A Pillar of the Breed

An interview with Margaret Cook of Lamarde Perro Kennels

In March of 1955 Mr. Gene Freeland and I formed a partnership with Willow Glenn Farm for the purpose of breeding dogs and horses. At that time, the only dogs we had were Weimaraners and a pair of Hungarian-imported Vizalas. A limited number of litters were produced in these breeds. Later, the first Crookrise Pointer to be imported was acquired, which was Crookrise Cadet of Muick. He was finished and subsequently shown by myself to two Best in Shows. Upon the introduction of our first Ridgeback in March 1955, the Ridgebacks soon became the primary breed in our kennel and eventually the only breed.

Gene and I bought our first Ridgeback from Sheelagh Ewbanks in California. His name was Chipinga of Zimbabwe. We saw an ad in the San Diego paper for a Ridgeback, which intrigued us. We saw two African imported dogs and the puppies that were left from their litter. Sheelagh taught us everything that we needed to know about dermoids, ridges, hips, and the breed.

Soon we wanted a female. The breed had not yet been recognized by the American Kennel Club, sothere was little advertising to look at. We picked up a Dog World magazine and eventually came across Colonel Morrie DePass in Mississippi. Colonel DePass had been stationed in Pretoria, South Africa, for six years. Upon his retirement and return to the States, he had brought six Ridgebacks with him. A lovely bitch was purchased from the colonel for breeding. At that time, it seemed that the only thing the two dogs had in common was the ridge.

The diversity in type was disturbing, so in due course I went back to visit Morrie and purchased one of his original pair brought from South Africa. They were Swahili’s Simba of Columbia and Swahili’s Rhani of Rosenhof. The two dogs were finished by Lamarde Perro, and Simba became our first champion, the first three country Ridgeback champion, and the first Ridgeback to win Best of Breed at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show in 1956. Best of opposite went to another Ridgeback owned by Margaret, named Lamarde Perro Rose of Mission, which I bought From Julia Minotto of Mission Kennels in Arizona.

On my first trip to South Africa, in November 1955, I bought a bitch named Glenaholm Joybelle — out of Glenaholm Kennels – and a male named Bavenda from Thornbury Kennels. Bavenda, Ch. Lamarde Perro Bavenda, later became one of the top winning Ridgebacks in the country and produced some exceptionally fine dogs. He was almost 100 percent Gazeley breeding. He was a beautiful dog of pale color with dark points, nose and eyes. He was outstanding and had a wonderful head. He was rangy, put together well and possessed all the things that I had been taught.

With many different types of Ridgebacks, we tried everything we could do to improve the breed type in this country. We believe that we have been very successful in this country and even in the world.

You were one of the few Americans who traveled to South Africa to import a Rhodesian Ridgeback for breeding stock. What kennels did you visit?

I was not the First, but one of the few. Some other notable people brought Ridgebacks to America from South Africa. Mr. Mackelhenne of the Tabasco fame had Ridgebacks. Errol Flynn had a pair of Ridgebacks that he used for hunting in New Mexico. Bill O’Brien of Redhouse had Ridgebacks that he brought back from South Africa. And, of course Colonel Morrie DePass brought Ridgebacks from South Africa.

Morrie DePass introduced me to Major Tom Hawley by mail. Major Hawley met me when I arrived in Africa, and during my stay, he was kind enough to take me around to everyone who had Ridgebacks. While in Africa, I spent time at the home of Jack and Helen Bocock of Gazeley Kennels and Paddy and Ruth Green of the Thornbury Kennels. I also visited Phyllis McCarthy of Glenaholm Kennels.

I took 1 6mm color movies of the dogs as Major Hawley critiqued them. He explained that the Ridgeback should be a very rangy dog, with good length of leg, higher at the shoulder than the hip, with good shoulder lay-back and having a long ground-covering reach and drive. He also discussed how they should have a well-laid on, fairly long, strong neck, and a “houndy” head - never “mastiffy”. He showed me the correct type Ridgeback and those of poor quality, those with minor faults, and those with major faults. All of these people were candid in pointing out the qualities and faults in their dogs.

When I returned home we had movies to study. We would go to shows, look at other dogs and go home and compare it with the pictures I brought home. At that time there was a wide range of variance in Ridgebacks. There are still dogs of different quality and type around, but not like then. The only thing they seemed to have in common was a ridge.

How did you make your selections? (type, conformation, temperament):

I made my selection based on type mostly. I knew the basics of dog because I had already been involved with dog conformation. I was looking for layback of shoulder, hocks let down, good conformation and sound moving dogs. The finer points like dermoids, head measurements, rangy dogs, and ridges I learned from Major Hawley. They are supposed to be higher at the shoulder than any other part of their backs. They should have a slight arch over their loin, which is easily identified. They are to have overall balance. After all, this is a dog that is supposed to be able to run all day long.

Conformation should simply be straight legs, the dogs moves in a straight line and don’t wing their paws out. They are not cow-hocked. They have strong rears and hocks well let down. If you look at good stock horses, you will see that this is where their hocks are, or else they could not do what they were meant to do. Unless people learn that, they should not be breeding dogs. This is general conformation for all breeds. A good judge can judge dogs based on sound conformation, even if they do not know the finer points of the breed. That is the way that it was in the beginning.

If you read the standard, there are three places in which speed is mentioned. One is ‘fair amount of speed.” Everyone seems to think that this means so-so. It is not. When that standard was adopted from the South Africans, the English word meant “more than average” speed. This should have been changed many years ago. They did have speed and were supposed to have speed. A heavy, clunky, mastiff-type dog cannot have speed.

In the ridge I allow an eighth of an inch or a quarter of an inch on swirls being opposite of one another and a half-inch on length. Nine times out of ten, I have found that a ridge that may look short, actually is not. If you can find the prominence of the hip, then you have found your ridge. Sometimes the prominence is Further up on a dog, but, nevertheless, it is there and you can feel it.

The head is probably the most important thing when looking at breeds: parallel planes, equal distance between octaput and the stop, and the stop and the end of the nose and between the ears. That makes the longer muzzled head, which is what they need for slashing and biting.

With temperament, I would say that you don’t want a mean dog. Most of the dogs that you met in South Africa were under control and not mean. I did not have a problem with mean dogs until I came back to the United States. You can make a Ridgeback very mean if you want to. Then you will have more problems then you want. It is very important that you make sure your dogs have good temperaments and are gentle, because they are so strong.

However, I do feel that some of the dogs today are losing some of their courage. They are becoming too timid and not as forceful as I would like. Bavenda was tough. No one could come Between us. Whenever someone tried, he would let him - or her - know that they could only come so Far. All my males were like that and they should be. I like a dog that has these qualities, yet behaves and is gentle and kind.

I have worked very hard to produce good temperaments, as this breed is stronger than any other breed I know. They are physically stronger and can be dangerous. No one should train should train a Ridgeback for guard like they do with the working dogs, as they do not call off.

When you visited Africa, what did you learn regarding the original purpose of the Ridgeback?

They are a hound and were capable of pulling down an eland. I never like to refer to them as “lion dogs,” as that gives the connotation that they killed lions. This is not true. They had the courage to harass the lion out of the bush for the hunter to get a shot at him. They usually hunted in a trio. They would go in on the lion and would have to wheel back on their back legs, which is why they should hove hocks well let down and a strong rear.

It was developed as a big-game hound. The could harass a lion from the brush, take down an eland and run down a other fleet game. They generally hunted all game, not just big game. They hunted boar and everything in Africa. The also were a guard dog and were credited for helping with the uprisings in Rhodesia. They were guards, hunters and companions.

Are there any experiences you would like to relate regarding your trip to South Africa?

Everyone should go there at least once in their lives. The people mentioned were very kind showing me their dogs, kennels and teaching me. It is one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

I went to the home of an extremely wealthy woman who was having a gala affair. While outside, a Ridgeback came running around the corner. He was a dark dog with white socks up above his knees, but boy could he move. He was one of the most beautiful movers I have ever seen. I later found out that he was Kimba of Gazeley, which was Rockridge’s Temba’s grandfather. This is why Temba was such a great moving dog.

I saw old Vick of Rhoridgh, and Wendy of Gazeley, whom are both mentioned and pictured in Major Hawley’s book. She was gorgeous, even as an old dog.

I did not get to see the kennels of Columbia of Mr. Mein. However, a bunch of dogs come running up to the gates. And one was solid black, so there are black Ridgebacks. I enjoyed visiting Glenaholm where they had a chicken farm. They kept their ridge-less males to guard the chickens. They did not eat them, only guarded. They were wonderfully sized. Their kennel was very interesting. I went to Cape Town and visited the Hub Kennel with two old dogs that were very well trained. She was a big exporter of Ridgebacks to England and is the foundation for most of the Ridgebacks that have descended from there.

The two men, Mr. F. R. Barnes and Mr. B.W. Durham, who lined up the dogs and wrote the standard did a magnificent job. The people of Rhodesia and South Africa are to be complimented on how they bred to that standard and made the dogs what they became.

In the history of the breed, who would you consider to be the foremost authority (authorities)? What are the most important teachings we should learn from them?

Major Tom Hawley, of course! He was instrumental in my knowledge of the breed. His book is the most concise and easily understood. When he came to judge our Specialty he placed every dog in the class. He did not stop at fourth place. He was a tall, military-type, handsome man. He was a wonderful man.

As far as what we should learn from them?

Everything that I have mentioned.

Gene Freeland, whom I admire more than anyone I have ever known, said to me, “Just because you went to South Africa does not make you the authority on the breed.” A year later when he thought I should have told someone off about something, he said, “You should have said something to them, after all you are the authority of the breed.”

After that, I accepted the fact that I am. I have proven it to my own satisfaction, if nobody else’s.