shores of the Great Salt Lake, a half-hour north of Utah’s eponymous state capital, amateurs needed to have been that in name alone. The theme of this year’s national was “The Place to Bee,” a nod to Utah’s nickname, the Beehive State. Apian puns were in abundance – “Bee-otch” T-shirts, anyone? – as were the insects themselves. Along with the ever-present flies, those persistent buzzers were masterful saboteurs of perfectly stacked Ridgebacks, who, along with dewy grass, consider the mere brush of a creepy-crawly to be a plague of biblical proportions. In contrast to most Ridgeback nationals, which are usually held in hyper-modulated ballrooms or convention halls, this was an outdoor show, with all the uncertainties and discomforts that can bestow. The first few days were unseasonably hot, followed by a deluge that drove bitch-class judging indoors for the day. But by Best of Breed, a truce with Mother Nature had been declared, and the exhibitors were delighted to see the glorious sight of the sun dancing on gleaming Ridgeback coats, all against the backdrop of scrub-dotted mountains. After spirited competition with dizzying gorounds, Best in Specialty Show went to GCh. Sun-
stone’s Magic Man. A multipleGroup-winning Ridgeback, 6-year-old “Dresden” was the number 20 Ridgeback in 2013, shown by his breeder-owner-handler, Rhoda Springer of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. “Dresden was part of a large litter where there were only two bitches and, naturally, I wanted a bitch to keep,” Rhoda explained in Dresden’s entry in the catalog for the Top-25 competition. “Alas, neither of the bitches were show quality, and I ended up keeping the plain, brown dog that I held onto for a show home that never materialized.” Sometimes things work out as they should, continued Rhoda, who added that Dresden retired from the show ring last year in order to devote more attention to his new role of “groundhog exterminator,” at which he apparently excels. Best of Opposite Sex was “Raquel” (GCh. Raquel Welch of Malabo APD), the numbertwo Ridgeback last year according to the club’s ranking system, and number one all systems. She is owned and bred by Ana Paola Diniz and shown by Michelle Scott. The Brazilian-bred bitch also won the club’s Top 25 competition the night before, under breeder-judge Diane JaContinued on page 82
Dog News 81