riki

Each morning I walk past the place
Where you guard the cattery way
I whisper softly, Good morning Riki,
Your violets are out today.

Sometimes still I see you
Throw yourself before my feet
I pause to stoop and scratch you;
Then check myself, as I remember.

In my mind I hear your soft brrp, brrp
And see your loving look,
The same soft voice, and bright eyes
With which you said goodbye.

You lay in my arms, your trust undimmed
Even the vets eyes were not dry,
After four sad days, you grew sleepier still,
We knew. You were ready to go.

Farewell my Riki, Farewell
Rest now in the lap of friends and lovers
Whisper to them the joys of earth
Share with them now your loving look.

I thought I was ready to share with you my memories to this most fabulous cat, it is just over a year since I wrote the above words, words which I spoke over his grave at the Aussie Mist annual Christmas party and presentation of Awards while all his friends filed by and cast a single flower onto his grave. But my eyes are still full of tears that are dripping onto the keyboard as I write.

So I will just share a little bit about him.
Awatea Kohu Ariki was born on Boxing Day, 1989, to Gold Double Grand Champion Nintu Tamarisk, and Double Grand Champion Nintu Jerrin. Anne Burrows, his breeder, immediately saw his potential, and offered him to me as a gift. I was a bit reluctant, but she persisted, and after she had shown him to the age of six months, he came to live with me. Never a cat to like other cats, he just loved people, was the greatest of showmen, suffered from 'crumple leg' - wouldn't stand on the table to be judged, but insisted on sinking down and rolling on his back. He invoked in one judge probably the silliest response I have ever seen in a judge - she bent down and kissed his tummy - her trust was well placed, and he just purred. He was a show winner, several Best in Shows, and many many Pet Awards (judged solely on purrsonality), he was well travelled, we flew and drove to shows in South Australia, Victoria and Queensland, he travelled to Western Australia to live for a time with Jeanette Perkins. He appeared on TV shows several times - including a couple of live-to-air interviews, where he behaved with purrfect decorum, and probably most amazing (at least it was to my Mum's friends), the two of us hopped out of the car to be photographed together standing under a Nothofagus tree (my thesis was on the Ecology of Nothofagus cunninghamii) on the Black Spur on our way home from the first CCCA show in Victoria. This photograph was specially planned to appear on the back of 'Breeding Cats .... a Practical Guide.' Mother's friends all said ' Weren't you afraid he'd escape' - I must say I never even considered it!
Riki's full title was
GOLD DB GD CH SAPPHIRE GD CH (WA) AWATEA KOHU ARIKI
You can see probably one of the best pictures ever taken of him on the
brown and blue colour page.

As I loved him so much, I decided to initiate the Riki Memorial Award, a personal Award given as and when I think one of the friends of the breed has made a particular contribution, or reached a particular milestone in the breed. The award is one of the bronze 'SPOT ON' medallions, engraved with the person's name, and individually numbered and dated on the reverse - and a citation printed on a page size copy of that picture of Riki and I.

PRESENTED BY
TRUDA M STRAEDE
IN LOVING MEMORY
OF
GLDBGDCH SPGDCH(WA)
AWATEA KOHU ARIKI

AWARDED TO MRS ANNE BURROWS IN RECOGNITION OF HER TIRELESS WORK IN PROMOTING THE AUSTRALIAN MIST, IN GRATITUDE FOR HER SHARING THE ROUGH AND SMOOTH OF BREEDING, BUT MOST OF ALL, IN THANKS FOR THE GIFT OF RIKI, WHO WON THE HEARTS OF EXHIBITORS, JUDGES AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC ALIKE.

PRESENTED BY
TRUDA M STRAEDE
IN LOVING MEMORY
OF
GLDBGDCH SPGDCH(WA)
AWATEA KOHU ARIKI

AWARDED TO MRS MHAIRE HIGGINS IN RECOGNITION OF BECOMING THE FIRST EXHIBITOR TO GAIN A PLACE IN THE RASCC INC CAT OF THE YEAR AWARDS
WITH
GL DBGDCH NINTU ESSENTIAL HELPER
WHO IS FOURTH BEST NEUTER CAT IN THE 1998 TOP 5

AND NEWLY PRESENTED, ON SUNDAY 12 DECEMBER 1999 TO A SOMEWHAT DAMP RECEPTION

PRESENTED BY
TRUDA M STRAEDE
IN LOVING MEMORY
OF
GOLD DBGDCH SP GDCH(WA)
AWATEA KOHU ARIKI

AWARDED TO DR VALERIE HAMILTON IN RECOGNITION OF HER PIONEERING PROMOTION OF THE AUSTRALIAN MIST TO PUBLIC AND CAT FANCY ALIKE IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA; AND IN THANKS FOR HER PERSONAL CONTRIBUTION TO AND SHARING OF THE QUEST FOR GREATER KNOWLEDGE OF ALL ASPECTS OF OUR BREED.
LONG MAY HER LOYALTY BE REWARDED.

in loving memory of
Gld Db Gd Ch
Sp Gd Ch ( WA)
Awatea Kohu Ariki

in recognition of her valuable contribution to exhibiting and promoting
the Australian Mist.
Like Riki, she is a great ambassador for the Breed and I am confident that outstanding young members like Kelly ensure a strong and secure future for the Australian Mist.

AUSTRALIAN MIST
RIKI MEMORIAL
AWARD
FIVE
2002
PRESENTED BY
TRUDA M STRAEDE
IN LOVING MEMORY
OF
GOLD DBGDCH SP GDCH(WA)
AWATEA KOHU ARIKI
AWARDED TO MRS WENDY SHERBORNE FOR HER ENTHUSIASTIC PROMOTION OF AUSTRALIAN MIST, THROUGH BREEDING AND EXHIBITING, IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY, WHERE THE BREED WAS PREVIOUSLY LITTLE KNOWN.

AWARDED TO MRS PATRICIA BEECH IN RECOGNITION OF HER SUPPORT FOR THE WELFARE OF BOTH BREEDERS OF AND AUSTRALIAN MIST CATS THEMSELVES, THROUGH HER CARE FOR MANY OLD CATS, AND ASSISTANCE IN TIMES OF TROUBLE.
HER LOVE FOR AUSTRALIAN MIST, AND FOR ALL CATS LUCKY ENOUGH TO COME HER WAY IS EXEMPLIFIED BY THE CARE WITH WHICH SHE REARS HER KITTENS - ALL OF THEM, PERFECT OR NOT, BEING OF EQUAL VALUE IN HER EYES, AND GIVEN AN EQUAL CHANCE TO LIVE AND THRIVES OF AND AUSTRALIAN MIST CATS THEMSELVES, THROUGH HER CARE FOR MANY OLD CATS, AND ASSISTANCE IN TIMES OF TROUBLE.
HER LOVE FOR AUSTRALIAN MIST, AND FOR ALL CATS LUCKY ENOUGH TO COME HER WAY IS EXEMPLIFIED BY THE CARE WITH WHICH SHE REARS HER KITTENS - ALL OF THEM, PERFECT OR NOT, BEING OF EQUAL VALUE IN HER EYES, AND GIVEN AN EQUAL CHANCE TO LIVE AND THRIVE.