aboutglobe

ABOUT GLOBE RHODESIAN RIDGEBACKS

As complete novices in dog showing, we acquired our first Rhodesian Ridgeback from Bellwether Farm in 1972. That was Ch. Bellwether Takele Anza, ROM who was owner-handled to her championship, finished by going Best of Breed over Specials. "Kele" was from the first litter produced by Bellwether Farm, but was actually a product of Wendy Wolforth's Sunridge line - one of the best-known Ridgeback lines of that time. Kele's dam, Ch. Sunridge Tamu Howjad, finished her championship in only four shows with four 4-point majors. We were indeed fortunate to have gotten such a good, sound bitch as our foundation.

When we got Kele, we had never even been to a dog show, but we had always owned and loved dogs and wanted to be involved in pure-bred dogs. The Ridgeback proved to be the breed of our dreams - little did we know at the time how far that dream would take us. At the time we started showing Kele , there were few majors in our area. Trying to find majors, we went from Florida to New England. Not only did it give us an opportunity to find major points, it also gave us a great opportunity to see many Ridgebacks from various lines and to learn more about the breed from well-known breeders from all over the eastern part of the country. Having an opportunity to meet and be acquainted with a number of breeders from around the world has enabled us to expand our knowledge of the breed.

To be a successful breeder, you have to know the pedigrees - not just the names, but know as much as possible about the individual dogs on it. We are very proud of our dogs and the breeding program we have established which has received international recognition. We don't breed often, but we have always been very selective about who we breed with lots of research going into each breeding. Emphasis has always been put on quality - not quantity. We are not interested in breeding the most Ridgebacks, only the best that we can. In each breeding we are looking beyond that litter to possible crosses in the future.

Joi

We are always looking for the best quality dogs to enhance our breeding program. We feel the Ridgeback should be a well rounded, companion dog that is sound in conformation, movement, and temperament. One aspect of our breeding philosophy is to minimize such problems as dermoid sinus and to avoid the new problems cropping up such as deafness.

When planning a breeding, we first evaluate the bitch and her bloodlines. Our experience tells us which bloodlines carry which characteristics, and we consider the stud dogs from those lines - narrowing it down to the one we feel will best complement our bitch.

Sala

We enjoy showing dogs, so our own Ridgebacks are owner handled and most that we place are also owner handled, though we have no objection to someone using a good, ethical professional handler. As owner-handlers we cannot get to as many shows as professional handlers nor do we have the influence in the ring, but our dogs have done well. We have had dogs all our lives, mixed breeds and a German Shepherd, before acquiring our first Ridgeback. We have also had a French Bulldog, who was owner-handled to her championship.

We have been members of the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the US (RRCUS) since 1973 and served as editors of the club's bi-monthly magazine in 1984 and 1985 - a major responsibility which was also a tremendous opportunity for educational growth. In 1999 we were on the Register of Merit Committee to identify Ridgebacks of the past who had achieved this award but had not been recognized. We also helped organize the RRCUS-sponsored Judges Seminar, the first in the Southeast. Have served on the Website Committee to provide various types of information and updates on OFA. Currently serve as RRCUS liaison to OFA. Also serve on the POST team, a website for RR pedigree information. We have served on four National Specialty committees as chair of catalog advertising. Ginny has provided logos for 3 RRCUS National Specialties including the upcoming 2005 Specialty in Georgia. We strongly support the RRCUS Code of Ethics in breeding and in the placement of puppies. We have provided portrait trophies for the breeders of the National Specialty Best of Breed, Best of Opposite Sex, and Best in Sweepstakes winners. We have also organized and sponsored RRCUS support shows and provided trophies for Ridgebacks at local shows. We were deeply honored when members of RRCUS at its 1991 annual meeting elected Ginny to judge Sweepstakes at the National Specialty in 1994 though she eventually had to decline. We are also members of the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Great Britain and the Rhodesian Ridgeback Association of Metro Atlanta.

Our all-breed club affiliation has been Classic City Kennel Club (Athens, GA) since 1973. In CCKC, we have served as officers and board members, on numerous committees including: Show Committee (Show Chairman; Trophy Chairman, Chief Steward and Ring Steward, Grounds); Publications (editor), Public Relations; Match Committee; Tattoo Clinics; Conformation Handling Classes; Obedience Classes. We have also donated services to the Washington-Wilkes County Humane Society by instructing obedience classes as a fund-raising, public service effort.

Brown Noses and The South African Connection
Ridgebacks can have one of two nose colors: black or brown. The brown nose should be accompanied by a dark amber eye color; the black nose should have a dark eye color in keeping with the color of the dog. Rare in some parts of the world, the brown nose is enjoying an increasing popularity in this country, and more recently other parts of the world, as breeders have come to realize the significance of the brown nose to their breeding program. Because of this, the US is producing some the finest quality Ridgebacks that are more competitive with other breeds.

Eli

Our brown nose Ridgebacks is one reason Globe Ridgebacks was the first asked to ship frozen semen back into Africa. In 1988 we were contacted by two breeders in South Africa about shipping frozen semen there. Not only did they want a superb Ridgeback overall, but they specifically wanted a dog with strong brown nose genes. While the brown nose was doing well in the USA, it suffered some discrimination in South Africa, and had become very rare there. The first brown nose in over a decade had just finished her South African championship. Some breeders were beginning to realize the importance of the brown nose to the breed and were anxious to bring this valuable gene back into their breeding programs.

They were considering a number of brown nose Ridgebacks in this country. We were honored that Globe Ridgebacks was selected. For such an expensive investment for them, and lengthy red tape for us all, we wanted to obtain the services of an agency/veterinarian in whom we had complete confidence. Our initial findings about the success of using frozen semen and the agencies here in the southeastern part of the country were very discouraging. Though these breeders met with some controversy and misgivings from other breeders in South Africa and even by the national kennel club for going outside the "mother country", they were adamant about wanting these bloodlines and very persistent. After lengthy research into frozen semen agencies, we suggested Ch. Globe Casino's Shaka Mzazi, TT, owned by Jim and Pat Hoffmaster, as the stud dog to use. Shaka is the son of a brown nose (Ch. Turoka Globe's Casino Renose) and out of a litter which produced 9 out of 12 brown noses. At that time Shaka was located in Boston in close proximity to Dr. Betty Trainor, one of the foremost authorities on frozen semen in this country. In March 1990 two litters were whelped in South Africa.

So successful were these litters (one won Best Junior Dog in Show), these two breeders again joined forces to import a puppy from our litter out of Ch. Globe's CaLia Toi Soldier. He became Multi-BIS S.Af. Ch., Zim Ch. Globe's Roving Red Regent ("Clay") - the first American-bred Ridgeback to attain his championship in South Africa as well as Zimbabwe.

For us the benefits of using the brown nose are coat quality and rich red wheaten coloring. It has been said the brown nose is more intelligent and more calm and "laid back" in nature. In our experience with the brown nose, we have found them generally to be a little gentler, softer-natured dog. This is relatively speaking, since Ridgebacks as a whole have these and each is an individual. Since all Ridgebacks are intelligent, we have not noticed that much difference in intelligence, but we do notice improved coat quality and coloring with a slicker, red wheaten coat.

Cakes & Scout

Other Affiliations Overseas
Maria Bjorkas in Finland also contacted us in 1989 in search of a puppy bitch to add to her breeding program. So another brown nose from Toi's litter went to Finland - Fin. Ch. Globe's Malabari Chuma.

Breeder/judge Tony Edwards of Lyonvelt in Great Britain and Ireland went to South Africa and Zimbabwe to visit Ridgeback breeders and study their dogs. He met Clay there and contacted us about getting a puppy. We had just placed a litter and were not expecting another in the immediate future. However, our male Ch. Globe Toi Soldier of Fortune had just been bred to Jane and David McMillan's Ch. Rakiara Rapidan Ricochet, and we suggested he take a look at that litter. He imported a bitch from that litter - Rapidan Touche of Lyonvelt - and later imported a dog from us in 1994 - Globe's Sultan of Lyonvelt.

We are constantly studying the breed and pedigrees with an eye on stud dogs or others' upcoming litters, and we find the gene pool becoming more and more concentrated on certain lines or certain dogs. A dog becomes the #1 Ridgeback or wins a Specialty or a Best in Show and suddenly many breeders are using the same few stud dogs. After a few generations, it's hard to find a dog or litter where the same dogs, as good as they may be, are not compounded in a pedigree.

In an effort to add new blood to our line without it being a total outcross, we imported a bitch from Janet Wang (South Africa) in 1994 - Ch. Nomvuyo Globe's Fanzikid ("Kelly"). Kelly's dam is American bred, so this gave us some African bloodlines as well as some lines that we knew very well. She easily finished her championship with back-to-back 5-pt majors. Unfortunately, Kelly developed pyometra right after her second birthday and had to be spayed. She is now, as always, our beloved companion; but we were heartsick when we lost her for breeding. She is a great ambassador for the breed.

Kelly

We still wanted to add some new bloodlines but with some lines we knew very well, so we imported a bitch from Tony Edwards of England/Ireland. She is Lyonvelt Fallon of Globe. Fallon is out the bitch Tony imported from the McMillans, so our Topper is her grandsire. Fallon's sire is Irish Ch. Edlanridge Roi D'Afrique Et Lyonvelt ("Max") who comes from some distinguished British and African lines - some of the same lines that Kelly carries. She was bred to �Timmy� and gave us an excellent litter having not only good conformation and movement, but the most confident and outgoing temperaments.

Fallon with her lion pillow

With the loss of Kelly to our breeding program, we imported another bitch from Janet Wang in 1999 - Nomvuyo Globe's Sirocco ("Shelby"). She is sired by Janet's top-winning Multi-BIS S.Af. Ch. Calibre Winds of Change of Nomvuyo ("Riff-Raff"), who was sired by Clay. Shelby is out of S.Af. Ch. Delphia TKO Pandemonium of Nomvuyo who was sired by Am/S.Af/Zim Ch. Camelot's Technical Knockout ("Bruiser"), bred and owned by Clayton Heathcock and Cheri Hadley. We had long admired Bruiser and, ironically, it is through an import from South Africa that we are adding him to our breeding program. Shelby was bred to �Scout� in 2002 and produced 13 puppies with excellent soundness and gait. �Flag� and �Mia� are our rising stars.

Shelby at 6 months

Another US dog we admire is BIS Oakhurst WGASA Morgan Run. A daughter of Fallon, Am/Can Ch. Globe Lyonvelt Irish Belle at Arifi, was bred to Morgan in 2003, and we are delighted to add �Barclay� (Arifi Fortune Reigns at Globe) to the Globe clan.

Barclay at 9 mo