Winsome came into being as a result of a fortuitous rendezvous d’amour between her sire QCH Gray-Ivy Aladdin and dam GC Wee Heather Holly Ann. Holly Ann was just nine months old when her sire Aladdin bred her without the blessing of Grace and Ivan Over of Gray-Ivy Cattery, but the Overs were extremely happy when GC Gray-Ivy Toy Ann and GC Gray-Ivy Winsome [of Cardell], DM were born, and later repeated the breeding five times.
GC Gray-Ivy Winsome of Cardell, DM and her sister GC Gray-Ivy Whisper were originally sold to Carol DelVecchio, a Burmese breeder in Massachusetts, but Winsome later went back to the Overs in Pasadena, California, while Whisper remained on the east coast with Linda Larson of Wis-Purr cattery.
Winsome enjoyed a carefree life, unfettered with kittens, until one day when she was nearly four-years-old, ten-month-old Gray-Ivy Ron-D-Voo successfully wooed her and soon the Overs found she was indeed pregnant. To her dismay, some weeks later Grace found that Winsome had delivered one pre-mature kitten in the litter box while they were driving out to the desert. Winsome had no milk but the Overs managed to save the baby who became known as GC. Gray-Ivy Wee Wonder and who later became CFA’s highest scoring kitten of the year.
Eight months later, the Overs, repeated the breeding and Winsome gave birth to a litter of three, including GC Gray-Ivy Keepsake, in a hotel room while the Overs were attending a show in Riverside California. Keepsake also enjoyed an illustrious show career.
GC Gray-Ivy Fanfare was born in Winsome’s third litter. Fanfare was named after Fanfare of Allington, a cat imported from England by Vivian Peterson (Osborn) of Beverly-Serrano cattery. CH. Fanfare of Allington was the sire of QCH. Gray-Ivy Aladdin. GC Gray-Ivy Fanfare was well-known for his extreme type.
In Winsome’s forth litter, GC Gray-Ivy Dresden Doll was born and in her fifth litter GC Gray-Ivy Bouffant of Fayron. In the sixth litter bred to GC Gray-Ivy Ron-D-Voo, GC Gray-Ivy Favorite Beau of Fayron was born. When Winsome was about eight-years-old, she gave birth to one last kitten GC Gray-Ivy Royal Flush, affectionately known as “Chip”. GC Gray-Ivy Royal Flush was her seventh Grand.
Winsome had a late start in motherhood, but the legacy of her offspring lives on today in many of our lines.
Janice Reichle of Diadem Silver and Golden Persians petitioned CFA naming all of GC Gray-Ivy Winsome of Cardell’s qualifying offsping. Retroactively, CFA awarded Winsome the title of Distinguished Merit.
Note: Thank you Linda Larson of Whis-purr and Janice Reichle for sharing your memories of Winsome with me and much of the information above was gleaned from an article written by Grace Over for the USF, Vol. 26, Number 3, September 1998.
Written by Karol Cummins, Wyndcreste Silver Persians
