Sad news…CFA judge Walter Hutzler has passed away. He was a great cat judge and person. I didn’t know him well, but he lived in Region 1 and I was lucky to have seen him judge and have Jacoby judged by him a few times.
The thing I remember about Walter is his flamboyant style of dressing. He also often wore scarves, which I thought was cool, and a nice change from the usual ties CFA judges wear.
He was even featured in the 2006 PBS documentary Standard of Perfection: Show Cats. It’s always fun to see judges you know on TV shows.
Walter was a really fun judge to watch.
He really interacted with the cats as he judged them.
Since it was Monday, I remembered I had taken some Hipstamatic photos of Walter judging Jake at a show in Groton, CT in October 2011 (the same weekend I met Molly and Mosey and Jake Gbecame a Grand).
My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend has stopped running today. Sleep well in Tuonela, Walter.
The Daily Abyssinian...and Singapura 
I started showing my Abys in the early 1980s and Walter was one of the first judges we saw and were so impressed with not only his personal style but his finesse and expertise with the cats. He did love to hold them high and give them a good view of the hall as well as us a view of them but, hey, that’s what a show cat should expect.
We are not only losing our long-respected breeders and judges but seemingly the Fancy itself.
Walter, you’ll be missed.
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I don’t think I ever got to be judged by Walter Hutzler, since I’m in Region 5, all the way across country. We only occasionally got Region 1 judges.
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I’m so sorry for the loss of your friend and judge. But know that you will meet again and will be surrounded by all the cats you’ve loved and lost!
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I was a Maine Coon breeder in Kansas City. Walter was the most articulate, well-spoken judge I ever saw.
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Awww…thank you for the commment!
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