Southern Rhodesian Ridgeback Association

SOUTHERN RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK ASSOCIATION CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW 3.5.26

My thanks to the officers and committee for a superbly organised show which had attracted an excellent entry of 110 dogs.

The overall quality was high, temperaments in general were excellent and most of the dogs impressed with their general condition and hard muscular development. The current drag of the breed seems to be front assemblies as many excellent dogs were rather short in upper arm, lacking the angulation to balance their rear and consequently movement lacked coordination and scope. All critiqued dogs had totally acceptable ridge and crowns.

I appreciated the sportsmanship of the exhibitors and the generous ringside applause for all class winners.

MINOR PUPPY DOG (5) 1. House & Armour’s Diamondridge Deliverance For Kemgordoni, 8 months stallion in the making who was absolutely full of quality. Wonderful type all through with ample bone and substance and his overall construction is most impressive. Already the forechest is well filled, he has strong bone and decent feet, correct spring of rib with optimum angles front and back and he was in beautiful condition. At first he was a little full of himself and needed to get his act together but he soon got the message and settled to the job in hand. His temperament is very solid, he has a beautifully balanced head with a benevolent expression, ample neck and when he moves he has great freedom in profile and is true on the out and back. For perfection his tail could be a tad lower set but he carries it well. With full maturity he should easily make his title. A very easy winner of Best Puppy In Show. 2. Catharell’s Kinabula’s Master Of Joy, just 6 months and absolutely the baby of the class but impossible to ignore as, despite his rawness, he was beautifully schooled and performed wonderfully. Up against 1 he looked very immature which is quite understandable for this age. He has great overall quality, excellent basic construction and a well-balanced head, typical eye and expression. He has just enough bone and now needs to develop in forechest and second thigh, fill out his frame and just mature throughout but the overall construction and angulation are excellent. He holds himself very well on the move, but Just needs to collect his front a little coming on. 3. Young’s Oostblik River Tay.

PUPPY DOG (4) 1. Whitney’s Voorlooper Raadi Mosi,

9 months with a lot of potential but he and his handler need to do some work - however the nuts and bolts are there. Excellent head type with appealing expression, strong powerful neck with ample bone, good feet and already decent forechest. Well sprung rib without being overdone and correctly coupled with moderate angulation front and back. In excellent condition, moving he is sound if a little unsettled and his tail carriage could be straighter. 2.Nossa’s Kinabula Captain Pugwash, 6 months old who did better here than in the previous class. He has good overall type with a balanced head and pleasing expression. Just enough bone, well filled forechest and good length of neck. He’s a little short in ribcage but the angulation is moderate if the rear could be better let down because at the moment his topline does tend to run up a little. However when he settled on the go around he well deserved this place which was an improvement on the last class. 3. Raymond’s Sofala Jack Of All Trades.

JUNIOR DOG (4) 1. Doughty’s Rubiltra Farshirovannaya, almost 18 months who won here on his overall size, balance and excellent type all through. Well-proportioned head with kind, intelligent eye, straight forelegs, moderate angles front and back with the correct rib cage and coupling but just needs to deepen through the loin. Holds his outline well on the stack and on the go around he opens up with tremendous scope, having great reach and drive. 2. Nevison’s Bikquest Helios Sunreacher, 16 months, dark red and no mistaking his sex as he has lots of substance and incredible muscle tone. Strong, well-balanced head with pleasing expression, enough neck and bone. He needs to develop in forechest and generally drop into his frame which should come with maturity. A little short in upper arm but he has good overall proportions and moves with purpose. When he fills out that frame he will look a lot better for it. 3. K. Captain Pugwash.

GRADUATE DOG (4,1 abs) 1. Catharell’s Kinabula’s Making Magick For Faahac, in lovely condition, beautifully schooled and sympathetically handled so he had a head start. Excellent head type free of wrinkle, kind intelligent eye and sufficient strength of muzzle. Perfectly balanced outline with just enough bone but still needs to finish in forechest, good depth of brisket, moderate angulation throughout, firm topline, excellent tail carriage and he moves with considerable scope and power. 2. Nevison’s Dabola Lola, a rather puzzling name for such a handsome, masculine, richly coloured stallion? Well balanced head but the eye looks slightly light, particularly up against the darker mask. Pleasing overall balance and in excellent muscular condition, good spring of rib but not quite as well let down behind as 1, however on the go around he is very together and moves with great power and scope. 3. Pritchard Jones’ Mission Wild Wind Of Luanda.

POSTGRADUATE DOG (3) 1. Strauja & Price’s Chioke For Zeri By Ridgelove, excellent size and shape with wonderful overall balance and the huge advantage of a very slick but not flashy handler and he is obviously well schooled. Beautiful headpiece free from wrinkle with a kind, intelligent expression and well filled under the eyes. Strong bone, tight feet but could have a little more development of forechest. He is well ribbed back with excellent bone and the angulation is spot on front and back. Not the most defined of crowns but enough. Moves around with great freedom and style using his hindquarters well and really covering ground. 2. Jolly’s Priorpark William Wallace For Clanbruachan, very happy if a little boisterous but the overall type, size and basic shape are excellent. Well-proportioned head with typical eye, good bone but the feet could be a little tighter. Not quite the angulation of 1 front and back but he makes the best of himself on the move, carrying himself with some pride. 3. Geeves’ Kiromol Knight Of The Realm.

MID LIMIT DOG (5) 1. Collier & Cox’s Carlincox Knock Ya Socks Off, extremely well handled and beautifully conditioned with the most impressive basic construction, absolutely optimum regulation front and back, firmest of toplines and sufficient forechest. To be critical he could have a little more height for perfect balance which would make him that much more upstanding; had that been the case he would have been close up for the top award. The head is beautifully balanced with a kind, intelligent eye, good proportions throughout but to be hypercritical he could have a little tighter lips. On the move he is particularly impressive behind and the go around he really opens up, covering the ground freely with great scope. 2. Geeves’ Gabisa Hob Nob With The Baron, red wheaten with lots to like. Excellent substance with a balanced head and typical eye colouring for this shade but a little throatier than 1. Good bone, well ribbed back with decent angulation but his topline could be a little more settled. That said, he makes the absolute best of himself on the move, going around with great power. 3. Cox & Musgrave’s Carlincox Knock Em Out.

LIMIT DOG (8) 1. Raymond’s Sofala’s Raffaello, my frustration of the day as this dog excels in breed type and conformation. His biggest problem is his lack of enthusiasm and I was praying he would jolly up and put more in on the move as he could easily have gone all the way. Beautiful head with kind, intelligent expression, ideal bone and forechest, well sprung ribs extending well back with excellent crowns and ridge. He was in wonderful muscular condition and probably had one of the best upper arms I saw all day. His outline is so perfectly balanced and just flows. Frustratingly he moves dead sound with reach and drive but rather miserably. Such a disappointment as I loved him. 2. Mitchelson’s Amalie Red Hot Zephyr at Voortrekker, another impressive male so full of quality. Very well balanced head if a little lighter in eye than the winner. Constructionally he came close with optimum angulation, firm topline and well ribbed back but is a fraction longer coupled than 1. The overall picture is still one of quality with upstanding presence, he moved steadily and used his tail well, covering plenty of ground. 3. Dawson & Parsons’ Priorpark Problem Solved.

OPEN DOG (14,5) A very strong class but with quite a variation in type. 1. Barker’s Ch Delianza Whats Your Motive, very handsome dog with great ring presence who is essentially masculine yet has a lot of quality and agility about him. Perfectly schooled and sympathetically handled, he caught my eye from the start and held it. Balanced head with a kind, intelligent expression, good strength of muzzle and the optimum stop. Ideal length of neck, gracefully arched, clean and dry, flowing into well-laid shoulders. Strong, straight forelegs, well-filled forechest, deep ribcage without being overly sprung and extending well back. Moderately angulated in front and behind, he holds a firm topline and is in very good condition, fit and hard. On the move he goes around with great style and attitude, covering the ground easily and using his powerful hindquarters. Very much the class act on the day and I felt he well deserved the Dog CC – far from being his first apparently! Best Opposite Sex and Reserve Best In Show. 2. Hodge’s Ch Kxoxo I’m Old Fashioned For Colkeririn, although a little more compact than 1 he put up a strong challenge having excellent overall breed type and a natural ring presence. Very well balanced head and typical expression, good width in front, excellent bone and feet. He is moderately angulated front and back, firm in topline and the overall picture is very impressive. He was very professionally handled and moved with great presence, covering the ground very well. Reserve CC in strong competition. I see he is the sire of the Reserve Bitch CC winner so obviously can produce too. 3. Barnes’ Diamondridge Dreadnought.

VETERAN DOG (4) 1. Raymond’s Sofala Lightening Strike, 8 years old, very impressive, upstanding and masculine with excellent breed type all through. Well-balanced head with pleasing expression, ample forechest, strong bone, straight forelegs, good depth of brisket and excellent angulation particularly behind. Moved well using his tail enthusiastically. Best Veteran In Show. 2. House’s Diamondridge Keep It Dark For KemGordoni, 7 ½ years and making a very impressive overall picture with lots of breed type. Darker in colour than the winner with a masculine head but losing nothing in quality, having a pleasing eye and expression. Strongly boned with well sprung ribs and moderate angulation if not quite as well covered as 1 but he makes the best of himself on the move. 3. Little’s Nuthouse Abracadabra.

SPECIAL VETERAN – 10 YEARS AND OVER (4,1) 1. Storey & Piehl’s Ch Kiromol Midsummer Spirit, almost 11 years of age and carrying her age lightly. Although she has great substance she is still essentially feminine, has lots of breed type with basically good construction, a quality head, excellent angulation and she still moved soundly. 2. Salmon’s Ch Diamondridge Distantdrum At Lobengula, 10 ½ very feminine and holding her age well who has very pleasing head type. With moderate angles and being well bodied she throws out a balanced outline and moved well enough if she could have been a little more enthusiastic- but at this age she’s entitled to take things easy! 3. Little’s Ch Sofala Joe The Lion.

BABY PUPPY (4,1) 1. Maidment’s Amahle Just Be Awesome and she certainly lives up to her name! It is rare to find a puppy in any breed who, at 5 months of age, is so exquisitely balanced and constructed and has such huge potential. Absolute quality from nose to tail with a beautiful headpiece that screams both her breed and sex. She was a joy to go over being already perfectly schooled and stood rock solid for the hands-on. Her clean dry neck flows into well-laid shoulders, she already has good fill in front and plenty of bone with excellent feet. Although intrinsically feminine she’s not lacking in substance, has excellent angulation front and back and her carriage and deportment are wonderful and exceptional for her age. She is ultra-sound and was in beautiful condition. She really excited me and must have a fabulous future. Best Baby Puppy. 2. Ashman’s Jolihem Shumba For Kitaarka, 5 ½ months and as masculine as the winner was feminine having lots of substance and good overall type. He’s at that stage where he needs to grow into his ears but all the basics are there, he moves with enthusiasm and relative soundness and was very nicely conditioned. 3. Hall’s Nyasharose Let’s Dance.

MINOR PUPPY BITCH (2) 1. Kapma-Saunders’ Oostblik Rivier Annan, 8 months with very high potential. Already upstanding with good length of leg yet in total balance and is bodying up nicely. Excellent head type with correctly coloured eyes full of expression, strongly boned forelimbs and good length of neck, well ribbed but the immaturity of loin makes her appear slightly long coupled at the moment. Optimum angulation front and back enabling her to move freely, covering ground and driving well. When she free-stacked and concentrated there were fleeting moments of brilliance. Should develop into a very handsome bitch. 2. Adderley’s Tambyssa’s The Temptress, 7 months wheaten of pleasing basic type with plenty of substance but still essentially feminine. Nicely proportioned head that just needs to develop a little fill under the eye. Strong, straight forelimbs, well ribbed, moderate angles front and back but needs to develop in loin. Moves out well, just needs to settle in topline on the go around.

PUPPY BITCH (6,2) 1. Akers’ Carlincox Laters Taters, 10 months, beautifully schooled and setting up proudly on a loose lead, full of quality and excellent type all through. Well-proportioned head if the eye could maybe a shade darker. Wonderful flow of outline with dry crested neck leading into firm top line and very well let down hindquarters. In beautiful condition, perfectly covered and an ideal combination of substance and quality. She moved soundly and with purpose, holding herself very well and should mature into a top class bitch. Best Puppy Bitch. 2. Barker’s Delianza She’s Timeless, also 10 months and with much to like. Excellent overall type with a very impressive forehand and plenty of substance with a look of class. She didn’t quite have the flow and let down behind of 1 but on the move, she’s very impressive, going with scope and style. 3. Raymond’s Sofala’s Pink Cadillac.

JUNIOR BITCH (6,1) 1. Hodge’s Colkeririn To The Nines, 14 months and so full of quality with a very striking, beautifully balanced outline and a feminine head, losing nothing in type or expression. Excellent forehand, ample bone for her size and sex with moderate angles front and back. Firm topline, well ribbed and in bandbox condition, she moves with an easy flowing gait and carries herself with great style. A picture of moderation, free of any exaggeration, she pleased me sufficiently to take the Reserve CC. 2. Nevison’s Bikquest Sunshine Ember, 16 months, richer in colour and excellent type all through. Well-proportioned head, strong neck, ample bone and substance with moderate angles but not quite the seamless flow of neck into shoulder of 1 but she makes the best of herself on the move displaying a delightful extrovert temperament. 3. S. Pink Cadillac.

GRAFUATE BITCH (10) 1. B. Sunshine Ember. 2. Parker’s Asharaa’s She’s Magic To Azuli, feminine yearling full of quality with excellent head type and engaging expression. Needs to develop in forechest and deepen through the loin but she has strong, well boned forelegs and a firm topline if the underline is a little severely cut up. Excellent angulation behind but a little shorter in upper arm than 1, however she goes around with great style when she concentrates. 3. Lonigro & Rice’s Nuthouse Shall We Dance.

MID LIMIT BITCH (5,3) 1. Mills & Parsons’ Priorpark Pride And Joy To Nzuri, handsome bitch with a feminine head of excellent type, clean flowing outline but she could be a tad shorter coupled. Ideally angulated hindquarters with well-developed second thigh and she has bone and substance with a lot of quality. Moved with style and power.2. Kerr & Millward’s Priorpark Pure Theatre At Buhera, very close up to 1 and another bitch who has substance coupled with quality and a well-proportioned head with typical intelligent expression. Still needs to develop a little in forechest and her underline cuts up a little severely, showing a slight shortness of ribcage. Moderate angulation throughout, firm topline and again in lovely condition moving out well.

LIMIT BITCH (14,2) 1. Maidment’s Amahle Behave Yourself, high-quality elegant bitch, beautifully balanced but losing nothing in breed type. Typical but feminine head that could have a little more under the eyes but still pleases in expression. Just enough bone, clean flowing outline with moderate angles front and back. Looked a picture when standing free, moved out well and was in excellent condition. 2. Smith’s Ungowa HereYou Come Again, lots to like about this bitch who was eventually left with her runner who did a very good job with her. Beautiful balance of outline, quality head, seamless flow of neck into shoulder and when she moved she covered the ground well. Not as settled as 1, maybe due to the switching between handlers, but she has great merit. 3. Salmon & Hawkins’ Lobengula Giah.

OPEN BITCH (8,1) 1. Parsons’ Ch Priorpark Proof In Pudding, mature, in the peak of condition and a wonderful combination of substance and quality, free of any exaggeration. Beautifully balanced head with sufficient breadth, good strength of muzzle and yet she retains a feminine charm in her expression. Ideal length of neck which is dry and powerful, ample forechest, strong quality bone, decent feet, correct length of ribcage, strongly coupled with good angulation front and back. She was perfectly conditioned with excellent muscle tone and moved with power and style. For me, even in this competitive entry, she gave me the whole package more than any other dog on the day and consequently won the Bitch CC and Best In Show. A credit to her owner/breeder. 2. Cox & Musgrave’s Carlincox Don’t Knock It, who was eventually left with her runner who did a perfectly capable job. Lots of breed type in this substantial bitch who is structurally very impressive, having excellent well-balanced angulation front and back, great rib and being perfectly coupled. Perhaps a little stronger in head than the winner who also had a little more length of neck. Solid temperament and a very sound mover. 3. Salmon’s Msingi Love Me Do At Lobengula.

VETERAN BITCH (6,5) 1. Hicks’ Nuthouse Queen of Clubs, 8 years old and in great nick. She has great substance but is in no way masculine. Well -proportioned head, intelligent expression and good strength of muzzle. Well boned and bodied, she could use a little more angulation front and back but still moved steadily.

BREEDERS CLASS (3) 1. Diamondridge. 2. Negasi. 3. Bikquest

ANDREW H. BRACE