at the FCI AGM 2017 in Leipzig there has been a suggestion of introducing a Ridgeless variant, part of the argument in favour was that it was discussed at the congress and that the delegates were positive. This is NOT correct, it was mentioned but not discussed when the FCI representatives were present as nobody had time to digest and understand the proposal and when we discussed at a later state the congress were most assuredly against but agreed on the following resolution: “The 2016 Rhodesian Ridgeback World Congress recognizes that breeders are autonomous and are the best arbiters of what should happen in their whelping boxes. To that end, the 2016 RRWC strongly encourages breed clubs to avoid punitive language in their codes of ethics or other official documents regarding the breeding of healthy Rhodesian Ridgebacks with only cosmetic faults, and strongly encourages openness and honesty between breeders.”
The congress instigated a survey for the FCI breed clubs with reliable DS and Ridgeless data and it is very clear that the number of DS is falling rapidly in countries surveyed and the no of ridgeless increasing. Please see attached graph, as well as documentation sent to RR representatives in the FCI.
