In January 1990, Pauline Sadler (Dec) visited Zimbabwe and stayed in Harare with Margaret and Sammy Wallace – the President and Secretary of “The Rhodesian Ridgeback Club (The Parent Club)”.
Margaret took Pauline to the National Archives to see the original correspondence regarding the formation of a recognised breed of ridged dogs and an album containing photos of the people who pioneered the standardisation of the breed and their
ridgebacks.
It was evident that the letters were beginning to fall apart and the name under which the information was stored was a cause of some hostility. In order to have a record of this historic correspondence, Pauline and Margaret applied for, and were fortunately granted, photocopies of the letters.
Pauline donated the photocopies which she obtained to the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Western Australia (Inc.). The letters have been transcribed onto the following pages.
JScroll down to read the letters.
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Letters Of Historical Significance
Letter 1
Rhodesian Dog (Lion Dog) Club
Box 597, Bulawayo
5th February 1925
The Secretary
South African Kennel Union
Cape Town
I beg to advise you that a Club has been formed in Bulawayo to promote the interests, and encourage the breeding to a fixed standard, of the Ridgeback Lion Dog. This dog as you are doubtless aware, was used to a large extent by the big game hunters in this country in the early days for spooring wounded game and for holding up lions and big buck. The dog is known for his courage, loyalty, intelligence and dislike of strangers. He will in fact seldom have a friend except his master to whom he gives everything.
There is a tendency towards deterioration in the breed owing to wrong mating or uncertainty as to the characteristics which should be developed or retained.
With the object of assisting breeders and to encourage them to proceed on similar line, my Committee has drawn up a standard for the breed, which I enclose for your information.
My Club is anxious to be affiliated to the SAKU, from whom it would seek recognition of the “Rhodesian Ridgeback (Lion Dog)” as one of the recognised breeds in South Africa.
I submit a copy of the rules of the Club for the information of your Committee and shall be obliged if you will favour me with their decision as early as possible.
If you have in your possession, or are able to acquire, any information as to the ancestry of this breed my Committee would be much obliged for the assistance. As far as we are aware the breed is unknown in Europe, and the only reference to its origin in South Africa is in Heal’s History, where, in writing of the domesticated animals found by the early Dutch settlers amongst the Hottentots, he mentions a dog “an ugly creature, his body being shaped like that of a jackal and the hair on his spine being turned forward, but he was a faithful, serviceable animal of his kind”.
Yours faithfully
FR Barnes
Hon. Secretary
Transcribed from a photocopy of the original document donated to the RRCWA by Pauline Sadler.
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Letters Of Historical Significance
Letter 2
South African Kennel Union
PO Box 562
Cape Town
20 February 1925
FR Barnes Esq.
PO Box 597
Bulawayo
Dear Sir
In reference to your letter of 5th inst., regarding the inclusion of Ridgeback Lion Dogs in our Classification, and also regarding your application for affiliation to the S.A.K.U., as the Rhodesian (Lion Dog) Club, I have now submitted the matter to my Committee, who extremely regret that they are not in a position at present to recognise such a Club or breed: nothing is really known of this dog, or of its breeding, and your own letter on the matter, might I add, does not throw much light on the question of the breed of the dog.
My Committee suggest that your Club should first develop and standardize the breed before applying for affiliation or championship points. While the Committee always desire to foster any Club which represents a particular breed, we do not see that any good purpose would be served by countenancing such a Club at present, until the breed itself becomes a popular one.
Yours faithfully
C Lumsden Crawford
Secretary
Transcribed from a photocopy of the original document donated to the RRCWA by Pauline Sadler.
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Letters Of Historical Significance
Letter 3
Box 597
Bulawayo
12th December 1925
C Lunsden Crawford Esq.
Secretary
South African Kennel Union
Box 592
Cape Town
Dear Sir
With reference to my letter of 5th February last and your reply of 20th inst I shall be much obliged if you will kindly reply to the following enquiries which arise out of the decision at the September Conference to add Rhodesian Ridgeback Dogs to the SAKU classification of breeds:-
(1) In view of the resolution referred to is your Committee now prepared to recognise this Club and to accede to its application for affiliation?
(2) How was the breed officially designated? My Committee consider the name “Rhodesian Ridgeback Dog” is suitable. In one of the Show Schedules this year – Kimberley I think – classes were provided for “Lion Dogs”. I am sure you will agree that this term is wrong as it might mean anything. It would be interesting to know under what standard such a class should be judged. Any mongrel might be exhibited in such a class.
(3) Presumably under thee SAKU rules any so called Rhodesian Ridgeback Dog can be registered. As you will see from the card which is enclosed, all dogs must be passed by our Inspector before they are registered by the Club. This rule, as will be recognised, is purely in the interest of the breed, and in the opinion of my Committee is very necessary at the present time.
Will you favour me with your opinion on this point and also state whether it will be possible to establish some system for the continuation of this safeguard?
Yours faithfully
FR Barnes
Hon. Secretary
Transcribed from a photocopy of the original document donated to the RRCWA by Pauline Sadler.
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Letters Of Historical Significance
Letter 4
South African Kennel Union
PO Box 562
Cape Town
15 December 1925
FR Barnes Esq.
Hon. Secretary
Rhodesian Ridgeback (Lion Dog) Club
PO Box 597
Bulawayo
Dear Sir
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 12th inst.
In reference to your three queries, we have registered dogs under the term of “Rhodesian Lion Dogs”. That was the name under which they were classified at the late Conference, the breed having been so designated in our recently newly printed Rules. I note your remark regarding the designation, and that you consider Rhodesian Ridgeback (Lion Dog) to be the correct title, and that you also consider Lion Dogs to be rather ambiguous.
Referring to your request regarding affiliation to the SAKU, I might state unofficially, as any affiliation has to be formally submitted to my Committee, that I see no objection to your making application for affiliation. In submitting your application, there are three things which are necessary, (1) That a copy of the Rules of your Club be forwarded to us. (2) Also a statement showing the names and number of existing members thereof. (3) The amount of your annual subscriptions. The card enclosed by you deals with the first stipulation. It is also necessary when making your application, to forward the necessary Affiliation Fee of L2.2.0.
Now, with regard to the name of the breed, and your Club, I suggest that when making your application you should strongly urge that the name in our Classification be altered to Rhodesian Ridgeback (Lion Dog). I cannot, of course, state whether my Committee would be willing to alter the name from that given in the Classification, although I do not think personally they could have any objection, and also whether your application would depend upon the name being kept as you wish it.
I shall be pleased to hear from you further before dealing with this matter.
Yours faithfully
C Lumsden Crawford
Secretary
Transcribed from a photocopy of the original ducument donated to the RRCWA by Pauline Sadler.
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Letters Of Historical Significance
Letter 5
South African Kennel Union
PO Box 562
Cape Town
5th January 1926
FR Barnes Esq
Hon. Secretary
Rhodesian (Ridgeback) Lion Dog Club
PO Box 597
Bulawayo
Dear Sir
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your litter of 29th ult., in reply to mine of 15th idom. I might state that dogs of all breeds are registered here, so long as the registration fee is paid and the breed is a recognised breed.
Regarding your query about the S.A.K.U. taking cognizance only of Rhodesian Lion Dogs which have been passed by your Committee, I am afraid that that will be rather a difficult matter to arrange. Any suggestion on your part wherby a system of that kind could be arranged, would be placed before my Committee. As it concerns the breed which your Club represents, naturally it is up to you to make your own suggestions which will be duly considered.
If you care now to make your application for Affiliation with the proviso that the breed in question always be designated as Rhodesian Ridgeback Lion Dogs, and also that only dogs which have been passed by your Committee be allowed to be registered here, the whole matter can be gone into by my Committee; you could easily make the stipulation that unless the above two provisos were granted, you prefer to allow the matter of affiliation to drop.
I shall await your further communication on the matter.
Yours faithfully
C. Lumsden-Crawford
Secretary
Transcribed from a photocopy of the original document donated to the RRCWA by Pauline Sadler.
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Letters Of Historical Significance
Letter 6
PO Box 597
Bulawayo
4th February 1926
C Lumsden-Crawford Esq.
Secretary
SA Kennel Union
PO Box 562
Cape Town
Dear Sir
I beg to inform you that he points discussed in our recent correspondence have now been fully considered by my Committee who desire me to reply as follows:-
Affiliation
This Club seeks affiliation to the South African Kennel Union, but wishes to couple with this application a stipulation that the designation of the breed should be “Rhodesian Ridgeback (Lion Dog)” instead of “Rhodesian Lion Dog”.
In this connection it might again be pointed out that in this Colony the term Rhodesian Lion Dog might refer to any kind of dog, including mongrels used for lion shooting. The peculiarity of the breed under discussion is the ridge on the back – hence the necessity for the inclusion of the word Ridgeback – which characteristic constitutes the difference between this and any other breed of dog is South Africa.
It might be seen from the description of the breed drawn up by this Club that any dog without a clearly defined ridge is not recognised as belonging to this breed. Therefore inspection alone can prevent the registration of dogs having no claim to the title Rhodesian Ridgeback Lion Dogs. We are consequently compelled in the interests of the breed to ask your Committee to consider a second proviso in connection with our application for affiliation and that is that registration by the S.A.K.U. without a certificate from this Club showing that the dog in question has been inspected and passed for registration. If desired a specimen of the certificate can be sent for the information of your Committee.
I enclose a cheque for L2.3.0 (one shilling commission added) also a list containing the names and addresses of members and the annual amount of subscriptions.
Your faithfully
FR Barnes
Hon. Secretary
Transcribed from a photocopy of the original document donated to the RRCWA(Inc) by Pauline Sadler.
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Letters Of Historical Significance
Letter 7
South African Kennel Union
PO Box 562
Cape Town
10th February 1926
FR Barnes
Secretary
Rhodesian Ridgeback (Lion Dog) Club
PO Box 597
Bulawayo
Dear Sir
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 4tth inst., applying for affiliaion to the S.A.K.U., subject to the proviso that the designation of the breed should be Rhodesian Ridgeback (Lion Dog), instead of Rhodesian Lion Dog as classified in the S.A.K.U. Classification.
I am not aware, from your leer, whether your second proviso, that all Rhodesian Ridgeback Lion Dogs should be certtified by your Club before being registered here, is a sine qua non of your affiliation; of course I will submit that point to my Committee, also, and advise you in due course of their decision on the whole matter.
I am enclosing also your receipt for cheque L2.3.0 received, being Affiliation Fee L2.2.0, and 1/- exchange.
Yours Faithfully
C Lumsden-Crawford
Secretary
Transcribed from a photocopy of the original document donated to the RRCWA(Inc.) by Pauline Sadler.
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Letters Of Historical Significance
Letter 8
South African Kennel Union
PO Box 562
Cape Town
15h February 1926
F.R. Barnes Esq
Hon. Secretary
Rhodesian Ridgeback (Lion Dog) Club
PO Box 597
Bulawayo
Dear Sir
In reference to your application for Affiliation to the S.A.K.U., I beg o advise you that my Committee have agreed to your Affiliation, and also to the alteration in our Classification of Rhodesian Lion Dogs to Rhodesian Ridgeback (Lion Dogs). I have been instructed to point out that this Affiliation is being granted without the proviso that all Rhodesian Ridgeback Lion Dogs should be certified by your Committee before being registered here, that is to say, to make matters clear, Affiliattion is not granted subject to that condition.
My Committee have had under consideration the possibility of other Rhodesian Ridgeback Lion Dog Clubs being started, when naturally the position might arise as to which Club should be authorised to certify dogs for registration. However, I might state that in the meantime my Committee are prepared to adopt your suggestion regarding prior certification by you of all Rhodesian Ridgeback Dogs registered, but reserve to themselves the right of withdrawing this stipulation at any time. They naturally wish to have a free hand in the matter, as it is impossible to forsee what might possibly happen in the future. Under the circumstances, and if you are agreeable to accept Affiliation on these conditions, I should be glad if you would give, at your earliest convenience, your suggestions as to the best way of carrying out this procedure.
Yours faithfully
C Lumsden-Crawford
Secretary
Transcribed from a photocopy of the original document donated to the RRCWA(Inc.) by Pauline Sadler.
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