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CYNARA RHODESIAN RIDGEBACKS



             Striving for Excellence in Health,
                 Personality & Performance


                        Proudly located near Oklahoma City, OK



News

August 16, 2008 - Astra goes Reserve Winners Bitch to a major her first weekend of showing from the 6-9 puppy class under Judge Dr. Harry Smith.  The judge said she had good movement and that the handler would have fun showing her as she matured.

July 23, 2008 - Happy 6 month Birthday Wishes to Astra, Lucas, Scuba, Stella, Vain, Titan & Trouble.  The puppy owners have all turned out to be wonderful and dearly love their puppies -- most of the time!  Katie, her mother and grandmother are all elegant and very much within the Ridgeback standard.  Katie is 25" tall (at the top of the shoulder & weighs 64 lbs.) These puppies certainly inherited some substance and bone from their dad, Apollo.  At 6 months of age the pups measured in at:

Scuba 24" - 60.7 lbs
 Stella 23 1/2" - 63 lbs  
Astra 23" - 53.8 lbs
Trouble 23" - 55.4 lbs
 Vain 24" - 63 lbs Vain at 6 months old
Titan 25" - 62 lbs
Lucas - 75.2 lbs

 

June 28, 2008 - NEW TITLE.  Dozer earned his Rally Novice title today with a score of 91 to earn his 3rd and final leg.  Lucas, one of Trouble's brothers came up from Texas for a short visit.  He went to his first dog show -- not to show but to have his eyes tested.  Both eyes were perfectly normal and he became the 3rd puppy from Katie's first litter to pass their CERF eye exam.

 

June 14, 2008 - Trouble entered her first show today.  It was the K9 Squares Fun Match held at the Okla. City Fairgrounds.  Trouble is only 4 3/4 months old so she was entered in the 3-6 Puppy Conformation Class.  Scuba and Astra couldn't make it to the show to compete against their sister so Trouble easily won Puppy Best of Breed (BOB) for Rhodesian Ridgebacks.  The competition stiffened when she went up against the BOB from the other Hound breeds attending the match.  A very nice slightly older Plott Hound puppy almost beat us but Trouble stacked and moved so nicely the judge pointed to the her for Hound Puppy Group 1.  Trouble and I were both getting tired by the time we finally hit the mats for Best in Match.  She wasn't holding her stack for as long and I wasn't paying as much attention to the judge's instructions as I should have so it was quite a surprise when the Judge announced the Ridgeback was Best Puppy in Match.   Later the judge told me Trouble had very nice conformation, even though she was a bit high in the rear, but it was her breath-taking side gait that made it impossible for the judge to pass her by.

May 25, 2008 Dozer turned in a great performance at the lure coursing trial today.  He tied for 2nd place and had to run a 3rd heat to decide who earned the points.  Dozer won the run-off and earned another point toward his Field Championship.  Dozer now has 9 of the 15 points needed.

May 24, 2008 - Astra & Trouble were both examined for any eye problems or diseases (CERF eye test).  Both girls passed with flying colors and were determined to be normal in both eyes.  The results of the exam are being mailed to CERF and should be posted on the CERF web site soon.

Meet Our Ridgebacks

Hunter Chisum Dozer Katie Trouble

CH Zareba Hunt for Red October, SC, CGC (Hunter)


    DOB:  September 21, 2001
    Sire:   CH Wyndrunhr Red Hot Chili, ROM
    Dam:  CH Zareba Tosca Puccini Cayenne, SC, HIC

   Hunter's OFA page    Hunter photos

Hunter has one of the most beautiful heads I've seen on a RR and 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.

HEALTH TESTS

Test type

Date

Results

Cardiac - Heart 2004 Normal
CERF (Eyes) 2002 Clear - No cataracts/problems
CERF (Eyes) 2003 Clear - No cataracts/problems
Elbows x-ray 2005 Normal
Hips x-ray 2005 Excellent
Thyroid 2005 Compromised Autoimmune Thyroiditis
 

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 low thyroid levels 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.


CountyLine Cynara of Revodana, RN, RA, CGC (Chisum)

Chisum outside looking for prey
    DOB: June 1, 2003   Pedigree  Chisum photos Chisum's 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. 

HEALTH TESTS - CHIC 23640

Test type

Date

Results

Cardiac - Heart 2004 Normal
CERF (Eyes) 2005 Clear
Elbows x-ray 2005 Normal
Hips x-ray 2005 Excellent
Thyroid 2004 Normal
 

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 really doesn't have enough pizzazz for the show ring.

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. As of 2/19/07 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.

Health Notes:  No food or other allergies.  Diva, Chisum's dam, not only has her CHIC but passed the thyroid test at age 69 months and the CERF eye exam at 77 months.  Many dogs eye sight starts failing as they age so these are very impressive results. 

A very limited amount of frozen semen is available to approved bitches.  Chisum has been neutered because we weren't interested in breeding him at that time but his line will be incorporated into our long term breeding plans.
 

CH Kamalis Dapper Dan of Cynara, SC, RN, CGC (Dozer) Pedigree    Dozer photos


Dozer & Kari 1st BOB  DOB: October 19, 2003
  Sire:  CH Kitambi Kuno Moon By Zareba, CGC SC (Kuno)
  Dam: CH Kamalis Sweet Cherokee Chili

Dozer's OFA page

Dozer is 26" in height with a gorgeous head, nice front, dark eyes & almost perfect ridge. His pedigree contains excellent bloodlines with multiple Champions including several from the well-known lines of Zareba and Kwetu.  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.

HEALTH TESTS - CHIC 29809

Test type

Date

Results

BAER - Hearing 2004 Normal
Cardiac- Heart 2007 Normal
CERF (Eyes) 2005 Clear
CERF (Eyes) 2007 Clear with prominent Y suture tips
Elbows x-ray 2006 Normal
Hips x-ray 2006 Excellent
Thyroid 2005 Normal
 

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.  He only needs his majors to finish and earn not only his FC but also a Dual Championship.

A very limited amount of frozen semen is available to approved bitches.  Dozer has been neutered because we weren't interested in breeding him at that time but hopefully his line will be incorporated into our long term breeding plans.  In fact, he may sire Katie's upcoming second litter.

Health Notes: No food allergies. Dozer ate a bee once and reacted to being stung in the mouth but recovered quickly.  One of the best things about Dozer is four of his full siblings and one 1/2 sib have their CHICs for passing health tests on their hips, elbows, eyes and thyroid. Kuno, his sire, also has his CHIC.

 

CH Jendaya's Mint Julep of Cynara, RN, RA, RE, Nat'l JHA, Int'l JHA, CGC (Katie) 

  DOB:  July 3, 2005    Pedigree   Katie Photos   Katie's 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 gave birth to her first litter of puppies on Jan. 23, 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.  All four females went to show/performance homes.  Two of the males are going to lure course and be adored companions. The other male was lucky enough to be chosen to live on a 60 acre ranch with a spayed female Ridgeback named Velvet.

Katie was our first Ridgeback to combine strong agility, lure coursing, obedience and conformation bloodlines. Katie inherited her mom, Gemma's elegant sleek looks and smooth movement.  Falco, Katie's sire, is multi-talented and has several titles in obedience and agility including the coveted Versatility Excellence Certificate.  Katie's sister Maia has also earned her conformation championship and is very close to getting her Field Championship.  Their brother, Nixon, has won a 5 point major and will hopefully earn his championship in 2008. 

HEALTH TESTS - CHIC 41315

Test type

Date

Results

Cardiac - Heart 2007 Normal on Echo.
CERF (Eyes) 2006 Clear
CERF (Eyes) 2007 Clear
Elbows x-ray 2007 Normal
Hips x-ray 2007 Excellent
Thyroid 2006 Normal
 

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 test.  When Katie returns from maternity leave she will start competing in agility trials like her sire Falco and aunt Kira.   

Size wise -- Katie is perfectly within the Ridgeback standard at 25" height. Judges tend to like oversize dogs because they look impressive but those dogs are seldom able to seriously compete in agility 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.

Rosie, Katie's grand dam has a string of titles. Officially she is FC Qhili Ruzuna of Jabalieupe, FCh CD SC ET HIC CGC TDI Rosie won 2nd place Brood Bitch at the 2005 Nationals along with Gemma. Rosie passed all of her health tests to earn CHIC #11111. Rosie is an excellent lure courser who has earned a lure coursing championship in both AKC and ASFA trials.  Katie's sister, Maia finished her AKC championship on 8/5/07.

Health Notes: In 2 1/2 years Katie has only had one allergic reaction.  After ingesting Carlson orange flavored Fish Oil her face swelled up and was very itchy.  Salmon oil doesn't bother her so we think it may be the orange flavoring that caused the problem. Gemma has 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).
 


Cynara's Affinity for Intrigue (Trouble) 

Trouble moving around ring at her first match  DOB:  January 23, 2008    Pedigree   Trouble photos       

HEALTH TESTS

Test type

Date

Results

CERF (Eyes) 2008 Clear
     
 

  Sire:   DC Tandiwe's Intrigue'N Mission, SC (Apollo)

  Dam:  CH Jendaya's Mint Julep of Cynara, CGC, Nat'l
                JHA, Int'l JHA, RN, RA, RE (Katie)

Trouble is from the first litter Cynara Ridgebacks bred.  She is active, spirited, fearless and has lovely conformation.  We started puppy classes at about 12 weeks old.  The most important goal is socialization, then obedience and finally learning to show in the conformation ring.

Her first show was a fun match held when she was 4 3/4 months old.  Besides chewing up part of the zipper on the soft crate, she managed to win Best Puppy In Match.  Trouble has had an exciting first 6 months.  She was bitten on the shoulder by a copperhead snake at 5 months old.  All of the loose 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.  It will have to be removed soon.  Currently she is in the middle of a growing spurt and is very long and lanky looking. Now that she is 6 months old, we can begin to enter her in conformation and rally shows.


Contact Cynara

If you have any questions or would like more information about Cynara Ridgebacks, e-mail cynara@cynararidgebacks.com 
or write to us at PO Box 4340, Nicoma Park, OK  73066.  When e-mailing be sure to put the word "Ridgebacks" in the subject line.

Member of the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the United States (RRCUS) since 2002.

 

     

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This site was last updated 08/16/08