Can you feel it? Perhaps it's the first cool breeze of fall, or the shiver of anticipation of Ridgebackers readying for the National Specialty in historic Gettsyburg later this September. Or maybe it's just that goofy red dog of yours goosing you again.

No matter the source: The Ridgeback world is energized for fall, and so is The Ridgeback Register. We have produced another lush, editorial-crammed issue that -- dare we say it? dare we think it? -- tops all the others that have come before it.

The highlight of our Pre-Specialty issue is an extensively researched and reported article by our own Denise Flaim about that paragon of the Ridgeback breed, Major Tom Hawley of South Africa. Denise asks whatever happened to the man who wrote the bible of the breed and who arguably cemented American type a half-century ago. And she gets answers.

For our cover story, Register publisher Theresa M. Lyons sits down with a newcomer to the Ridgeback world, Kiki Courtelis, whose promising new dog, Spirit, is taking the show world by storm.

For those with adventurous minds -- and strong stomachs -- we have a fascinated piece on C-sections, and what really happens when your bitch goes under the knife. And we guarantee wordsmiths and history buffs alike will chomp their pencils in concentration with our first-ever Ridgeback-themed crossword puzzle. (Don't worry -- we'll give you the answers.)

On a serious note, we also pay a fond farewell to the Ridgeback club's longtime AKC delegate, George Sexton, conveying page after page of memories and reminiscences from those in the breed and the fancy whose lives he touched.

And, continuing our quest to be a global Ridgeback resource, we have a wealth of coverage of shows and events from around the world. If you didn't make it to the World Congress in Ireland ... or the World Dog Show in Sweden ... or the annual Championship Show in South Africa ... you'll close your copy of the Register feeling like you were there.

Don't have a subscription for the next copy of The Ridgeback Register? Well, what are you waiting for?

Here are some of the other stories and features awaiting you in our current issue:

Inside This Issue:
• Cover Story: Team Spirit. What it takes to be a winner.
• 100 Years of Hawley: An appreciation of the breed expert
• Heads or Tails: The word for this issue: "Art"
• Tiffany & Co.: An accomplished junior -- and the dogs that got her there
• Singular Sensation: A one-puppy litter presents multiple challenges
• The Ridgeback Register Crossword: Try our Downs and Acrosses
• The Art Of The Rhodesian Ridgeback
• Spotlight on ... Nando: Finland's most versatile Ridgeback
• C is for Caesarean: Performed properly, this surgery is a literal lifesaver
• What a Drag: A photographer finds her Ridgeback muse
• We Are the World: The World Congress in Ireland, the World Show in Sweden and the South African Championship
• Neighborhood Watch: A compendium of news from the Ridgeback show world
• Judge for Yourself: Meet the newest breeder-judge
• Goodbye, George: Ridgebackers mourn their elder statesman

Theresa M. Lyons and Denise Flaim
Editors, The Ridgeback Register Click here for article highlights!

All Major Credit Cards Accepted.

To download supplements, click on image. Please be patient, files are large.

Advertising and Editorial questions, please contact: Theresa@TheRidgebackRegister.com
Subscription questions, please contact: Subs@TheRidgebackRegister.com