Symetri Ridgebacks really started back in 1985, with a little brown mutt puppy I rescued from going to the pound. I was fresh out of college, and she was only 4-5 weeks old. Too young to leave her dam, but far too young to be sent off to the pound, which is where she was headed, along with her brothers and sisters. So I took her home. I named her "Kaley", and she was my constant companion from that day for the next 14 years. She went to my sister's college graduation in Boston, hidden in my oversized purse. She went to work with me while I managed two retail pet supply stores. She has been up and down the East Coast with me and the show dogs. She slept in bed with me nearly every night. She was my shadow, my soulmate, my once-in-a-lifetime.
Early on Kaley and I decided to learn obedience. And surprise - she was GOOD! We trained and competed in matches up through the CDX level. Her heeling has made some big names in obedience drool! But eventually I got too big for my britches and decided that I wanted to be able to enter "real" competitions, and needed and AKC breed for that. Enter the Ridgebacks.
"Naughty" was my first RR, and she came into my life on July 4, 1987. We were a flop in the obedience classes we went to, mostly due to my lack of understanding the RR attitude towards obedience. But boy did we do well in the breed ring!! I won't bore you with details, but after a quick finish to a Championship with some very heady wins along the way, we were hooked! And the rest, as they say, is history.
Below is a short synopsis of our activities and accomplishments over the years:
1987:
*Naughty comes to live with me and things are never the same again!
*Became a member of the RRCUS.
* I served as Secretary for the Ithaca Dog Training Club.
1989:
*I bred my first litter of RR's, which produced 3 Champions.
1991:
*I joined the Newton KC in Newton, NJ.
1993:
*I was appointed the RR Breed Columnist to the AKC Gazette by RRCUS, I job I held for 10 years before turning it into capable hands with a fresher perspective.
1995:
*I was granted Senior Conformation Judge licenses for most of the Sighthound Group by the United Kennel Club.
*Am/Can. Ch Symetri Feel The Thunder, JC earned the ranking of #1 RR in Canada! Thunder was bred and owned by me, and achieved this honor in only 4 weekends of showing!
*I served as Secretary for the Coursers of Central NY lure coursing club.
1996:
*I served again as Secretary for CCNY.
1997:
*I earned the ranking of #1 owner-handler nationwide through the RRCUS Owner Handler Program
*Am/Can Ch Symetri's Northern Exposure earned the #4 ranking in Canada for the year. Moose is owned by Gail Morris and Kaz Paszko.
1998:
*I was recruited by Howell Book House to write a book on RR's.
The Rhodesian Ridgeback: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet will be published in Winter, 2000!
*Can. Ch Symetri's Omega Red of Peritar ranks in the Top 3 in Canada for the year - the statistics aren't final yet, we may have hit the top spot! Red was bred by Jeanne Delaney and myself and is owned by Mari Glockler and myself.