Cynara Ridgebacks is a small Oklahoma kennel founded in 2001 and
originally dedicated to owning and showing the most beautiful Rhodesian
Ridgebacks we could buy. As our experience with this fantastic breed grew
so did our determination to help improve the breed by only mating healthy and
intelligent Ridgebacks who meet the breed standard for conformation and
temperament. Our dogs are highly valued by their owners for their
individual personalities, looks, flawless movement and athletic healthy bodies.
Cynara Ridgebacks are multi-purpose dogs who can show in the morning, lure
course in the afternoon, play with the family for a few hours in the evening and then crash on
the couch until morning. All Cynara Ridgebacks are registered
with the American Kennel Club (AKC). Visit the News
page to read about recent activities and events.
CH Zareba Hunt for Red
October, SC, CGC (Hunter)

DOB: September 21, 2001
Pedigree
OFA page
Sire: CH Wyndrunhr Red Hot Chili, ROM
Dam: CH Zareba Tosca Puccini Cayenne, SC, HIC Hunter has one of the most beautiful heads I've seen on a RR.
As a puppy his eyes were so beautiful people joked he was wearing mascara.
Hunter easily
finished his confirmation championship in December 2003 and promptly retired.
Now he chases squirrels, lays on the couch or in the warm sun and does some lure
coursing for fun. His temperament is usually mellow except when chasing
the ATV around the property.
|
HUNTER'S HEALTH TESTS - CHIC #23641 |
|
Test type |
Date |
Results |
|
Cardiac - Heart |
2004 |
Normal by
cardiologist |
|
CERF (Eyes) |
2002 & 2003 |
Clear |
|
Degenerative
Myelopathy (DM) |
2008 |
Clear - No genes for
DM |
|
Elbows x-ray |
2005 |
Normal - no
dysplasia |
|
Hips x-ray |
2005 |
Excellent - no
dysplasia |
|
Thyroid |
2005 |
Comp. autoimmune
thyroiditis. High TGAA level. |
Our original goal was for him to win a coursing Field Championship but he
usually outsmarts the lure course designers and runs to where the "bunny" is
going to be instead of obediently following behind. Judges don't seem to
appreciate this talent and seldom reward Hunters' problem solving abilities.
Hunter suffers from food and skin allergies and has thyroid disease so he
was neutered and never bred. Hunter was our first Ridgeback to earn AKC
Championship, Junior and Senior Courser titles and a Canine Good Citizen
certificate.
On October 29, 2009 Hunter visited the vet to have a couple of new lumps
checked out. The lab results confirmed our initial suspicion that they
were mast cell tumors. We are exploring various treatment methods. It's certainly a rotten 8th birthday present for
Hunter. Hunter still feels fine, loves to play and go for rides in the
car.
DOB: June 1, 2003 Pedigree OFA page
Sire: CH Mkuzi Ake Ajabu, SC
Dam: DC County Line's Lady Godiva, SC, CGC, TDIAOV,
HIC
Chisum has a fabulous pedigree full of show, lure coursing and obedience
champions. His personality and type are totally different than my other
Ridgebacks. Cautious, watchful and slow to warm up to strangers makes him the
perfect guard dog but not necessarily the type of dogs for families who
frequently entertain.
|
CHISUM'S HEALTH TESTS - CHIC #23640 |
|
Test type |
Date |
Results |
|
Cardiac - Heart |
2004 |
Normal by
cardiologist |
|
CERF (Eyes) |
2005 |
Clear |
|
Degenerative
Myelopathy (DM) |
2008 |
At Risk - Has both genes for
DM which means it is possible for him to be affected. |
|
Elbows x-ray |
2005 |
Normal - no
dysplasia |
|
Hips x-ray |
2005 |
Excellent - no
dysplasia |
|
Thyroid |
2004 |
Normal function |
At 30" height and a solid 105 pounds, he is easily our largest Ridgeback and
considerable over the preferred standard but he is very impressive. When Chisum
barks the windows rattle and visitors freeze in their tracks. However,
this intimidating Ridgeback is a huge "mama's boy". I seldom can leave the room
for more than a minute or two before Chisum comes looking for me.
Chisum can easily outrun Hunter and Dozer who both have Senior Courser
titles. If only we can just convince him to chase the plastic bunny
instead of live squirrels he could be a Top 10 contender! Once he turned two
years old his body started to mature and now he looks like a weight lifter with
sculpted muscles. He earned 7 points toward his show championship but wasn't
interested in performing in the show ring so we retired him.
However Chisum has other talents. Chisum easily completed Beginner, Novice &
Trial Procedure obedience classes. We knew he might be talented in obedience
when he won Novice First Prize by completing his graduation test with a score of
196 out of 200. For fun and because it is a worthy program we took and
passed the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test. It was a close call when his
protective instincts kicked in during the part of the test where a male jogger
ran directly toward us but training kept him under control.
We decided to try the sport of Rally-O or Rally Obedience and took several
weeks of classes to learn the rules and practice. The Rally Novice test is done
with the dog on a leash. A perfect score is 100. To pass requires at least a 70
score. When a dog passes three different courses or legs he earns the title.
Many owners, including me, choose to work toward the next level which is a Rally
Advanced (RA) title. The scary part about earning the RA title is the dog must
perform
off leash. Chisum has easily earned Rally Novice
(RN) and Rally Advanced (RA) titles. Our first RA leg was ran on 11/3/06
at a trial in Tulsa, OK. Chisum was simply awesome and scored a 93. His 2nd leg
was earned with a 96 on the following day. The 3rd leg and the title was earned
with a score of 94. If this sounds easy, think again. Hounds and obedience
don't always mix well. Chisum and Katie were the only Ridgebacks competing for a
Rally title in Tulsa & may have been the only hounds.
CH Kamalis Dapper Dan of
Cynara, SC, RN, CGC (Dozer)
DOB: October 19, 2003
Pedigree
OFA page
Sire: CH Kitambi Kuno Moon By Zareba, CGC SC (Kuno)
Dam: CH Kamalis Sweet Cherokee Chili
FROZEN SEMEN AVAILABLE
Dozer has the build of an old time athletic hunting hound. In
some ways he reminds me of a regal English Foxhound. Dozer is
lightening fast, high energy and can leap over 5 foot fences with ease.
He is 26" tall at the shoulder with a gorgeous head, strong chest, dark eyes &
an almost perfect ridge. His pedigree contains excellent bloodlines with
multiple Champions. Dozer, his sire, Kuno and brother Milo have all won
multiple Best of Breed (BOB) awards. Cynara was thrilled when Dozer won
his first BOB on 4/7/2007 in a large entry of 39 Ridgebacks including 13
champions. It didn't take Dozer long to win a second BOB award on
4/28/07.
|
DOZER'S HEALTH TESTS - CHIC #29809 |
|
Test type |
Date |
Results |
|
BAER - Hearing |
2004 |
Normal |
|
Cardiac - Heart |
2007 |
Normal by
cardiologist |
|
CERF (Eyes) |
2005 |
Clear |
|
CERF (Eyes) |
2007 |
Clear with prominent Y suture tips |
|
Degenerative
Myelopathy (DM) |
2008 |
Clear - No genes for DM |
|
Elbows x-ray |
2006 |
Normal - no
dysplasia |
|
Hips x-ray |
2006 |
Excellent - no
dysplasia |
|
Thyroid |
2005 & 2008 |
Normal function |
Dozer is a natural show dog who loves to self stack. He prances and
struts every chance he gets. Dozer started winning young by taking 2nd
place in the 9-12 month class at 2004 RRCUS National show. One of his
handlers calls him the "Energizer Bunny". He excelled in the show ring
once he turned two years old. Most judges, except those who like larger
over-standard size dogs, enjoy watching him in the ring and one judge
called him "a killer dog". Dozer has finished his Championship on May
26, 2006 with 16 points & 3 majors. Two days later he finished 2nd in a
5pt major lure coursing trial to earn his Senior Courser title and 3
points towards his Field Championship (FC). He now has 10 points
toward his FC.
A very limited amount of frozen semen is available to approved
bitches. Dozer has been neutered to keep peace in our pack of 5
Ridgebacks and to prevent accidental breedings. Dozer's bloodline has
excellent temperaments and live to a nice old age.
Health Notes: Dozer has excellent hips and has passed all other
pre-breeding health screenings. Dozer ate a bee once and reacted to
being stung in the mouth but recovered quickly. Dozer has 5
siblings who have passed their hips, elbows and patella exams. 4
siblings have passed thyroid and cardiac tests.

DOB: July 3, 2005
Pedigree OFA page
Sire: Alchemy Oridgenal OneMoreTime, CDX RN AX SC MXJ HIC TT VCX
(Falco)
Dam: Am/Can. CH Jendaya's Akiki of Tumomak, SC HIC TT (Gemma)
Katie is our first Ridgeback to combine strong agility, lure
coursing, obedience and conformation bloodlines. Katie inherited her
mom, Gemma's elegant looks and smooth reaching movement. Falco,
Katie's sire, is multi-talented and has several titles in obedience and
agility including the coveted Versatility Excellence Certificate.
Cynara's first 3 Ridgebacks were male and were never bred.
Katie became our foundation bitch when she gave birth to her first
litter of puppies in Jan. 2008. There were 8 puppies but one was
stillborn. The 4 females and 3 males were all ridged, no kinked
tails, excessive white nor dermoids. The puppies are growing into
talented and valued members of their families. Six of the seven
pups have earned either a title, certificate or both plus 5 has passed
their CERF eye test and 4 have passed their cardiac heart checks.
In August 2009, Katie blessed us with another beautiful healthy all
ridged litter.
|
KATIE'S HEALTH TESTS - CHIC #41315 |
|
Test type |
Date |
Results |
|
Cardiac - Heart |
2007 |
Normal on echocardiogram |
|
CERF (Eyes) |
2006, 2007 & 2009 |
Clear |
|
Degenerative
Myelopathy (DM) |
2008 |
Clear - No genes for
DM |
|
Elbows x-ray |
2007 |
Normal - no
dysplasia |
|
Hips x-ray |
2007 |
Excellent - no
dysplasia |
|
Thyroid |
2006 & 2009 |
Normal function |
Katie earned her conformation championship with a roar by winning a
4-point major (her 3rd major) to finish with 17 points. Even
though hounds are not known for their skills in obedience Katie has
earned Rally Novice, Rally Advanced and Rally Excellent titles and
passed her Canine Good Citizen and Herding Instinct test. She is a very sweet Ridgeback
that gets along with all of the dogs in her pack, male and female.
When strange dogs come into the yard she gets protective and tries to
sound like a junk yard dog.
Size wise -- Katie is perfectly within the Ridgeback standard at 25"
height. Females are supposed to be 24-26" tall at the withers (top of
shoulder) Judges eyes are fooled by oversize dogs because they look impressive
but those dogs are seldom able to seriously compete in agility or lure
coursing for very
long.
Katie's grandsire, Beckett has produced over 20 Confirmation
Champions and 16 pups with performance or obedience titles. Beckett,
BVISS CH Rare Earth's Quantum Leap, UD, MX, MXJ, TT, HIC, VCX, ROM
finished his show career at almost 10 years earned old by winning Best
Veteran, Award of Merit and Best Stud Dog at the 2005 RRCUS National
Specialty. Beckett died in March 2008, 3 months short of his 13th
birthday.
Health Notes: Katie has passed all of her health screening. Her
eyes have been tested for cataracts three times and her thyroid tested
twice. Katie has only had two minor allergic
reactions. One came right after the first litter started on puppy
formula and then it happened again with the second litter.
Obviously something in the formula doesn't mix well with Katie's system
but after two Benedryl, the hives quickly go down and she is fine.
We learned to keep her away from the puppies until they finish eating
and are cleaned up. Katie's dam, Gemma passed all of her health tests and has her CHIC. It is
important to check if the health records of a dog's ancestors.
Recently I investigated Katie's great grandsire, Ch Omega's Blk Mambazo
of Tahari (Boz). Boz who was born 4/28/1998 is CHIC #13278 with
good hips and normal eyes, elbows and thyroid. The interesting
part is Boz's eyes were still clear in Dec. 2005 (age 92 months) &
incredibly he even passed his thyroid test in May 2007 (age 107 months).
DOB:
January 23, 2008
Pedigree
OFA page
Sire: BIF DC Tandiwe's Intrigue'N Mission, MC,
CGC (Apollo)
Dam: CH Jendaya's Mint Julep of Cynara, RE, CGC (Katie)
Trouble is pick of the litter from Cynara's first litter. She is active, spirited, fearless and has lovely conformation. We
started puppy classes at about 12 weeks old after the 2nd set of
vaccinations. Our goals are socialization, obedience and learning to
show in the conformation ring.
|
TROUBLE'S HEALTH TESTS |
|
Test type |
Date |
Results |
|
Cardiac - Heart |
2009 |
Normal by
cardiologist |
|
CERF (Eyes) |
2008 & 2009 |
Clear |
|
Degenerative
Myelopathy (DM) |
2008 |
Clear - No genes for
DM |
|
Elbows x-ray |
Will be done 2010 |
TBA |
|
Hips x-ray |
Will be done 2010 |
TBA |
|
Thyroid |
Will be done 2010 |
TBA |
Her first show was a fun match held when she was 4 3/4 months old.
While riding to the show she chewed up part of the zipper on the soft crate,
however she won Best Puppy in Match so all was forgiven. Trouble
earned her AKC show championship on Feb. 7, 2010.
Trouble
was named Trouble because she seems to attract trouble.
She was bitten on the shoulder by a copperhead snake at 5 months old.
The bite was very painful but all of the loose puppy skin allowed the swelling to spread out without causing
excessive pressure or damage. At 6 months, we noticed that her
microchip had migrated from its original location down to about the
middle of her left shoulder blade. Her favorite bad habit is
chewing up ink pens. If we aren't watching her, she will even jump
up on the dining room table and grab a pen and jump back down. She
is a huge counter surfer and loves to play tug games and chase
squirrels.
Trouble has been learning Rally Obedience skills. Her first
Rally Novice trial was at the 2009 Ridgeback Nationals held in May,
2009. The pressure was intense to earn a passing score. I
needn't have worried. We scored 84 out of 100 for our first leg of
3. Our next trials were on June 27 & 28, 2009 in Oklahoma City,
OK. Trouble did very well, scoring 92 and 91 and easily earned her
Rally Novice (RN) title.
|