The 2012 Top Performers issue of The Ridgeback Magazine includes a beautiful 3 page article on Kanzu and his history- making Grand Champion-Triple Championships. The issue also contains an ad honoring Kanzu’s accomplishments including his three 2011 top 10 rankings in; RRCUS agility, AKC agility and LGRA (Straight Racing).

 
Click Here for the story
 
Click Here for the full ad
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Spring Issue of The Ridgeback Register (April 2012) prominently features Kanzu on the cover as “America’s first and only Grand Champion Triple Champion Rhodesian Ridgeback. The Ridgeback Register is known primarily for promoting show dogs and this issue marks the first time the magazine editors have chosen to feature a performance dog on the cover. The issue includes a two page article by Theresa Lyons, the publisher of the magazine entitled “Shaking up the Stereotype”. Theresa chronicles Kanzu’s career and concludes that “Kanzu proves that form really does follow function”.
 
Shaking Up The Stereotype
Ridgeback Register Spring Issue, April 2012
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

January 2012 was a very special month for Kanzu. He earned his Grand Championship on January 15 and just 2 weeks later on January 27 he finished up his Master Agility Championship (MACH). With these new titles he has earned a place in history by becoming the first RR and the first dog in the 27 breeds of the Hound Group to become a Grand Champion-Triple Champion (GCH-TC).

These two small sets of initials are made up of a large number of accomplishments and represent the culmination of several years of hard work. The GCH is a conformation title and means that Kanzu had to first earn his conformation championship and then grand championship. The TC denotes that he has three championships, in his case: Conformation, Lure Coursing and Agility.

Until now, there has been only one Rhodesian Ridgeback with a Triple Championship. Kanzu now joins his Aunt Laea (A Kobe daughter pictured below with Kanzu) keeping it all in the family and becoming the first male TC Ridgeback. With the addition of his Grand Championship he has become not only the first and only RR to hold the title of GCH-TC but also the first and only dog in the entire hound group (27 breeds) to have earned this title.

Of course, Kanzu did not achieve any of these accomplishments alone. He was handled in conformation to his championship by his breeder/co-owner Mike Patterson and to his grand Championship again by Mike and also by Curtis Freeling. In lure coursing he was handled by his mom and very special friend, Justin Dannenbring. His MACH was completed with Vicki LePenske and Tracy Tennison. Along the way Kanzu had many supporters and boosters who encouraged and helped in a variety of ways to make this amazing series of titles possible. Special thanks to them all!

CLick Here for the story of Kanzu’s Champion Title
CLick Here for the story of Kanzu’s Field Champion Title
CLick Here for the story of Kanzu’s Grand Champion Title
CLick Here for the story of Kanzu’s MACH Title
 
 
 
 
The following photos show the Steps to Kanzu’s GCH TC title: Champion, Field Champion, Grand Champion and Master Agility Champion

 
 
 

The final rankings are out for 2009 Lure Coursing. Kanzu had a great year. He earned his Field Championship in July and ended the year as Number 10 Ridgeback in the country for AKC lure coursing. He also ranked #29 for all sighthounds in the US for the year. Lots of thanks go to his special handlers especially Justin Dannenbring who Kanzu adored just about as much as he loved ‘chasing the bunny’. Thanks too to Jim Wallace for all the great lure coursing photos.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Kanzu earned his Lure Coursing Field Championship in July 2009 at the Lompoc Inland Wilderness Hunt Club Trial. His field championship added to his conformation championship resulted in his new title “Dual Champion”.