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“Ridgebacks hunt lion” they say… No they didn’t !

Hunting mainly in groups of two or three, the


original function of the Rhodesian Ridgeback, or
Lion Dog, was to track game,
game especially lion, and
with great agility, keep it at bay until the arrival
of the hunter.
hunter
History

Ancestors can be traced to the semi-domesticated dogs accompanying the


indigenous people, the Khoi-San, who lived near the southern tip of Africa.
History
The Rhodesian Ridgeback is one of only two registered breeds indigenous to
Southern Africa, the other being the Boerboel.

When the Portuguese discovered the Cape in 1487, and the area was later
colonised by Dutch Settlers, these dogs were bred to early pioneers’ dogs
and used for hunting and guarding.
History
From around 1830, when the British colonised the Cape, the Dutch Settlers,
fed up with this new governance, began the great migration – “die Groot Trek”
into the hinterland, discovering new areas eastwards and northwards as far
as the later-named, Rhodesia. These “Voortrekkers” (travelling pioneers) took
their dogs with them, which became
popular for their hunting capacity.
.
History
In 1879 Rev. Charles Daniel Helm brought two dogs from
Kimberley (a small diamond-mining town in central South
Africa) to his mission near Bulawayo in Rhodesia, now
known as Zimbabwe. These two bitches are regarded as the
origin of what is known today as the Rhodesian Ridgeback.

A hunter, by the name of Cornelius van


Rooyen, who operated mainly in
Matebeleland (now Botswana), mated
these two rough coated, grey-black dogs
to his pack and the famous ridge emerged.
History
Van Rooyen crossed several breeds to create his African Lion Hound because
of its ability to keep lion at bay while awaiting its master to make the kill:

• Bloodhound and Pointer – for good scenting


• Bulldog and Bull Terrier – for courage and tenacity
• Airedale and Irish Terrier – for dash and spirit
• Deerhound – for stamina
• Smooth Collie – for herding skills
• Greyhound – for speed

The brown-nosed variety is related to the Pointers


that were used and the problem of a kinked tail goes
back to the Bulldog ancestry. The dog's usefulness
far outweighed its looks or adherence to any
particular type, but the ridge continued to manifest
itself in most of the litters.
History
In 1922, a veterinarian, Francis Richard Barnes gave recognition to the
Rhodesian Ridgeback as a breed. Barnes asked owners to bring their dogs
to a meeting to be held at a Bulawayo Kennel Club Show to endeavor to
formulate a breed standard with the
object of later recognition by the, then,
South African Kennel Union.

A large number of owners attended the


meeting and well over 20 dogs were
paraded. They were of all types and sizes,
and several different colours; reds and
brindles predominating. The dog owners were keen to form a club, but
reluctant to agree too readily on a breed standard.
History
Finally, Mr. B.W. Durham – the only All-breeds Judge in South Africa at the
time, and possessing some knowledge of the breed, took a dog and
suggested that its size and conformation be adopted; then chose another
specimen for its head and neck; a third for legs and feet; and, making use of
some five different dogs, they built up their aims based heavily on the

Dalmatian standard.

Francis Barnes then set down the


breed standard and it was adopted by
the Kennel Union. This, with some
later amendments and alterations is
the standard in use today.
History
In 1924, the first two Rhodesian Ridgebacks were registered with the newly
renamed Kennel Union of Southern Africa (KUSA). By the end of 1928, there
were already 13 registered breeders with kennel names.

Eskdale Leo & Eskdale Connie (F.R. Barnes)

During World War II, the Rhodesian Ridgeback declined in popularity and
almost ceased to exist.
Utilisation today

The Hound that is both Sighthound and Scenthound, has found favour in
most countries around the world as companion/house dogs, family pets, and
watchdogs.
Utilisation today
Today there are only a few lion left in the wild, and hunting is no longer
practised the way it was. In a few game parks, Rhodesian Ridgebacks serve
a useful tracking purpose in conservation programmes.
Now, let’s take a look at the important
hallmarks to look for when judging the
Rhodesian Ridgeback
What to look for when judging

first impression

First, gain a general impression of the whole dog, look for balance
• eye catching, elegant, yet showing substance
• neither too racy nor too heavy in bone
• must look athletic, able to run all day and find speed when necessary
 slightly longer than tall (10:9)
 brisket at half the height at withers
by the way…
 toes in line with buttocks line
 sloping shoulders well laid back

 level topline (not sloping)


with slight rise over loin
 balanced proportions

“symmetrical in outline”
Height:
by the way…  dogs : 63cm (25”) to 69cm (27”)
bitches : 61cm (24”) to 66cm (26”)

Weight:
 dogs : 36.5kg (80lbs)
bitches : 32 kg (70lbs)
What to look for when judging

parallel planes

• head is of fair length, in balance with rest of body - parallel planes


• clean, ‘dry’ appearance - no wrinkles on skull, except when alert
• foreface is a blunt wedge, neither to sharp nor too blocky
What to look for when judging

cheeks

• cheeks clean, flat or slightly rounded – never prominent


• sufficient fill under the eye – no fall-away
What to look for when judging

nose & chin

• black or brown - neither colour should take preference over the other
• black-nosed dogs may have a darker muzzle and darker ear tips
• ample, well-expanded nostrils – definitely not pinched
• sufficient chin
What to look for when judging

stop

• reasonably well defined, not too deep


• creates a neat step up to the forehead – never too shallow
• muzzle plane is flat - never concave (dished) or convex (Roman)
What to look for when judging

length of muzzle

• muzzle same length as the skull – neither snipey nor coarse


What to look for when judging

length of skull

• skull is flat, free from wrinkle unless the dog is alert


What to look for when judging

squareness

• width of skull between the ears is equal the length of the skull from stop to occiput
and length of muzzle from stop to tip of nose – thus, roughly a square
What to look for when judging

eyes

• round eyes – neither protruding nor sunken


• expression reflects temperament – confident, stable, dignified, intelligent
• eyelids close-fitting – no haw showing
by the way…

 dark eyes and rims on a black-nosed dog


 amber eyes with lighter eye rims on a brown-nosed dog
 light eyes undesirable


What to look for when judging

ears

• medium-sized drop ear, set fairly well back and rather high
• carried flat, close to the head in repose, but very mobile
by the way…

 
 rose or fly-away ear unacceptable
 fold of ear not to be above the top of the skull
What to look for when judging

bite

• strong scissor bite - the upper teeth closely overlap the lower teeth and
are set square to the jaw
What to look for when judging

dentition

• teeth well developed, especially the canines – no missing teeth


by the way…

scissor bite level bite overshot bite undershot bite


What to look for when judging

neck

• fairly long, elegant neck – short neck usually indicates straight shoulder
• good (but not too much) thickness, clean – free from throatiness
• must allow agility of the shoulder and carriage of head for the dog to use his senses
What to look for when judging

withers

• neck should blend smoothly into well-laid shoulders


• bumpiness at the wither indicates a problematic shoulder assembly
What to look for when judging

upper arm

• sufficient (but not excessive) muscling over the upper arm


• look out for short, straight upper arms – an indication of poor balance
What to look for when judging

width of chest

• distance between forelegs – neither too wide nor too narrow


• floor of the chest should be visible from the front
• ‘cathedral peak’ (inverted V) indicates faulty shoulder assembly
by the way…

cathedral peak front correct too wide


too narrow
What to look for when judging

forechest

• reasonable forechest protruding in front of the front legs, as viewed in profile


by the way…

 if prosternum is too high, angle to brisket is


too sharp, leading to clipped keel

 if shoulder assembly is set too far


forward, prosternum is not visible
What to look for when judging

foreleg

• straight viewed from the front, dropping straight down from shoulders
• from side, forelegs wider near elbow than at pastern
• oval bone – never round or coarse
by the way…

compact, flat, splayed foot, long toenails


well-arched toes and weak pasterns

 pastern is strong and slightly angled – upright pastern is a fault


 feet face face forward
What to look for when judging

shoulder assembly

• shoulders are well laid back, sloping, with clean, powerful, long muscles
• shoulder blades fairly close together at withers, elbows tucked firmly
• test the stability of the elbows by gently rocking the body sideways and
back at the withers – weak elbows will pop out of alignment
What to look for when judging

depth at brisket

• deep chest produces good heart room and lung capacity


• brisket should reach to or nearly to the elbows
What to look for when judging

spring of rib

• ribcage should extend well back, giving length to the body (the length of the dog is
in the length of ribcage, not in the coupling)
• capacious – not barrelled
What to look for when judging

coupling

• coupling is moderate – neither too short nor too long


• bitches typically slightly longer-coupled than dogs
• if too long in the coupling, it may show weakness in the back
What to look for when judging

stifle

• moderately angulated for efficient endurance movement


• feel for firm muscle tone in the upper and lower thigh
by the way…

correct stifle straight stifle over-angulated stifle

 over or under angulation is highly undesirable

 when over angulation occurs, the upper arm is usually shorter and
straighter to compensate for the hind leg that drives to far forward
by the way…

open-hocked cow-hocked muscle bound


What to look for when judging

tail insertion

• thick and strong at insertion point


What to look for when judging

tail

• check for correct length – it should reach the hock


• a kinked tail is a serious fault
by the way…

correct acceptable in movement gay tail


Let’s look at that elusive wheaten colour
Colour
colour is light wheaten to red wheaten
“wheaten” = reddish, banded hair where the root is lighter and the tip is darker
- genetically, called “agouti”

light wheaten mid wheaten red wheaten

• a little white on chest and toes – not on body or above toes


• dark muzzle and ears permissable - no excessive black hairs in coat
Colour

deep red/mahogany is not a correct colour


because it lacks the banding of the agouti
(wheaten) hair shafts - without the banding,
the hair is solid red

mahogany
Colour
these other diversions are also incorrect:

blue: sometimes
progeny of two
dark dogs – coat
has a blue-grey
blue
tinge; born with blue
eyes that go
grey/amber

widow’s peak
Images courtesy of www.kalaharirr.com
Colour
more unacceptable colours
black and tan brindle mosaic

black wheaten

sable
Images courtesy of www.kalaharirr.com
Now we examine the escutcheon of the
Rhodesian Ridgeback
The ridge

• shaped like a dagger – ideally 5cm (2”) wide, tapering to a point


• should extend from immediately behind the shoulders to the hip bones
The ridge

• examine the box (if there is one) without stretching it


• a broken or heart-shaped box acceptable as long as there is no third crown
• the box may not extend further than ⅓ of the total length
The ridge

• two crowns, symmetrically placed and perfectly formed


• size of the crown depends on the length of hair
The ridge

acceptable ridge patterns – crowns are all opposite each other


The ridge

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Incorrect ridges:

1. single crown 2. & 3. multiple crowns 4. nick in the ridge 5. ridge too short
6. ridge irregularly shaped 7. no crowns 8. third crown 9. off-set crowns
The ridge

  
very broad ridge off-set crowns three crowns
Let’s take a look at movement
Let’s talk about movement

“Once around, please ma’am”…


Let’s talk about movement

• look for balance in movement – equal reach and drive


Let’s talk about movement

• balance calls for identical triangular action in front and back


• reach should not extend beyond plumb line from nose
Let’s talk about movement

• hind foot steps into impression made by front foot – penalise


over-tracking or under-tracking
Let’s talk about movement

• it’s acceptable for them to drop their heads when gaiting


• pacing is a natural, energy-saving gait (but obviously undesirable in the ring)
Let’s talk about movement

open-hocked cow-hocked close behind


too wide
Let’s talk about movement

converging close gait toeing out paddling


I am loyal, dignified,
intelligent, aloof with
strangers, but show no
aggression or shyness…
I am
Rhodesian Ridgeback
Further reading and acknowledgements
• Rhodesian Ridgeback: Guide to Judging by Monika Tusanova
• The Definitive Rhodesian Ridgeback by David Helgesen.
• The Rhodesian Ridgeback, the Origin, History and Standard by T C Hawley.
• The Rhodesian Ridgeback Indaba by J N Murray.
• The Rhodesian Ridgeback Today by Stig. G. Carlson.
• The Complete Rhodesian Ridgeback by Peter Nicholson & Janet Parker.

© Ed. 3 - 2021
Prepared by Joy McFarlane for the Kennel Union of Southern Africa,
with grateful thanks to the collaborators, Janet Wang, and Elrena Stadler

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