KAREN PIPKIN GRACERIDGE RHODESIAN RIDGEBACKS BREEDER INTERVIEW BY ALLAN REZNIK
Where did you grow up? I grew up in Houston and Beaumont, Texas. Do you come from a doggie family? And if not, how did the interest in breeding and showing purebred dogs begin? I think my interest in purebred dogs simply originated with my love of animals, dogs and horses especially. We lived next door to a very successful horsewoman who rode Tennessee Walkers. I was fascinated that they were born with a specific kind of gait(s) and were a specific type of horse. I attended horse shows and loved the differences in breeds, and the beauty of each. I also studied purebred dogs as a child, and knew much about them individually and what the purpose of different breeds was in everyday life. I dreamed of owning different breeds for their different purposes, and loved that they could be beloved family pets as well. One such breed I was drawn to early on was the Border Collie. I watched them being used on ranches and loved how intelligent they were/are with their tasks. Another breed that I loved to watch move was the Afghan Hound. Their elegance was breathtaking. We had some in our neighborhood. I watched Westminster when it was televised and enjoyed watching the different breeds I had studied as a child. When I was in third or fourth grade, I organized my own neighbor- hood dog show and made ribbons out of fabric scraps. I held it in my backyard. After rescuing and fostering dogs, either on my own or through Animal Care Ser- vices, I decided what I really wanted was to raise purebred dogs for the purpose of show- ing, and having family pets as well. I wanted to be part of a responsible community of dog owners. As I love all dogs, the problem of overpopulation of mixed breeds and purebred dogs (poor examples of their breeds, with no health testing done) was a prob- lem I couldn’t fix. So, I wanted to own a well-bred, great example of a particular breed. I loved studying the Rhodesian Ridgeback after meeting one, and that became my breed of choice to transition into the show world. I also own two retired show Border Collies, my first purebred fascination.
86 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, JANUARY 2024
Powered by FlippingBook