Club History
The Midlands and Northern Rhodesian Ridgeback Club was founded in 1964, with the inaugural meeting taking place at The Albert Hotel, Nottingham.
The Founder Members
Mrs ER Bailey, Mr & Mrs A Burgoin, Mr & Mrs R Danford, Mr & Mrs E Davies, Mr LF Hemstock, Mrs JAC Lilley, Mr & Mrs JA Lovegrove, Mr & Mrs K Martin, Mr & Mrs GW Matthews, Mr & Mrs D Peck, Miss D Peck, Mr MG Robb, Mr & Mrs J Selby, Mr FR Twiggs, Mr & Mrs W Webster & Mr Wilson.
1965 »
Committee Members through the years
The club's success is a result of the dedication of our membership and the hard working committee who volunteer their time, knowledge and skill. Click here to read a potted history of some committee members through the years. You can also click here to read a lovely memoir from our President Mrs Sheila Firth.
Dog Shows
One activity some of our members partake in is Dog Showing. This is the art of training your dog to stand patiently while a judge conducts a hands on assessment, then watches the dog move to then award according to their comparison with the UK Breed Standard. The Club’s first show (a sanction show), judged by Mr Frank Twiggs, was held in Mansfield during 1965. Click here to read more about our Club Shows history.
Midlands & Northern Rhodesian Ridgeback Club was the first Rhodesian Ridgeback Club to gain Championship Status in the UK.
In 1994 Mr Sammy Wallace, President of the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club, “The Parent Club”, Zimbabwe, officiated over a huge entry of 172 Ridgebacks at Midlands & Northern Rhodesian Ridgeback Club’s 22nd championship show.
« 1994
The 1994 committee with Judge Sammy Wallace and his wife Margaret, of the Mushana Kennel (Zimbabwe).
From left: Janice Ellis, Sammy Wallace, Kath Evans, Sid Thorne, Sheila Firth, Margaret Wallace, Gill Lawless, Anne Bates, Brian Firth, Pat Thorne, Julie Bates, Jack Selby, Gillian Craven, Len Evans.
2008 »
For many years the Club held a spring open show and the summer championship show, but in 2008 a third show was added to the calendar – an open show held to raise funds for the Club's Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue Section.
Evolving over the years this show is now held annually in with 100% of profits going to the Rhodesian Ridgeback Welfare Trust (RRWT).
The COVID-19 global pandemic brought challenging times for dog show societies. A series of National lockdowns put severe restrictions on dog ownership including the cancellation of dog shows and unprecedented demand for puppies. The Club was at the forefront of efforts to promote responsible puppy buying and to steer prospective purchasers to ethical breeders.
The Club also used the opportunity to encourage owners to get into the great outdoors with their dogs, and organised a “virtual marathon” event.
« 2020-2021
2024
Diamond Anniversary
2024 was the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Club, and it was marked by a series of special events. The celebrations kicked off in style in January, when the Club was the first to hold a Rhodesian Ridgeback Breed Celebration Lunch at the Kennel Club in Mayfair. Club members were invited to join us for a tour of the Kennel Club library and art gallery – any dog lover’s dream! The tour was followed by a three- course lunch in the Kennel Club restaurant.
In 2024, the Club was allocated a second championship show by the Kennel Club, and chose to make this a double extravaganza with its April open show. A fantastic entry was received across both shows, which took place in the spacious new venue of Oakridge Arena near Newark.
For the duration of the anniversary year, entry to Veteran and Vintage classes at all the Club’s shows was free of charge to M&NRRC members, celebrating the longevity and quality of the golden not-so- oldies in our breed.
Other Activities
A number of our members’ dogs have become therapy dogs, visiting hospitals, care homes and prisons where the residents look forward to the dogs’ visits.
Many Ridgebacks have received their Kennel Club Good Citizen Awards, all the way up to Gold level, whilst others have excelled in obedience, agility and tracking competitions.
Each year at Crufts, the Club has a breed club stand promoting Rhodesian Ridgebacks and selling our wide range of club merchandise. There is a trophy awarded to the best breed stand offering the best support and information about their breed in the group, and Midlands & Northern Rhodesian Ridgeback Club is proud to have won this award six times to date.
The Club holds educational events, presented by people in their respective fields of expertise, to improve the understanding of the breed and related canine matters. Our members receive informal newsletters with club information and articles of interest, and all are encouraged to contribute to these newsletters.
