Kanzu turned 7 years old in July 2013 making him eligible to show as a veteran at dog shows that have the class available. In January 2014 Kanzu showed at the Rose City Cluster in Portland Oregon at a Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the US (RRCUS) supported entry. He was shown by Julie Eschilling who just 2 years earlier had chosen Kanzu to breed to her girl Kayta. Julie is now the owner/co-owner of several Kanzu x Kayta puppies and it was a special event to have her and Kanzu show together in the ring at the same show with 5 of Kanzu x Kayta puppies in the ring on the same day. With quite steep competition Judge John Bradfeldt awarded Kanzu Best in Veteran Sweepstakes making for a very special win.

Kanzu and Co-Owner/Breeder Julie Eschilling.

The 2014 Rose City Cluster of dog shows in Portland Oregon was the opportunity for several of the Kanzu x Kayta litter to come together for the first Dragon Litter Family Reunion.  Five of the Kanzu x Kayta offspring showed in the 4 days of conformation shows.  On Thursday Jan 16th Logan, Bakari’s Logan Msaka was first in the Open Class.  On Friday Jan 17 Pilot, Bakari’s Lucky Dragon Flight was 1st in a large Bred By Exhibitor Class and Reserve Winners Dog.  On Saturday the 18th, Kanzu won Best Veteran in Sweepstakes and daughter Kaia, Bakari’s Fabled Treasure Kaia was Select Bitch.  Finally on Sunday, Pilot again won the Bred By Exhibitor class and Kaia earned her Grand Championship with a best of Opposite Sex.  Kara, Bakari’s Firestar Karisma and Kuyu, Bakari Tigris African Legacy both did some lovely showing and made us all proud.  After the formal showing there was time for some family photos.  It was a very, very special opportunity to see Kanzu and Kayta’s get all together and to renew K-9 and human connections.

………Kanzu…………………… Kuyu………………………………. Logan……………………… Kayta………………………… Pilot………………… Kaia……

Kanzu and Kara

A nightmare for many owners of dogs who compete in conformation is standing nervously ringside with their dog waiting for the professional handler who never shows up. This is just what happened on March 6 at the Sequoia Kennel Club the first day of the Hanford Shows. With the Best of Breed (BOB) class going into the ring and no handler available, Linda rapidly got Kuyu’s armband, slapped it on and ran into the ring completely unprepared. For those of you who may have no frame of reference, going in the show ring in jeans is like wearing brown shoes with a tux. It is horribly awkward and uncomfortable. The ring steward and Judge Lisa Warren were as gracious as possible and encouraging. Kuyu thought this was highly irregular and lots of fun to be out in the ring with mom. Thank you judge Lisa Warren for overlooking the lack of handling skills and judging the dog and awarding Kuyu Best of Breed. Thanks too to Geri Griffin who graciously showed Kuyu in the Hound Group making a lovely showing. It was quite the day to remember.

The Western Washington Cluster in Puyallup, WA has been a very lucky series for Kanzu and Kuyu. This cluster of shows has special meaning for us as Kanzu earned a BOS and BOB at the Puyallup shows in 2012 with Breeder-Co-owner Mike Patterson, earning his Grand Championship there. Kuyu was entered in the shows in 2013 and earned a Best Opposite RR Puppy in Sweeps and Best RR Puppy in Sweeps with handler Emma Marshall. In 2014 Kuyu made an unexpected return to Puyallup. Kuyu finished his AKC Championship in October 2013 at the Idaho Capital City Kennel Club show in Boise Idaho. Unexpectedly, in January 2013 after the Championship certificate was awarded and registered by AKC an error was noted and it was determined that Kuyu was one point short of completing his AKC Championship. So, off to WA and OR he went with handler Don Rogers. On Day 3 of the Puyallup shows Kuyu earned a 5 point major under judge Dee Hyde with handler Alex Carter to finish up his AKC championship Xs 2. The Puyallup shows are indeed a very lucky show for our African Treasures.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) conformation championship is the much sought-after (must-have) title for a pure bred dog. However, there are other organizations that offer championships. One such CH title that is popular for many Americans is the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) Championship. The process for achieving a CH title from the CKC is similar to the AKC process. A dog must compete with other dogs of the same breed and is judged against the standard for the breed. For the CKC championship title a dog must earn 10 points under 3 judges and at least one win must be 2 points or more.

Kuyu made his debut in CKC shows in January 2013 at the Ladies Kennel Club of BC in Cloverdale, BC. He showed for 3 days with handlers Don Rodgers and Emma Marshall. Kuyu earned 4 of the 10 points needed for his Canadian Championship. In December 2013 Linda, Kanzu and Kuyu made the long drive to Chilliwack, BC for Kuyu to meet up with handler Don Rogers at the Auld Lang Syne Dog Association shows. On Day 1of the show Kuyu won Winner’s Dog and Best of Winners for 3 points. On Day 2 under judge Mrs. Darle Heck he took Winners Dog, Best of Winners and Best of Breed. This led to a lovely and very competitive Group 2 placement in the Hound Group. On Day 3 he moved up to the Specials ring and again won BOB and again, a very competitive Group 3 placement in the Hound Group under judge Mr. Walter Pinsker.

The Portland Kennel Club shows were extra special for 3 of the Kanzu x Kayta littermates this year. On Saturday July 20, 2013 Kara (Bakari’s Firestar Karisma) handled by her owner (Amateur Owner Handler) Jennifer Cleary won Winners Bitch (WB), Best of Winners (BOW) and Best Opposite Sex (BOS). Logan (Bakari’s Logan Msaka) handled by Emily Kerridge won Winners Dog (WD) and Kaia (CH Bakari’s Fabled Treasure Kaia) also handled by Julie earned Select Bitch. Thank you Judge Jason Hoke for these lovely wins. On Sunday July 21 under judge Helen Winski Stein, The kids did it again. Handled by Breeder-Co-Owner Julie Eschilling Logan was WD/BOW, Kaia was BOS and like Saturday, Kara was WB and . Wow! That was a clean sweep for the littermates. Congrats owners and handlers and special congrats to momma Kayta and daddy Kanzu. You two gave us some very nice puppies!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Kara with Owner-Handler Jennifer Cleary
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Logan with Breeder-Handler and co-owner Julie Eschilling
 

The American Kennel Club (AKC) conformation championship is the much sought-after (must-have) title for a pure bred dog.  However, there are other organizations that offer championships.  One such  CH title that is popular for many Americans is the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) Championship.   The process for achieving a CH title from the CKC is similar to the AKC process.  A dog must compete with other dogs of the same breed and is judged against the standard for the breed.  For the CKC championship title a dog must earn 10 points under 3 judges and at least one win must be 2 points or more.

Kuyu made his debut in CKC shows in January 2013 at the Ladies Kennel Club of BC in Cloverdale, BC.  He showed for 3 days with handlers Don Rodgers and Emma Marshall.  Showing in the open class at just 14 months, Kuyu won Best of Winners on January 25 under judge Mrs. Sandra Alexander for a 2 point win. On Sunday January 27 he earned his second 2 points with a Winners Dog win under judge Mr. Harold Pybus.

Kuyu now has 4 of the 10 points needed for his Canadian Kennel Club Championship assuring more trips to Canada for Kuyu very soon.

Kuyu Best Puppy in Sweeps

Kuyu and Kaia (Kanzu x Kayta Dragon Littermates) were reunited for the first time since Kuyu left the litter in January 2012.  Now at 14 months the puppies met again at the Western Washington Cluster in Puyallup, WA January 2013.  The shows included Sweepstakes Supported by the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the US (RRCUS).  This cluster of shows has special meaning for us as Kanzu earned a BOS and BOB at the Puyallup shows in 2012 earning his Grand Championship there.

This year, Kanzu’s kids Kuyu and Kaia kept the Puyallup-good-fortune going.  On Saturday Jan 12, Kaia won first in the Bred By Exhibitor class under judge Dennis Gallant.  She then earned an impressive Bred By Exhibitor Group 1 win in the hound group.  What an impressive win for a puppy!    On the same day, handled by Emma Marshall, Kuyu earned a Best Opposite Sex in Puppy Sweeps under judge Stephanie McLeod followed on Monday January 15 with a Best Puppy in the Ridgeback Sweeps under judge Elaine Young.  In the regular classes on Saturday Kuyu and Kaia earned Reserve Winners Dog and Reserve Winners Bitch respectively under Judge Dennis Gallant.

The Puyallup shows and the reunion were very memorable for Kuyu and Kaia and their wins were fabulous reflections on dad Kanzu and mom Kayta.

Kaia Best Bred By Exhibitor Hound Group First Place

At just 11 months of age the puppies from the Kanzu x Kayta Dragon Litter continue to demonstrate their prowess in the show ring. On October 28, 2012, at the Vancouver Kennel Club, Kaia (Bakari’s Fabled Treasure Kaia formerly Yellow Girl) shown by her breeder/owner Julie Eschilling, won her first AKC points. And what a win it was! Under judge Charles A Bagnell, Kaia won Winners Bitch, Best of Winners and Best Opposite Sex from the Puppy 9-12 mo class. Littermate Logan (Bakari’s Logan Msaka) took Reserve Winners Dog. Huge congrats to Bakari Kanzu x Kayta puppies and their owners and handlers. We look forward to the conformation careers of the puppies from this litter.

Click here to see the Kanzu x Kayta puppy ad in The Ridgeback Magazine

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
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

At just 8 months of age the puppies from the Kanzu x Kayta Dragon Litter continue to demonstrate great promise in the show ring. The puppies are just beginning their conformation careers and are being shown in a few select shows. Most recently Kaia (Litter name Kaya-Yellow Girl) and Logan (Litter name Norbert-Green Boy) handled by their breeder/co-owner Julie Eschilling, showed in the Puppy 6-9 mo class at the Timberland Valley Dog Fanciers Association Show in Chehalis Washington. On Saturday July 7, Logan (Bakari’s Logan Msaka) earned an impressive Reserve Winners Dog at just 8 months of age under judge Peter Machen. The next day under judge Timothy Robbins, Kaia (Bakari’s Fabled Treasure Kaia) followed in her brother’s paw prints and earned Reserve Winners Bitch while Logan repeated his performance for a second Reserve Winners Dog. Huge congrats to Bakari Kanzu and Kayta puppies and their owners and handlers. We look forward with great anticipation to the conformation careers of the puppies from this litter.

Kaia 8 mo Stacked RWB July, 2012

Logan 8 mo Stacked RWD July, 2012

Logan 8 mo looking like his dad July, 2012

Kuyu’s second foray into the conformation ring was a fun and new experience. At the Antelope Valley Kennel Club show (May 25, 2012-Day 1 of the Mission Circuit shows) with Mike handling, Kuyu was the only puppy in the Rhodesian Ridgeback 6-9 month class yielding a ‘Best Puppy’ win for the breed. At this show the club was holding a Best Puppy Competition so the Best Ridgeback Puppy win earned Kuyu a chance to compete in the Puppy Hound Group. Our friend Curtis Freeling took over as Kuyu’s handler for the group. There were 13 dogs competing in the hound group. Even after a very long day of showing and shopping with lots of noise and stimulation, Kuyu entered the ring with Curtis and showed as if he had been doing this forever. Judge John Shoemaker narrowed his choice for best puppy in the hound group to two puppies, a Beagle and the Ridgeback, Kuyu. It was thrilling! In the end, Kuyu earned a group 2 in the hound group (second place). The judge commented on how difficult and close his decision was in an almost apologetic tone. But we were thrilled with this placement and the opportunity for Kuyu to compete with so many representatives of the hound group.

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
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Kuyu (Bakari Tigris African Legacy) lived up to the ‘Bakari’ name (One With Great Promise) when he debuted in his first conformation show just one week after turning 6 months old. And following his Tigris legacy, Kuyu was shown by his father’s breeder/co-owner and his own co-owner, Mike Patterson. We entered the Apple Valley Kennel Club Show on May 13, 2012 under hound owner and judge Lou Gurrero to expose Kuyu to the ring and to gauge his current show skills. To our surprise and pleasure, Kuyu made quite the splash when he trotted out into the ring with Mike and showed like little pro as if he had been showing forever. He stacked right up for Mike in the 6-9 month class where he was the only puppy. The judge commented to Mike on ‘this puppy’s great spirit’. Then with tail wagging and a ‘look at me’ attitude, Kuyu showed his way around the ring to ‘winners dog’ and his first conformation point.

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

 
 
 

Kanzu and Kayta’s daughter Kaia, (Bakari’s Fabled Treasure Kaia) made a huge splash in her debut in the conformation show ring. At just 5 months old, Kaia showed like a little pro in her first weekend of showing. She won amazing back-to-back Best Bred By Puppy in Show at the Enumclaw, WA International All Breed Canine Show on April 7 and April 8, 2012. She also won Reserve Best in Show Puppy on April 8. Kaia lives with her mother Kayta and her breeder-owners Julie and Sheri Eschilling in Oregon. Julie was handling Kaia in the ring for her big wins and says that Kaia was remarkably focused. Julie was amused that while Kaia was exceptionally patient in the ring and well behaved in general she showed frustration only when she seemed to want to get back into the ring. Huge congratulations to Kaia, Julie and Sheri. Kaia has made Daddy Kanzu very proud and brother Kuyu has his work cut out for him to follow in his sister’s pawprints.