Shortly after we got married in the summer of 2006, my husband and I started to think about adding furry children to our lives. Chris had become interested in Ridgebacks after he was impressed with their personality and physique when he saw Ridgebacks in a movie. We very carefully researched the breed and thought they would fit perfectly into our active lifestyle.

We were incredibly fortunate to find Cherie Starr and Ross Jones (Cimarron Rhodesian Ridgebacks) through the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the United States (RRCUS) website--turned out they lived only 15 minutes from us, so we went to meet them and their family of five Ridgebacks. That visit confirmed that Ridgies were the breed for us!

Mentorship from Cherie and Ross has been invaluable as we've become immersed in the wonderful world of Ridgebacks! We are also incredibly grateful that Cherie and Ross introduced us to Susan Ralston, VMD (Ridge View Rhodesian Ridgebacks) and Linda Siplon (Lija Rhodesian Ridgebacks). Our extended Ridgeback family and knowledge has continued to grow through knowing them!

We adopted our first Ridgeback and foundation bitch, Kimaya, in January of 2008. Because you definitely can't have just one, we adopted Chisulo in August of 2008. Our Ridgies are first and foremost our beloved companions. As you'll see, we also train and participate with them in conformation, lure coursing, herding, rally, and agility. These dedicated, versatile hounds are the only breed for us!

Rufaro (Shona, majority dialect of Zimbabwe), means "joy" or "exuberance". We chose this name for our kennel both because it is what our hounds bring to us, and because it so accurately reflects the personality of our foundation bitch, BIF NSBIF GCH DC Ridge View's Some Kind of Wonderful of Lija, RN, SC, CGC, HIC, FCH "Kimaya." We will breed litters infrequently, and only when we feel like a very special hound will contribute to the improvement of the breed.

Chris and I are members of the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the United States (RRCUS), and the Colorado Rhodesian Ridgeback Club (CRRC).

For questions, contact Jennifer Taylor-Cousar, MD jennifer@rufarorr.com