Home
Breeding Info.
    Past Litters
       Litter A
       Litter B
Cynara History
Health Matters
    RR Specific
In The Know
News
    2009
    2008
    2007
Photo Gallery
Puppies
Web Links

CYNARA NEWS 2009

2009 NEWS STORIES

December 31, 2009 - Astra finishes in Top 20

The AKC Bowen lure coursing rankings are out for 2009 (1/1/09 to 12/19/09).  At this time, it appears FC Cynara's Astral Phenomenon, SC CGC "Astra" will finish the year #20.  In 2009 Astra earned her Junior Courser, Senior Courser and Field Championship titles.  What a terrific way to end the year for this beautiful girl.  Now she's busy teaching her little half-brother the ropes of being a Ridgeback.

December 5-6, 2009

FC Cynara's Astral Phenomenon, SC CGC "Astra" (Litter A) earned her place in Cynara history by becoming our first homebred lure coursing Field Champion in mid 2009.  Over the weekend she became our first Ridgeback to compete in the AKC National Lure Coursing Championship held in Florence, TX.  Astra didn't win or place but I'm so proud of her and her owner for braving the long drive and the cold miserable weather to give her the chance to run.  Regardless of the outcome, Astra will always be the first.

November 12-15, 2009  Chickasha, OK dog show

Scuba and Trouble were entered in conformation.  Scuba pulled in one reserve but no points for the home team this weekend.  Scuba, Astra and Zoi (Hunter & Dozer's 1/2 sister) were entered in the lure coursing trial.  Scuba had a wonderful first run on Saturday but lost focus on the second run.  Astra is determined to catch the "bunny" by whatever means possible, including cutting across the field which lowers her score.  Astra still managed to chalk up two more legs toward her Master Courser title.  Zoi who turned 6 years old in Feb. ran like a 2 year old, actually she ran better than Astra and Scuba and finished 2nd to a 5-pt major.  Zoi is getting very close to earning her Dual Championship. If she succeeds, she will be the first Oklahoma born Dual Champion.  Astra was the first Oklahoma born Field Champion.

Gonzo and Barbossa from Litter B came out to watch their first lure coursing event and to get their CERF eye test.  The ophthalmologist dilated their eyes and checked them thoroughly for any eye problems or diseases.  The boys behaved themselves on the exam table and the Dr. declared both to have normal eyes.  Five puppies from Litter A have been CERF'd and passed and now we have 2 pups from Litter B.  It's a wonderful feeling to see puppies we've bred passing these important health screenings.  The parents of Litter A and Litter B also passed their CERF.  Eye diseases are inherited so it's important to test potential parents before breeding.

November 1, 2009 Lucky #13

Judge Ed Wild from Ontario, Canada selected Cynara's Affinity for Intrigue "Trouble" for Winner's Bitch today.  Trouble's point total now stands at 13.  Back to back wins are exciting and we appreciate every one of them.  Thanks to Trouble's handler, Kari Smith for a job well done.

October 31, 2009 Happy Halloween for Trouble

Trouble went Winner's Bitch in Joplin, MO today under Judge Charles Olvis to win one more point toward her AKC Championship.  She now has 12 points with both majors.  We are very hopeful she can earn those last 3 points this year and become Katie's 2nd CH offspring.

October 29, 2009 Jack wins first BISS

Canadian Champion (Can. CH) The Black Pearl Of Course "Jack" won the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of British Columbia Specialty show under judge Tracy Hite taking both BISS and Best Canadian Bred in Specialty. Better yet, he passed his CERF eye exam at the same show with flying colors.  This was also the first time Barb Turpin won a BISS as the breeder, owner and handler.  Jack is the sire of Cynara's B Litter.

October 21-26, 2009 Trooper leaves home

On his 8 week birthday, Trooper was escorted to the Will Rogers Airport where he caught a plane to Salt Lake City.  A new friend was waiting at the airport to picked him up so he could continue his journey to Boise, ID.  Another exchange was made later that evening, where he met his new owner, Debbie.  Finally not too long after midnight, he arrived in Boise and met his half brother, Titan along with other Ridgebacks named Deuce and Decker.  Trooper was the first of Litter B to leave home but it didn't take long for the rest of them to follow.  Barrett was the last puppy left so he got to have run of the house and sleep in the bed to make sure he was completely spoiled before Nick and Patty arrived from Louisiana to get him on 10/26/09.

Keeping a litter of 10 pups fed, clean, and entertained is an 18 hour job for over 8 weeks.  We were totally exhausted by the time the pups started moving out but the pups were beautiful, intelligent, loved people and had rock-solid temperaments.  This was an excellent litter and one Cynara is very proud to have produced.

September 19 & 20, 2009

During the weekend of September 19-20 at a lure coursing trial held at Cleburne, TX, Astra took back to back BOB's for the weekend with each day being a 4 point major. Astra earned her BOB on Saturday via a very competitive runoff for the final placement. Although running with her usual gusto for the BIF both days, it still remains elusive and hopefully waits for her somewhere in her lure coursing future.

August 29 & 30, 2009 Trouble wins in Elk City, OK

Trouble, Cynara's Affinity for Intrigue, JC, CGC, HRQ2, broke her long drought and won two more points.  Trouble won her first 3 point major when she was 7 months old.  After that she went into a very awkward growing stage which has lasted almost a year.  She isn't as lovely as she will be in another 6 months but Trouble is finally starting to pull everything together.  Counting this weekend's points Trouble has 7 points with one major. 

August 26, 2009 Puppies!  Puppies!!  Puppies!!!

Katie started getting restless about 10:30 p.m. on Day 61, 8/25/09.  She refused to lie down, sleep or rest.  The panting and pacing started a bit after midnight.  I started calling the whelper helpers about 12:30 a.m.  Ally was the only one able to come in the middle of the night.  Mark made it home from work at 2:30 a.m. so we had three people to soothe Katie and care for the puppies. 

Contractions started close to 4:00 a.m. and the first puppy was born at 5:40 a.m. on 8/26/09.  Six long hours later, after Ally left and Mark went to sleep, puppy #10 gently slid into the world. 

This is a beautiful healthy consistent litter.  The 7 boys and 3 girls all have ridges.  Several of the ridges are outstanding.  The puppy birth weights ranged from 12 ounces to 18 ounces.  Right now the Katie and Jack breeding appears to be a great success.  Visit the Litter B page for more photos and updates.

Sire:  Can. CH The Black Jack Of Course "Jack"
Dam: Am. CH Jendaya's Mint Julep of Cynara "Katie"

August 21-23, 2009 Astra wins 3 in a row

Astra (FC Cynara's Astral Phenomenon, SC HIC CGC) had a clean sweep at the Kansas City, MO shows.  She was awarded Winners Bitch & Best of Opposite Sex on Friday, Saturday and Sunday - earning one point each day.  Astra's point total is now 10.  All she needs now are two majors to finish her AKC show championship.

August 21, 2009 Katie's X-ray

Katie visited the vet today for a pregnancy checkup and x-ray to count puppies.  The heads looked like ping pong balls with little flexible backbones attached.  The x-ray wasn't crystal clear but we managed to count at least 8 puppies.  Katie has gained about 24 pounds since being bred and looks humongous.  Her normally gliding movement now resembles a Neapolitan Mastiff. 

August 11, 2009  Preparing for Puppies

The whelping box has been sanded and repainted a lovely forest green.  The digital scale to weigh the puppies has been delivered and tested -- without any enclosed instructions.  New sheepskin rugs for Katie and the puppies to rest on are piled in a corner.  Everything gets assembled and readied this weekend so Katie can get used to the new set up.  All that is left is to clean the library, put away all of the books and pedigrees and get ready for puppies.  We have less than 3 weeks to go.

August 9, 2009 Astra Scores a 90

Today Astra earned the first leg of the three required for her Rally Novice title with a well deserved score of 90. 

July 26, 2009 Katie is pregnant - Puppies due 8/30/09

It has been just over 4 weeks since Katie (Amer. CH Jendaya's Mint Julep of Cynara, RE, CGC HIC) was bred to Jack (Can. CH The Black Pearl Of Course).  This is the first U.S. litter sired by Jack.  I've been seeing small changes in her normal activities for about a week but now that her physical appearance is starting to change, it seems safe to announce the pregnancy.  For more information on the upcoming litter, visit our Puppies page.  The waiting list is filling up quickly so if you are interested in becoming a forever home for one of these puppies, contact us now.

July 25, 2009  Titan passes therapy visits

Titan is now officially Cynara's first certified TDI Therapy dog.  Titan and owner, Debbie visited nursing homes where Titan was evaluated each time on his training and aptitude to be a therapy dog.  On Saturday, July 25, 2009 Titan received good grades on his third visit and final test visit.  As a certified TDI dog, Titan and Debbie are allowed to visit any place they are welcome to provide company, solace and to give tail wags to people who look forward to seeing a 4-legged friend. 

June 30, 2009 Astra #3 LC Ridgeback

Astra, FC Cynara's Astral Phenomenon, SC, CGC, HIC is the #3 ranked Lure Coursing Ridgeback in the US by the AKC Bowen System.  This ranking is from Jan. 1, 2009 - June 19, 2009.  Once the weather cools down, Astra will be running in more trials this year.   Dogs are forbidden to course if they are in season which might force Astra to the sidelines for 3 weeks during October but we are hoping she'll finish in the Top 10. 

June 25-28, 2009 Oklahoma City dog show results - 2 wins plus new RN title

This year's OKC dog show was hectic.  Scuba and Astra showed all 4 days while Trouble showed and did Rally Obedience on Saturday and Sunday.  Katie was bred on Friday and Saturday and if successful will have a lovely healthy litter of puppies around August 30, 2009.  Scuba was awarded Winners Bitch and Best of Opposite Sex on Sunday and Reserve Winners Bitch on Thursday and Saturday.  Astra was selected Winners Bitch and Best of Winners on Saturday which earned her owner two beautiful handcrafted Ridgeback baskets by Habasketry.  Trouble didn't have any luck in the show ring but easily earned her Rally Novice title after passing the last two of three legs with scores of 92 and 91.  Scuba now has 2 points and Astra has 7.  Easily the best news during weekend was Astra, Trouble and Scuba passing their heart and eye (CERF) health exams.

June 13, 2009 Cynara's First Therapy dog (almost)

Titan "Cynara's Africa's King of the Titans" and his hard working owner, Debbie passed another test toward achieving the goal of Titan becoming a registered TDI Therapy Dog. The first requirement was met on May 27, 2009 when Titan passed his AKC Canine Good Citizen exam. The final hurdle is for Titan to visit three nursing homes and prove to the evaluators that he has excellent people skills.  Once the three visits are complete, Titan will be an official TDI Therapy Dog.  Therapy Dogs Inc. (TDI) is a volunteer organization dedicated to regulating, testing and registration of therapy dogs and their volunteer handlers for the purpose of visiting nursing homes, hospitals, other institutions and wherever else therapy dogs are needed. 

According to TDI, a Therapy Dog is born, not made. Yes, one can teach a dog mannerly behavior, but one cannot change a dog's inherent temperament. When a dog is put under stress, poor or marginal temperament will surface. A Therapy Dog must have an outstanding temperament. This means that the dog should be outgoing and friendly to all people; men, women, and children. The dog should be tolerant of other dogs (of both genders) and non-aggressive toward other pets.

June 6, 2009 Cynara's First AKC Field Champion

FC Cynara's Astral Phenomenon, SC, CGC, HIC a/k/a Crazy Legs Astra made her own place in Cynara history by becoming our first AKC Lure Coursing Field Champion (FC) on 6/6/09 at 16 months of age.  Research is ongoing but we believe Astra is the first Oklahoma born Ridgeback to earn an FC.  Astra's nickname is Crazy Legs.  If she can pick up a few majors in the show ring, it's very likely Astra will be Cynara's first Dual Champion someday.  A huge thank you to Astra's owner Doug R.

May 24-30, 2009  Cynara shines at Ridgeback Nationals

The Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the United States (RRCUS) held its 78th National Specialty in Lansing, Michigan and Cynara Ridgebacks attended in full force.  Katie, Astra, Stella and Trouble left Oklahoma on May 22 and returned a week later with an armful of ribbons and trophies.  These four stunning and riveting girls managed to earn 5 ribbons at the National Specialty and 1 at the Hunting Ridgeback Association (HRA) qualifier.  One of the greatest thrills was when Judge Paula Hartinger pointed to Katie for 2nd place in the highly competitive Brood Bitch class.  The judge compares each dam with two of her offspring.  The goal of a successful breeding is to produce puppies better than the previous generation.  The judge also looks for consistence and quality of the offspring.  Katie was shown with her daughters Stella and Astra.

Here is a run-down of the awards:

 1st place American Bred class - Astra
 2nd place Brood Bitch class - Katie, Stella and Astra
 3rd place 15-18 Sweeps - Astra
 4th place ASFA Lure Coursing (against 13 RRs) - Astra

 Rally Novice 1st Leg (Score 84) - Trouble
 HRA Rabbit Qualifying Score - Trouble

May 27, 2009  Titan earns CGC

Cynara's Africa's King of the Titans, HIC, CGC after months of training and socialization took his Canine Good Citizen test and easily passed all of the required skills and behaviors.  Titan is the 4th puppy from Katie's A litter to earn an AKC Canine Good Citizen certificate.  In Nov. 2008 Titan became the first ever Cynara Ridgeback to earn a Herding Instinct Certificate (HIC).  According to his owner, Titan is now training for Rally and Agility and enjoying every second.

May 2, 2009 First Cynara AKC Champion

HUGE BRAG Alert!!!

I am extremely proud to announce CH Cynara's All That Spicy Jazz "Stella" finished her AKC conformation championship yesterday, May 2, 2009 in Wisconsin at 15 months old. According to the handler, Stella who only needed 1 point for her CH finished on fire by taking a cross-over 4 point major. If the count was accurate, it was her third 4pt major. WOW!

Stella has the honor of being the first AKC conformation champion for both of her parents:
Apollo - BIF DC Tandiwe's Intrigue'N Mission, MC HIC CGC TDI
Katie - CH Jendaya's Mint Julep of Cynara, RE HIC CGC

Stella is also Cynara's first home bred champion. This championship is extra special because Stella was returned by her owner at 9 months of age for being too wild and hard to handle.  The owner loved Stella dearly but realized it wasn't a good fit.  Returning Stella to her breeder gave me a second chance to find the perfect home.  Thank you Jerri for doing what was best for Stella.   Ronda Lee, a friend of mine who has a very sharp eye for a quality dog insisted Stella was an exceptional bitch and under no circumstances should I sell her as a pet. Stella found a new home with Ron & Pauline Asbury who had been out of showing for over 20 years. Breeders dream about finding owners like them. Finishing Stella wasn't a wish - it was a mission for them.

April 26, 2009

Winner's Bitch, Best of Winners and Best of Opposite Sex - Stella scores another win on her path to a Championship.  This win in Grove, OK was worth one point and put her total to 14 points with both majors.

April 12, 2009

Scuba became the 4th puppy from the A Litter to earn points in the ring.  Her beautiful expression and lovely angles caught the judges eye as soon as she entered the ring.  Scuba's handler, Kari Smith sees a bright future for Scuba in the show ring as she matures.   Scuba is very intelligent and after only a few shows knows her job in the ring.  We can't wait to see her in the ring again.

April 3-5, 2009

Family Reunion - It was a busy weekend for the Cynara Litter A pups.  All 5 of the pups living in Oklahoma made the journey to Wichita, KS for a dog show and lure coursing event.  Despite the horribly windy weather everyone had fun watching the dogs compete in both the ring and on the field.

Astra has the honors of being the first Cynara bred dog to gain her Senior Courser title and the first leg toward her Master Courser title.  She also won 2 more points toward her AKC Field Championship and only needs 3 points to finish.

Lucas – This boy is a lure coursing maniac.  Earned 2 more SC legs and finished 3^rd of 9 Ridgebacks to win his first point toward a FC title on Sunday when the frigid temperatures had the more petite girls longing for the warm vans. 

Scuba is starting to come together after the puppy growth spurts.  In the show ring she beat Trouble 2 of 3 days and is starting to understand how to strut around the ring and catch the judges eye.  She also coursed both days and earned 2 more SC legs.  Scuba and Lucas only need one more trial for the SC title.

Stella tried to earn her Junior Courser title but didn’t quite have enough focus to finish the course.  However she more than made up for it by winning a 4pt major in the ring on Sunday.  This was her 2^nd 4pt major.  She has 13 points toward her AKC CH and only needs 2 more to finish.

Trouble was in season and wasn’t allowed near the lure coursing field.  She beat her sister, Scuba in the ring on Sunday but was content to lie on her soft bed and be lazy all weekend.

March 28 & 29, 2009

Astra attended an AKC lure coursing trial in Florence, TX.  She was absolutely on fire on Saturday.  After the 2nd heat, she was tied for first.  Both owners opted to compete in the runoff.  When the race was finished, Astra pranced off the field with a 5 point major.  She was a little tired on Sunday and decided to cut a few corners which cost her some valuable points but she finished in 3rd place and earned two more points.  Amazingly after only 3 trials, Astra has 10 points and two majors.  There is no doubt she is the daughter of Apollo who is a Dual Champion Master Courser.  Astra will be competing at the RRCUS National Lure Coursing Trial in Lansing, MI at the end of May, 2009.

March 21, 2009

Titan ran in his 2nd LGRA trial.  He placed 3rd and won Best of Opposite sex.  Now that he is beginning to focus on the lure, it won't be long before he tries to earn his Junior Courser title.

March 3, 2009 - Lucas earns CGC

Lucas finished his 8 week obedience class tonight by taking the AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test.  A dog must correctly perform all items on the test in order to pass.  Two of his sisters were there to cheer him on or maybe to just cause him grief but his owner, Lacey did a wonderful job and he qualified.  Lucas becomes the 3rd Litter A puppy to pass their CGC.  This litter has brains to match their looks!! 

Feb  28, 2009 - Stella wins again

Stella beat her sisters, Astra & Trouble plus 5 other girls and then beat the Winner's dog to go Best of Winners at Wichita Falls, TX to earn another point toward her AKC championship.

Feb 21, 2009 - Titan runs in first LGRA trial

The Southern Idaho Sighthound Field Association, member of the Large Gazehound Racing Association (LGRA), held a trial in Idaho over the weekend. It was an opportunity for Titan {Litter A} to show he could run fast and furious just like his littermates.  LGRA racing is much different than AKC and ASFA lure coursing trials.  Instead of following a lure around a twisting turning course, dogs run 200 yard sprints on a straight flat track.  They run 3 heats with a maximum of 4 dogs in each heat.  The dogs are released from racing boxes or hand-slipped.  The owner or a friend waits at the end of the track to catch the dog.  This was Titan's first time to be entered in a LGRA meet.  Titan was a little unsure of the himself during the first heat but really got into the spirit of things during the 2nd sprint. The other Ridgebacks were slightly tired when the 3rd and final heat started.  Titan, who is superbly conditioned, was just getting warmed up.  He had an excellent run and earned a 3rd place ribbon for his efforts.  Yeah Titan!

Feb. 14 & 15, 2009 - Tremendous Valentine's Weekend

Six of the seven pups from Litter A were in action over the weekend.  First up was Titan who has been working very hard in obedience classes.  Saturday was test day.  The instructor put him and his hard working owner, Debbie through the requirements to graduate from Level II obedience class.  Titan passed each exam and won praise from the instructor who is amazed at the concentration and skills coming from a year old intact male Ridgeback.  Titan is also attending weekly agility classes and periodically goes to sheep herding lessons.

Stella headed off to the show circuit this weekend and came home with two points and two Best of Breed wins.  This was the first time Stella has won the coveted Best of Breed award but we are sure it won't be her last.  These wins put her ahead of her sisters in the race to be the first to earn an AKC show championship.  Stella now has 7 points with one major win.

The most fun this weekend was taking the other 4 pups - Astra, Lucas, Scuba and Trouble to a lure coursing test/trial for their first attempt to earn their Junior Courser (JC) title.  Saturday in Oklahoma was cold with 10-18 mph north wind gusts which made the temperature feel well below freezing but the weather didn't slow anyone down, much less the dogs.  Scuba was the first to the starting line and stayed on the lure like she was tied to it.  Next up was our big boy, Lucas.  He immediately spotted the lure and knew it was his target.  Lucas bounded, jumped and ran with plenty of enthusiasm all around the course.  Astra turned in a fiend as soon as she saw the other dogs chasing the "bunny".  It is a good thing she is a standard sized Ridgeback and her owner is extra strong.  She took off after the lure like a rocket and never slowed down while barking the entire way.  Trouble wasn't quite as excited as her siblings but she did her job and never looked back for reassurance.  Day 1 was a success with all 4 Ridgebacks earning the first leg of two for their JCs. 

Sunday at the lure coursing field started off with each of the pups passing their 2nd JC leg to earn their first official AKC title - Junior Courser.  As a Junior Course, they were allowed to run in the open class at the Tulsa Sighthound Ass. trial.  Seven Ridgebacks were entered which was enough to make the race a 3 point major.  Trouble ran in the first heat against a Dual Champion Ridgeback.  It was a great chance for her to score well but she decided to show off by tearing off the line after the lure but then slowed down and let the other dogs catch her.  She bounded along with them for part of the course and then kicked in the afterburners to finish first.  The judges were unimpressed and ruled she was coursing the other dogs instead of the lure and excused her.  We were very disappointed and thought it terribly unfair since she finished first but you can't argue with the judges. 

Astra ran in the 2nd heat and earned a score of 74 which turned out to be the highest score of the day in Ridgebacks.  Lucas and Scuba went head to head in the 3rd heat.  Scuba's focus on the lure and smaller size helped her beat Lucas who was starting to tire a bit.  The final race had two heats.  Scuba tied for first in her heat while Astra blew the socks off her competitors when they decided to take a few short cuts.  After all of the math was done the Cynara Litter A pups did extremely well.

Lucas 4th place (score 138) earning 1 leg toward his Senior Courser title
Scuba 2nd place (score 145) earning 1 SC leg and 1 point toward her Field Ch. title
Astra 1st place and Best of Breed (score 147) earning 1 SC leg & a 3 point major toward her FC

January 3, 2009 - Stella wins 4 point major in Texas

A double first occurred at the Glen Rose, TX dog show on Saturday.  Stella, Cynara's All That Spicy Jazz {Litter A}won her first 4-point major from the 9-12 month class under Judge Pete Dawkins.  Her excited handler was Lauren Moore, a young Junior Handler from Oklahoma who was thrilled to win her first major in the breed ring.  Stella now has 5 points and one major.  Ron Asbury, Stella's new owner was very satisfied with the great start to 2009.  Overseeing Lauren and Stella and keeping everyone on track was Kari Smith, Cynara's regular handler who is recovering from foot surgery.

Contact Cynara

Cynara Rhodesian Ridgebacks *  Elaine Hudson, Nicoma Park, Oklahoma -  405-514-0394  *  For more information about Cynara, purchasing a puppy or older dog, or for other Ridgeback
related questions, e-mail us at CynaraOKrrs@gmail.com  Member of the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the United States and the Tulsa Sighthound Association.