If Ellen Marsden had lived a life of crime, I'd be in jail today. I followed her everywhere.   I was the only person in the country with a quarter horse who made all the Appaloosa shows.  We were good traveling companions and good friends.  Besides, I couldn't afford horse shows anyhow. 

One day Ellen wanted a goat.  Ellen couldn't find a goat.  She found a Rhodesian ridgeback instead.  I thought they were the silliest-looking animals I had ever seen.

Eventually, Ellen decided to move to Southern Missouri, in the middle of that move, her "Patty" came into heat  In typical Ellen style, she took a load of housewares to Missouri by way of Chicago.  That's where "Walgroh's Kimberly" lived.  With "Snelson's Lioness Patt" dutifully bred, she went off to her new farm on the Spring River.

"Tiger" ( Springriver Regent) and "Tina" ( Springriver Patina) were born there.  "Tiger" was a fine-looking animal.  I told Ellen that if ( and only if) I ever wanted a ridgeback, it would be him.

Now Ellen's husband, Forrest,  was still working in Illinois.  He spent his weekends in the country, then came back to work during the week.  Ellen called me one night .  She asked if I still wanted "Tiger".  It seems she and her kids were so involved showing the Apps that they didn't have time to show him and he was, after all, a worthy show dog..  I responded that I never said I wanted him at all.   Well, it seems Forrest was on his way to my house with the "Tiger Dumb Dog" even as we spoke.

I had just bought a house on a very busy street.  Forrest showed up on my doorstep at 10:00 P.M. Sunday evening with "Tiger" and "Tina". "Here are your dogs" he said.  "Dogssss?!?" I said incredulously.  I just wanted "Tiger" and I wasn't real sure of that!  "Tina and Tiger go together" were his parting words.  All of a sudden I had two dogs that hadn't been off the farm, in a house on a very busy street, late at night and had to work the next day....

In the light of the next day, it occurred to me that "Tina" was awfully fat.   I asked Ellen about this.  Oh yes, she thought maybe she had been bred by "Snelson's Bushman" a while ago.

Two weeks later, "Tina" whelped "Springriver Margueritte" and 11 brothers and sisters.  I was heavy into Ridgebacks!

"Springriver Margueritte" produced "Riveroads Noko Rittah", the top-producing ridgeback dam in the history of the breed.  The rest is history.