Grand Champion & Imperial Grand Premier Dushenka Tashabella, 1 UK GPC
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Pet name: |
Tasha aka TashatheCrasher, TashatheSplasher, Crazy Baby, Tashkent, Kentium, Tish-tash-Lady-Crash, Tasha-wagtail, Da Crasha... |
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Major awards: |
● Top female Russian kitten of 2006
● 9 Challenge Certificates,
3 Grand Challenge certificate, 7 reserve Grand Challenges, 2
reserve Imperial Grands and 8 times Best of Breed as an adult ● Best Foreign neuter and Best in Show Foreign, Durham 2014 |
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| Notable offspring: |
● Champion & Imperial Grand Premier Dushenka Xander, two Olympians & two reserve Olympians - also Best Foreign Kitten, Edinburgh 2008; Best Foreign Neuter, West Country 2016; Best Foreign Neuter, North West show 2016; Best Foreign Neuter, Cheshire show 2016; Best Section 4 Neuter and Best in Show Section 4 Exhibit, Cheshire show 2019 ● UK & Imperial Grand Premier Dushenka Xariabella, 3 Olympian GPCs, 2 res OGPCs - Best Foreign Kitten, Teesside show 2008, best female Russian Blue kitten and adolescent RACCS 2008; Best Foreign Neuter and Best in Show Foreign exhibit Ulster 2009, RACCS top Russian Blue 2009; Best Foreign Neuter Wyvern 2010; Best Foreign Neuter and Best in Show Foreign exhibit West of Scotland 2010; Best Russian Female Neuter, RACCS 2013; RACCS top Russian Blue and RACCS Cat of the Year 2010; Best Foreign Neuter and Best in Show Foreign exhibit Durham 2011; Best Female neuter, RBBA 2012; also a MasterCat in the pedigree pet section
● Imperial Grand Champion &
Imperial Grand Premier Dushenka Belucia -
fourteen Best of Breed wins; Best in Show Foreign Exhibit on her show debut at 14 weeks old, Lakeland 2011;
Best of Variety Foreign kitten Northern Counties 2011; nominated for Best in Show Cumberland 2011; Overall Best in Show Exhibit Ulster 2011.
Champion at 10½ months, three Grand Challenge and four reserve Grand Challenges,
five Imperial certificates as an adult and five as a neuter, Best of Variety Foreign Adult, West of
Scotland 2015 and Lancashire show 2015; Best of Variety Foreign Neuter
and Best in Show Foreign Exhibit Cheshire 2017; Best Russian Exhibit and Overall
Best in Show, RACCS 2018!; Best Section 4 (Foreign) Neuter, Humberside 2018; Best in Show Section 4 (Foreign) Exhibit, Edinburgh show 2018: 1 OGCC and 2 res OGCCs |
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| Kittens: | 2008 2011 |
Tasha is from Sophie's first litter of kittens and was a special bonus package, making her entry into the world quietly and without fuss hours after her siblings. If I was being sensible I wouldn't have kept her, but I just couldn't bear to part with her. It was hard enough parting with her siblings, with her brother going to live with my brother and her two sisters also going to extra-special homes.
She may have had a quiet entry into the world, but as you will probably have guessed from some of her various pet names Tasha doesn't really have the normal shy Russian temperament! She is utterly adorable, but has the ability to make a crashing noise with a couple of sheets of paper - honest, she really does (TashatheCrasher).... She can fall on, off, in, out, up or down - she doesn't mind, it's all great fun for her. She has a water fixation, jumping into the bathroom sink and waiting for me to switch the tap on when she fancies a drink. She likes to try and join me in the bath and has managed it on a couple of occasions (TashatheSplasher) and you know when Tasha is happy as she flings her tail from side to side - Tasha-wagtail! I can see a little bit of her great-grandmother Stella in her, with her beautiful 'cattitude', although Stella was never as undignified as Tasha!
Although she is now mature in years you
wouldn't guess it from her demeanour - she is still very much a mischievous kitten at heart.
Of course, I wouldn't change her in any way as she's wonderful just as she
is, the rascal. She is just such an endearing cat it is impossible
not to love her. She had two very successful litters of kittens,
and proved to be a wonderful mother although it didn't slow her down at all!
Her kittens are as crazily marvellous as she is, beautiful, loving and great
company. Tasha is long retired from having kittens now, and I have had great
fun showing her as a neuter too. At her first show as a neuter Tasha won her
first Premier Certificate and 1st in all her classes - and purred and kissed
her way through the day, and continued to greatly enjoy her second show
career, my darling girl: at 8 years young she was my first 'double'
grand-titled cat. On 31 May 2014 Tasha realised my long-held ambition
for her by winning her first-ever best of variety award at 8 and a half
years old - she then went one better, winning Best in Show Foreign and was
finally reserve best in show, only being beaten by an exquisite Siamese.
Thank you Tasha, my darling girl.
J
It would alway have been too soon to lose Tasha, but her loss on 8 November 2018 was devastating to me. No more rusty wood-pigeon purrs, no more Tasha-hugs with accompanying huge kisses. She was so very much loved, and I still grieve for her.