Standard Colours

Subject of colour has been brought up as it has been said that it is surprising the number of light wheaten dogs being put up when all are red wheaten in the country of origin.

The Standard calls for the dogs to be “light wheaten to red wheaten”.

When we came into the breed in late ‘70s there were many light wheaten and the red wheaten were not as dark and more wheaten than seen in some today. There are light wheatens in South Africa, the fact that they are not seen much in the show ring could be that they are not as popular with judges as the more glamorous reds or perhaps because their owners prefer to hunt with them as they blend so much better with their environment. The word wheaten is included in the Standard as it is important that the coat is not a flat monobloc colour which does not allow the dog to blend into the bush.

It has also been suggested that judges get themselves educated and visit the county of origin. I am not sure that visiting Zimbabwe is an option at the moment. Time and financial constraints will also not make it possible for many, although some will hope to visit when circumstances permit.

Our up and coming judges are better educated than they have at any time in the past. Many have won CCs and made up Champions in the most difficult country in the world to do so. They have done so when entries have never been larger and competition is stiff without the benefit of being 'a face' or well connected. They have judged at their own expense all over the country a minimum of a 100 ridgebacks over a period of 7 years (and some waiting for their first appointment have done considerably more) before being eligible to give CCs. By the time they give CCs, they will have learnt the KC Rules and Regulations, they will have attended a seminar on Conformation and Movement and also attended one or more seminars on the Breed which includes the Breed Standard, they will have stewarded 12 times. They will have been assessed either at an A2 Assessment or when giving CCs for the first time.

Judges should never stop educating themselves and re-evaluating their opinions in light of new knowledge. This is as applicable older and established judges as it is to those on the first steps of their judging career.

The Kennel Club instruct that as a judge your mandate is to judge the dogs against the Standard and place them in order of merit, nothing more or less. Judges should judge the whole dog and breed type, temperament conformation and movement as well as colour and ridges should all be taken into account in the judgement. Personal preferences should not be a consideration.

One has to ask what happens if when giving CCs for the first time and the judge is judging to the Standard but the Assessor is not?

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