Walley is a first for me – an outcross male that I purchased!!!  I looked for almost a year for the pup I wanted with the right termperament, genetic background and conformation.  No disappointments in any way so far!!!  He finished his AKC Championship title at the ripe old age of 17 months by going Best of Winners & Best of Opposite Sex for a 5 point major.  He easily won his Int'l Champion title as well going Best of Breed under all three judges and winning either a Group 2 or 3 as well.  He is a big galoot, friendly and easy going, and quite the show off!!   Walley is no longer showing in confirmation, he leaves that up to his puppies and soon to be grandpuppies!  One of his sons, Topper, finished his AKC Championship at only 9 months of age by taking a Group 1 and going into the Best In Show ring against mature and experienced dogs - what a rush!!!  A daughter, Can Can, won an International Best In Show, so along with a number of other offspring Walley has been everything I hoped he could be as far as a conformation dog.  Walley qualified for his HRQ1 (see www.thehra.com) certificate at the first EVER bird dog hunt qualifier held in South Dakota in October 2007 by scoring high enough in tracking, scenting, marking, and flushing quail to be the first Ridgeback male EVER to earn a bird dog certification.  Today, besides being a fabulous hunting partner, he still loves attention, going for rides in the car, and getting the girls geared up for some sort of game.  He ‘helps’ me teach 4-H obedience by being the demo dog and he likes to go on our therapy dog visits at the youth facilities.  Kids just seem to LOVE Walley and vice versa!!  I could not have hoped for a more beautiful, healthier, better companion to continue our efforts to strive for excellence.