling-Webb) and Mingchiu (Mrs. S.M. Harding) Catteries. The result of this effort was the birth in 1957 of the first solid (self) chocolate male, Briarry Bruno. Bruno was described as being chestnut brown. His sire was a chocolate shorthair (now described as a Havana Brown). The dam's pedigree showed Siamese and blue Persian crosses. A seemingly endless stream of cats, each bearing parts of the necessary genetic makeup, were mated to produce the first chocolate point Himalayan, Mingchiu Romeo. Concurrently, and as a natural offshoot of the genetically planned colorpoint breeding program, more self chocolate and lilac Longhairs came into being. These solid cats proved to be so striking that a large part of the resources of the Briarry and Mingchiu catteries were combined to increase and refine these novel candidates for introduction to the cat fancy. Briarry Mould of Tahma was the first chocolate LH in North America, imported in 1963 by Margaret Ewins of Montreal. In 1969 four Mingchiu chocolates came to America, including Mingchiu Osare, Mingchiu Bonzo, Mingchiu Philo. U.S. breeders of importance during this time were the Schneiders (Assissi), Elinor Pittman (Pitts), and Mrs. Skubina (Valentine),
During the 1960's Regina van Wessem of Siyah Gush Cattery in Holland, who was also working to introduce the chocolate gene into the Colorpoint Longhairs, produced a self chocolate Longhair male, Siyah Gush Zilverschoon. This solid chocolate male was descended from a Siamese and blue-eyed white Persian cross. A black longhair son was eventually bred back to his mother to produce a solid chocolate female, Siyah Gush Hela. Miss van Wessem established a systematic breeding program which included some American stock imported to Europe. During 1970-73 her Siyah Gush line provided some important chocolate and lilac imports to the U.S. Upon her death in 1973, Mrs. Prose (Hoog Moersbergen Cattery), continued with her work in Holland. By the 1970's when more solid chocolates and lilacs were exported to the U.S., their pedigrees already contained a blend of both these English and Dutch lines. Several American breeders worked diligently to have their visions of the solid chocolate and lilacs taken seriously: Patrick Horan (Miversnit Cattery), Janet Tyra (Tyland Cattery), Hazel and Les Lehman (Ha-Lee Cattery), Lyle Kaufman (Lyka Cattery) and perhaps most importantly, Toni Renzacci of Cactusway Cattery.
To understand the solid chocolate and lilac breeding program, a chocolate point (CP) or lilac point (LP) Himalayan is an ideal starting point. Chocolate is a recessive gene as blue is a recessive gene, and lilac has the same relationship to chocolate that blue has to black. Crossing a CP or LP with a solid black or blue Persian will produce an offspring of black or blue phenotype who bear both the genes for chocolate and for point pattern in their recessive forms. All the necessary genes to produce a solid chocolate or lilac offspring are present. This can be done by mating to cats of a similar genotype or by again mating back to a CP or LP Himalayan. The resulting kittens will come in a variety of colors, both pointed and solid. In the hands of genetically knowledgeable breeders, successful production of Solid chocolate and lilac Persians may be achieved. Since each generation away from the presence of pointed cats in the ancestry halves the probability of producing pointed kittens in the litters, there are in existence today chocolates and lilacs who will produce no pointed progeny. Once a breeder has produced males and females in the desired chocolate and lilac solid cats, outcrossing to other Persian patterns can result in a full expansion of the chocolate spectrum in longhair cats.
Effective May 1, 1981 CFA gave chocolates and lilacs championship recognition in a Solid Color Division of the Himalayan breed. And in 1984 when Himalayans became a separate division of the Persian breed, the solid chocolates and lilac were assigned championship status in the OSCC (Other Solid Color Class) of the Solid Color Persian Division. CFA's first (and only) solid lilac grand, was GC Lyka's Shadowbox who earned her title in 1982. The first solid chocolate grand was GC Cactusway's Chocolate Bruiser. A full sister of Chocolate Bruiser named Pazzazz is the grandmother of CFA's 2nd solid chocolate grand, GC QDPies Reality. The third, and final, solid chocolate grand to date is GC Cactusway's Chocolate Memories, granded by Lorraine Shelton last October.

The Modern Years

By the 1970's our cat fancy was stepping into the modern age. The national award system was restructured and expanded. The Hydon-Goodwin All-Star Awards were replaced by a new National Awards program. In 1971 the Highest Scoring Opposite Sex placements were exchanged for Best through Tenth Best Cat placements. During this era Solid Persians often claimed up to 50% of all national awards. Show formats were altered from top five to top ten in every final, thus encouraging greater participation by exhibitors. The CFA Yearbook, first published in 1958, was issued in hard cover for the first time in 1973 and quickly found a place of honor on every bookshelf.
The decade of the 1970's continued to celebrate the beautiful dilutes. GC Dior Napoleon of Mirza shocked the fancy. Napoleon was a blue male from Wimauma background whose extreme head type was far ahead of his time. Several well-known breeders from our current show scene made their first national wins during the 70's: Donna & Susan Cook with their stunning Jadon creams; Lois & Clark Jensen with blues and creams both from their own Jensen cattery as well as from the Sandef cattery of JoAnn (Cummings) & Earl Sandefur; Marcia & Leon Samuels with blues and creams from their Q-T Cats Cattery as well as from the Wheeler and Kilarney catteries; Donna Jean Thompson with her Jeannel blues backed by Erman Theodocious, and Jeanie McPhee with Co-Mc blues. White Persians became quite popular with Castilia, Can-Do, and Wil-O-Rose (backed by Simbelair Fantastic) accepting honors. Perhaps the most notable event of the 70's was the emergence of a strong black color class producing four 1970's Cats of the Year: Fanci-Pantz Petti Girl of Araho, Hawthorne Nite Liter of Lee, Surrey Hill Secret, and Jama Kats Midnight Sun. These trend setting cats were shown by Joan O'Hara (1971), Bill & Gayle Lee (1975), Gene Darrah (1977) and Marlene Luyster (1978). Evelyn Prather's Prim-Pet cats came to fame during the 70's. Using as a foundation male GC Shennen Desert Cloud (cream) and CH Prim-Pet Hanky Panky (blue), Evelyn not only earned top awards herself but provided foundations for several other top Persian breeding programs including Surrey Hill, Jama Kats, Midas, and Paquita. A breeding with Hanky Panky in 1977 to Bob Rodefer's tortie, GC Lullaby Allusion of Perry Acre, produced GC, NW Yankee Doodle Dandy. Butch, as this beautiful red male was called, proved to be a very important Persian stud. First offered at stud by the Rodefers and later by his second owner Marianne Byrne (Midas), Yankee Doodle Dandy bred females from the finest breeding programs in the country. National awards garnered by his sons and daughters reflect Yankee Doodle Dandy's enormous influence on the breed.
Coming from a successful background in the dog fancy, Charles Milwain and William Nix wasted no time in making an equally impressive mark in the cat fancy. Charlie called upon his natural eye and professional attitude to make his Misty Mornin cattery (registered in 1964) a national success. During his short five years in the cat fancy, Charlie won two Kitten of the Year titles (1966, 1967) and a Cat of the Year title (1969). Yet one of his most important contributions to the fancy would be a black male, GC Misty Mornin's Conquest. Connie was born in July 1970 from a breeding sired by CH Catalot's Quest (double up on Beamsley Sunshine) and out of GC Serb's Black Gold (with a pedigree boasting four Cats of the Year). Conquest grew up in the home of Peggy Gude (Pegsden) in Atlanta. Under Peggy's generous direction, this quite ordinary looking black male (he didn t grand until March 1974) produced some of the most extreme Persians of the decade. A historic breeding with GC Jo-Le's Mysdeal produced multiple national winners for Joe Gianuzzi and made Conquest a hero. Eventually Conquest went to Jim Rambo who continued to make Conquest available to breeders across the country. There are few pedigrees today that don't boast of Conquest in the background.
The decade of the 1980's was ushered in with a group of stunning whites in the lead: Trelawny Special Delivery (Wil-O-Rose lines), Simbelair Carla, Jolee's Ice Angel and Jolee's Dresden of South Paw (again, Wil-O-Rose lines), and the dynasty of Windbourne white Kittens of the Year. Vicki Dickerson's blue-eyed white kittens dominated the decade. Duplicating this success in the darker colors, the Rambo cattery produced famous blacks Rambo Jubliee, Rambo I Love A Parade, Rambo All This And Heaven Too, and Rambo Eclipse. The Mystichill cattery of Diane Silverman had the first of many national wins in 1981 with Mystichill Houdini of Jovan. Ronlyn debuted in Nationals in 1983 with Ronlyn Yoda, followed by Ronlyn ET, Ronlyn Rusty, Ronlyn Gremlin, and Ronlyn Obsession. And Bar-B sparkled with National winners Bar-B TNT, Bar-B VIC of Marhei, Bar-B Bombs Away, Bar-B Satin Doll of Myshadows, and culminating in GC Bar-B Rerun earning 1987 Cat of the Year. South Paw's first big winner was South Paw Sunburst (1982 Best Kitten and 1983 Best Cat), followed by South Paw Gizmo, South Paw Sun Beau of Trailwood, South Paw Cloud Nine, and South Paw Wish Upon A Star (1988 Best Cat). Other famous names appearing in Nationals for the first time were Kitty Charm, Fountainhead, Jonala, Toshika and Marsamis. Wynden who appeared in 1971 with a black national kitten winner, appeared again in the late 80's with a blue, Wynden Spodiodi. And Q-T Cats marked their second decade of wins with white, blues, creams, and also blacks.
Perhaps the most influential breeding done during this era was planned by Bob Rodefer and Peggy Gude. Peggy sent a black female, CH Pegsden Periwinkle, DM to Bob for a breeding to Yankee Doodle Dandy. Periwinkle was a double Conquest breeding backed by that famous Jo-Le cross between Conquest x Mysdeal. As agreed, Peggy got the first litter. Two black males were born in May of 1978 and were registered under the Pegsden cattery name: GC Pegsden On Parade (of Rambo), DM and Pegsden Perigrine of Kiawah. Both males came to Jim Rambo and Parade produced most of the Rambo winners of that decade. As per the agreement, Bob Rodefer kept all subsequent litters which were registered under the Lullaby name. Cats from these litters proved to be invaluable additions to many famous catteries across the country: GC Lullaby Abracadabra of Midas, DM, Lullaby Allure of Mystichill, DM, and Lullaby Peanuts of Kyetrak (born May 1980), GC Lullaby About Face of South Paw, DM and GC Lullaby Avanti of Bar-B (born March 1981), CH Lullaby Hallelujah of Charmyr, and Lullaby Gayleah of Guardian.
The decade of the 1990's began with a unique event. Colorpoint Carriers (CPC's) placed in the national awards for the first time in history. In 1990 Catsafrats Ice Cube (BEW) was awarded 13th Best Cat and Mullodies Sundance (red) earned 22nd Best Cat. Thus began the procession of Catsafrats CPC winners: Catsafrats Shimmering Ice (1993) and Catsfrats Bare Ice (1994). And while some things have changed, others remain quite the same. Blacks have taken top honors again during the 90's with wins by Katrina's Postmarque of Katra (1990 Best Cat), Trebar's Black Tie Affair, Jadon Geoffrey Beene (1992 Best Cat), Wynden Neiman Marques, and Kitjim's Bittersweet Harvest. Whites, perhaps more than any other color, have dominated the awards this decade with winners bred by South Paw, Toshika, Kitty Charm, Catsafrats, Anona, Spellbound, and Marsamis. The dilute colors are again coming into favor. Thanks to a fine showing by Kittrik's Broadway Joe, Q-T Cats Ashley, Araho's Maggie O'Reilly, and Mossrose Vanilla Fudge the fancy is reminded how beautiful the blues and creams can be.
We have been given a great legacy of Solid Color Persians. It has been a century filled with famous cats, distinguished breeders, and astounding achievements. In 1876 Dr. Gordon Stables, an early British judge, wrote, "cat shows are only in their infancy. Anyone who chances to have a good cat may nowadays take prizes. In the future years there will be no chance work about the matter at all. Those only who study breeding and rearing of cats in a scientific and sensible manner will be winners." And winners we are. Thanks to the love and dedication of the breeders of the past century, we have inherited some of the brightest stars in CFA's sky. In the future we must look to preserve these fine standards and continue to work to perfect clear coat colors and add additional refinement. As true breeders we are never satisfied. Our eyes are always on the next generation.