Kira (CIB CM DC Ahram Bordwalk No More Drama RN MC FCh JOR) is an Ibizan Hound owned by Justin Dannenbring and Curtis Freeling. Kanzu’s “uncle Justin” has been Kanzu’s primary handler in lure coursing, helping Kanzu earn his 2009 Top 10 AKC ranking. Recently Kanzu’s uncle Curtis has begun handling Kanzu in the show ring. So, it was only natural that we would keep it all in the family and Linda would team up with Kira to take her into the Rally Obedience Ring to work toward her Rally Title.
It is believed that the Ibizan Hound’s origins were in ancient Egypt making them another African Treasure with many similarities to the Rhodesian Ridgeback. As primitive sighthounds they have a strong prey drive and cannot be trusted off lead. Like their other sighthound relatives, they are independent and stubborn at times and they are easily bored and have an exceedingly low tolerance for drill. Hence, sighthound owners often joke about being ‘gluttons for punishment’ when they take their visually vigilant, sniffing, nervous, very independent thinking sightounds, who refuse to drill to learn into the ring to compete with the ever-eager-to-please working dogs. Therefore, it is not surprising that there are relatively few sighthounds who compete in Rally or Obedience. In fact, since the sport of Rally Obedience began in 2005 through Dec 2009 only 17 Ibizan Hounds have ever earned a Rally Novice title.
Armed with her experience earning Kanzu’s three Rally titles, Linda saw in Kira a very special girl and took the challenge to take Kira into the rally ring. Kira received her first qualifying leg in Rally Novice at her very first Rally Trial put on by the Cabrillo Kennel Club in Del Mar, CA in October 2009. Her first time in the ring she earned a score of 98, only 2 points away from a perfect score of 100. There was applause all around the ring from many seasoned obedience handlers who had never before seen an Ibizan in the ring. Kira’s second leg came at the Palm Springs Kennel Club show in January, 2010 and she received her RN title at the Inland Empire Kennel Club show in January 2010.
Kira’s Rally Novice title combined with her conformation and field championships assure her a spot in the Ibizan Hound Club of the US Hall of Fame.