Author: communications

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Graham:
Today is the fourth annual Dia de los Muertos activity at Valley High School.

Anthony Godfrey:
This is experiential learning at its best and I would suggest that these are some of the most memorable experiences that students will have. Who are some of the people that you're honoring and remembering today personally?

Sylvia:
Celebrating my grandparents, two aunts, one uncle, and a student who passed in April.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It is a long time tradition at Valley High School, thanks to the hard work and dedication of two incredible staff members. On this episode of the Supercast, we take you to Valley High's Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos celebration, a touching and colorful commemoration, remembering lost loved ones through family photos, favorite foods, and much more. At Valley, it's also an opportunity for students who participate to benefit academically through the school's credit recovery program.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're at Valley High today. It's a Friday and we're talking with Graham about what happens on Fridays at Valley. Graham is a friend of the Supercast. Graham, talk us through why we're here and what's going on.

Graham:
Well, Valley High School is a very special place that we are actually celebrating our 50th anniversary, kind of, sort of. Fifty years of graduations, 50 years of serving students and ensuring that we are helping as many kids get across that finish line as possible. I do not know the exact year that Friday activities started, but Friday activities kind of serve this purpose of bringing students into our building, giving them an opportunity to recover credits that they have previously not earned for a variety of reasons, engaging them in some sort of creative, fun, good activity, giving them some nuggets of knowledge, bringing them together, and helping them get that step closer towards graduation. It is one of the most important things that we do here at the school. Because of our schedule four days a week, teachers will volunteer their time, sell packets, create these experiences that are only as limited as our imagination and willingness as teachers.

Anthony Godfrey:
And experience is the right word for it. This is experiential learning at its best. I would suggest that these are some of the most memorable experiences that students will have as part of their secondary education. Just being able to delve deeply into some very meaningful opportunities.

Graham:
It is the most important part of everything that we do. Some of these students have not had experiences that have been very positive with schools, and they haven't had as much fun as they should have been having. So being able to really center everything that we do around bringing them in, having fun, giving them something that is going to serve them, and then pushing them towards where they need to get to. It's the best part of the job.

Anthony Godfrey:
Elective credit is an important part of it, but it's an enriching experience. That's what I think of most of all.

Graham:
Exactly. And we create and we write these packets so we can do any sort of credit that the teacher is licensed for. We align it to standards and we get to do so in a way that isn't just textbooks, lecture, it's projects, it's field trips, it's fun.

Anthoy Godfrey:
And it's not just showing up. There's work expected beyond Friday of students in order to earn the credit. But this is the interactive aspect of it that really makes it stick. Makes it sticky and makes it something that students will retain for a long time.

Graham:
And beyond even just retaining, it makes them want to be a part of school more.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. It's motivating.

Graham:
Exactly. Because they can't do Friday activities if they're not passing. They can't have these opportunities if they're not doing what they need to do to be getting towards their goals. This is a privilege for them, but it is the most fun part of the job.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's rocket fuel. That's what it is.

Graham:
Exactly.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell us what today's activities focused on.

Graham:
Today is the fourth annual Dia de los Muertos activity at Valley High School. It started a couple years ago with a different teacher. People have kind of come and gone and we just keep on building this activity on top of itself every year. It started with a small group of students, and now we have the ability to offer this to over 100 students, which is about 30 percent of our entire student population at the school. Every year during the week, we set up the "ofrenda" and we place photographs of our loved ones that have passed, of animals that have passed, or the people that matter to us. We come together. It is the most emotional part of this activity, seeing the people that we care about and the people that we honor in our buildings. Students, grandparents, spouses, children, and we dedicate a large amount of our space to this, and we keep this up because this is the important thing. It is not inherently just about what we want to do, what we're thinking about. It is honoring everyone in the building, everyone that has helped and supported this place, everyone that has brought everyone in this building to where we are at, and provided us the ability to serve or to learn or to have the opportunities that we have in life. So this is a very meaningful day for a lot of people in this building. And being able to offer credits to students who need those opportunities is just the cherry on top. But this is a day that is about so many things that are bigger than just us, and being able to serve the students is far and beyond the most important thing.

Anthony Godfrey:
Is there someone you're honoring and remembering today?

Graham:
I have grandparents, friends, and students.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you, Graham. Thank you for making this possible for all of these students, and it will be memorable for everyone involved.

Graham:
It always is.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you.

Eva:
Welcome to our "Dia de los Muertos ." For those of you who don't know me, my name is Eva. I've been teaching here at Valley for a while, six or seven years. We are going to, in this activity, explore the deep roots of this particular holiday with the symbols and the food and the music, and we are thrilled that you are here to participate in it. We have an amazing crew that has been here nights. We've been cooking for two days. Sylvia Wilkerson. Erica Hernandez, who is our nursery manager, is an artist who put together all of our ofrenda, your photo booth, the backdrop for our speakers and musicians that's in the lecture hall. We're going to start with the pan de morto. They're going to explain what that's about, why it's important, and we're going to share breaking bread together. Breaking bread together is an extremely ancient way of being a part of a community and acknowledging our common human needs and our communal understanding of each other.

Owner, Cakes by the Bakery:
Thank you guys so much, Valley High School, Eva and Sylvia and Erica, for continuing this relationship with Cakes by Edith. My sister and I, we are owners of a bakery called Cakes by the Bakery, and we're a Mexican family-owned bakery. So we focus on a lot of pastries and traditional breads that we make throughout the year, this being one of the most popular ones. This one is called "Pan de Muerto," which translates to "Bread of the Dead," in celebration of Dia de los Muertos. I don't know how much you guys know about Dia de los Muertos, but it's a really big, . . .  I think one of the biggest holidays that Mexican culture celebrates, and it's a day or a couple of days to celebrate and honor your loved ones. So once again, thank you guys.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're talking now with Angelica, a student at Valley High School. Angelica, who are you honoring today?

Angelica
I have family members and I have friends that passed away. They were all very sweet, and they were always just a good person in your life.

Anthony Godfrey:
So when you think about these people that we've lost, what does that make you think about your own life?

Angelica:
That you really have to value every moment because you never know what can happen the next day, because you’re never promised if you're going to wake up in the morning.

Anthony Godfrey:
You have to make the most of the time you have.

Angelica:
Yep, makes every moment count.

Anthony Godfrey:
The impact they had in your life is the same type of impact you can have in the lives of others.

Angelica:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're talking now with Jose, who is a former student of Valley. Nice to meet you, Jose.

Jose:
Nice to meet you. I'm coming here to help teach about Dia de los Muertos, about some of the historical significance and the significance behind the different kinds of symbolism from the bread of the dead, for example.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about some of the people that you are honoring and remembering on Dia de los Muertos.

Jose:
We recently lost my grandmother, so that is someone that is heavy in my heart, that we are also honoring at home within our memorial. We also have lost other members of the family in the past, like my mother's uncle. That's someone who we hold close and dear. And other than that, we thankfully have been blessed not to lose many members of our family.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, thank you for talking with me. It's nice to meet you. It's exciting to hear the positive impact Valley has had on you, and I wish you well on your continuing education journey.

Jose:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us when we come back more with Valley High School's Day of the Dead.

Male Voice:
Never miss an episode of the Supercast by liking and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform. Find transcripts for this episode and others at supercast.jordandistrict.org.

Female Voice:
They're out on the job in the rain, sleet, snow, ice, and in the sunshine. As Jordan School District students navigate their way to and from school every day, we are truly grateful for our city crossing guards, always vigilant and looking out for students to ensure everyone's safety. Because they work so hard protecting our kids, let's give those crossing guards a hand. If you're driving near or around schools, slow down, pay attention, watch for students and staff, and follow instructions from the school crossing guards, and know our cities are always looking to hire crossing guards. If you like kids and need some flexible hours, contact your local city and apply to be a crossing guard today. Together, let's make this a safe and successful school year.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're talking with Sylvia and Erica at the heart of Dia de los Muertos today. Thank you very much for talking with us.

Sylvia:
Sure, thank you.

Erica:
Thanks for coming. Yes, thank you. This means a lot.

Anthony Godfrey:
I think this is a really exciting activity just because of the deep personal meaning this has for every individual involved. Tell us about Dia de los Muertos for those who may not know exactly what this tradition means.

Sylvia:
So the celebration, we celebrate the lives of those that we have loved, whether they're family members or pets, friends, some of our students that have passed. And we just remember them because we believe that death is part of life, the circle of life. And as long as we don't forget those that we love, and we actually dedicate a specific date. It's focused on them and the memories we have of them.

Anthony Godfrey:
What have you seen this mean to the students of Valley as this has happened over the years?

Erica:
They have loved it. Every single time we've done it, they have always liked to, when we're getting all the decorations and everything together, they have always loved to help and just be part of it.

Anthony Godfrey:
Who are some of the people that you're honoring and remembering today personally?

Erica:
My father, my grandfather.

Sylvia:
I'm celebrating my grandparents. Two aunts, one uncle, and a student that passed in April.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about what the display is and how that helps us remember those who have passed on. For those who can't see this beautiful display here.

Sylvia:
First of all, it's not a religious. It has no connection to religion. But in one way or another, we need to dedicate some time just to reflect on who they were to us. And also, we like to sit around, have dinner on Dia de los Marcos, and eat the food that they loved. So that's why we dedicate one day of the year, not saying that we don't talk or remember them any other year. For example, the flowers. We believe that the aroma of the flowers guides their spirits to come see us and give us some comfort. We believe that the light, the candles and stuff, represent the light that they need to come to us and then to go back.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's a beautiful way of expressing a connection to those who have passed on. And what I see is lots of marigolds. Is that what they are?

Sylvia:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Marigolds in bright orange and yellow strewn along the floor with candles lining each side and with butterflies on the floor. Tell me about the symbolism of the butterflies.

Sylvia:
The butterflies, they're the monarch butterflies. There's a town in Mexico that on Dia de los Muertos, where whatever day it is, whether it's a Monday or a Wednesday, they get to that town. And so it's always on Dia de los Muertos. You just see them. And we believe that there is a, you know, we like to associate the butterfly with the spirit of the person. And, you know, that it's free to come see us and just the sign that they love us just as much as we love them.

Anthony Godfrey:
I didn't expect to come to the podcast today and think about my own friends and relatives who have passed, but... Thank you for helping me remember them.

Sylvia:
We would love to invite you and the people that work with you to send us pictures, and we would be more than honored to add the pictures to our celebration.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you for helping me remember them, and I will do that in the future. I will send you pictures.

Sylvia:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, thank you so much. This has been a really...

Sylvia:
No, thank you. Really, thank you for taking time out of your schedule because we know that, you know, you had other things to do, but this really does mean a lot to our community. Our students, just to know that you are here in the building.

Erica:
Yes.

Sylvia:
And I don't know if you know this, but we have a few parents that have volunteered. They volunteered to bring us food, too, because they want the younger generations to not disconnect themselves from traditions.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, thank you for providing this opportunity. It's very important, and we'll be back.

Erica:
Thank you.

Sylvia:
We are so excited. We're happy to see you. And this is our fourth year, and I think it grows every year.

Erica:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wonderful. Thank you so much.

Both:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, “Education is the most important thing you'll do today!” We'll see you out there. Bye-bye.

Stacie Thompson:
They were bred for a job.

Anthony Godfrey:
And what job was that?

Stacie Thompson:
To protect the farms, but they also are very well known for working together to hunt lions.

Anthony Godfrey:
The name Rhodesian Ridgeback sounds intimidating. There's a reason for that.

Stacie Thompson:
Yes. Currently, I think they're only feared by my couch.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. When she's not in the classrooms of her school caring for kids, one assistant principal has a unique passion and you could say she's having a doggone good time pursuing that passion. On this episode of the Supercast, we take you to Elk Meadows Elementary School, where we meet up with Stacie Thompson and her Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs. Find out why this educator loves showing her prized possessions at dog shows everywhere and what it takes to bring home the title of Best in Show or Best in Breed.

Anthony Godfrey
We're talking today at Elk Meadows with the assistant principal who happens to be a big dog fan and a prize winner when it comes to her dogs. Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about what you're up to with these dogs.

Stacie Thompson:
I'm Stacie Thompson and I show and breed Rhodesian Ridgebacks. We enter AKC events both in the ring for confirmation and on the field for lure coursing.

Anthony Godfrey:
Stacie, I've been looking forward to this for a long time. I have two dogs that are neither shown nor prize-winning at all, unless there were prizes for barking at the door at 3.30 in the morning or things like that, you know.

Stacie Thompson:
There could be.

Anthony Godfrey:
There could be. There really should be. Now, let's talk first of all about the breed, the Rhodesian Ridgeback. Rhodesia is a country, or was a country, with a very unpleasant past. So tell me about the Rhodesian Ridgeback name.

Stacie Thompson:
So they are an African dog and they do hail from formerly Rhodesia, which is now Zimbabwe. But they were bred for a job.

Anthony Godfrey:
And what job was that?

Stacie Thompson:
To protect the farms, but they also are very well known for working together to hunt lions.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, OK. So, when the name Rhodesian Ridgeback sounds intimidating, there's a reason for that. OK. All right. Protecting the farm and working together to hunt lions. If you hunt lions, then you're something to be feared, I would say.

Stacie Thompson:
Yes. Currently, I think they're only feared by my couch. They want to spend their time there.

Anthony Godfrey:
OK. All right.

Stacie Thompson:
Yes. That was their original job.

Anthony Godfrey:
I did get a glimpse of them as we walked in and he looked very charming, not very, not very intimidating.

Stacie Thompson:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
But that was because he was under your command. So I'm sure that if I met him in a dark alley, I might think otherwise.

Stacie Thompson:
He's a sweet guy.

Anthony Godfrey:
He's a sweet guy, I'm sure.

Stacie Thompson:
I got my first Ridgeback 13 years ago, and I still have her.

Anthony Godfrey:
Good.

Stacie Thompson:
Then Zero is 10 and I have Izzy has just turned seven and my puppy just turned two. And that's Scarlett. We have her here today.

Anthony Godfrey:
Which leads me to the next question. So there are four Ridgebacks in your home. How many dogs are there in your home?

Stacie Thompson:
Four.

Anthony Godfrey:
OK. So how many legs total in your home?

Stacie Thompson:
Too many.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's two for you, 16 for them. That's a lot of legs.

Stacie Thompson:
That's a lot of legs.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's a lot of legs. Are they far from you or do they always want to be right by you?

Stacie Thompson:
They're a little bit different. They I would say they like to be in the same room, definitely. But they're comfortable being across the room as long as they can have eyes on you. And then sometimes they just love a good cuddle.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's awesome. That's a big cuddle from what I saw as I walked by.

Stacie Thompson:
It's like a big hug.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's a big hug. That's fantastic. Tell me about what it means to breed and to show these dogs. What does that look like for you day to day?

Stacie Thompson:
So we enter AKC events where we show our dogs to a judge and usually in a weekend, you'll show to more than one judge. You're just there to get the professional opinion of the judge that your dog has been bred correctly and shows the correct standards for our breed and is worthy of continuing forward with a gene pool and breeding.

Anthony Godfrey:
What are some of the characteristics of this particular breed that a judge would be looking for?

Stacie Thompson:
They look for like a combination of their conformation. So, we're looking for a strong shoulder assembly, an athletic dog.

Anthony Godfrey:
I've always wanted a strong shoulder assembly. I've never really had it.

Stacie Thompson:
A dog that drives from the rear.

Anthony Godfrey:
That drives from the rear?

Stacie Thompson:
Yeah, so they're rear wheel drive. So not fancy but athletic. So they're pushing as they reach and drive because they're an athletic breed. And if they're going to protect the farm, they need to be able to run all day.

Anthony Godfrey:
What else are they watching for? What else are the judges wanting to see?

Stacie Thompson:
Well, automatically our breed disqualification. So the Rhodesian Ridgeback has a hallmark of our breed. and that is that it has two cowlicks that are at the base of their neck on their shoulders. That forces the hair to grow in the opposite direction down their spine. Hence, that's why they're called a ridgeback.

Anthony Godfrey:
So the hair is growing upstream against all the other hair?

Stacie Thompson:
Mm-hmm.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, well we'll get a look at that in a few minutes.

And so if we don't have that, then that would disqualify us as being correct.

Anthony Godfrey:
But it's not properly bred, I see.

Stacie Thompson:
Then they're just looking for the rest, as far as like our dogs should be longer than they are tall, and they should have a certain kind of shape to them and movement to them.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, all right. So, if you are in a competition, is it only showing and looking at the characteristics? Or are your dogs like jumping over the little bar and running around through the cones and all that stuff?

Stacie Thompson:
So an AKC confirmation event is only, it's kind of like a beauty concept.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's a beauty pageant. Okay, wow. All right. That may all make sense now. What's his platform? World peace or what is it exactly?

Stacie Thompson:
Maybe more food.

Anthony Godfrey:
More food? Okay. That's a good platform. That makes sense.

Stacie Thompson:
So that's an AKC confirmation event. If you are doing—

Anthony Godfrey:
World hunger. That's the platform.

Stacie Thompson:
World hunger, there you go.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes, okay.

Stacie Thompson:
If we're doing going through the sticks and over the jumps, that's called agility.

Anthony Godfrey:
Agility.

Stacie Thompson:
We can also compete in that. Then if they're competing for obedience, that's obedience or rally. And then if they are competing on the field, which is something only sighthounds can do.

Anthony Godfrey:
Not—

Stacie Thompson:
Not just any hound but a sighthound. So a sighthound is a nose.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, I see. But the Ridgeback is a sight.

Stacie Thompson:
Um hum.

Anthony Godfrey:
So they see the lion. They don't smell the lion. Well, they also smell it, but they work on sight.

Stacie Thompson:
Yeah, they're very prey-driven by sight. So that's a dog like a whippet or a greyhound. They're going to compete in this event. And it's just in the field where they have a motor and a pulley system. And the dogs will chase--it's a plastic bag. But it's supposed to simulate a rabbit.

Anthony Godfrey:
I see.

Stacie Thompson:
And they'll chase it sprinting between 600 and 900 yards.

Anthony Godfrey:
Is it boring to chase a plastic bag rabbit when you're used to chasing lions?

Stacie Thompson:
No.

Anthony Godfrey:
Or are they happy to do that still?

Stacie Thompson:
Well, since they haven't been to Africa in a while, I think they're pretty happy to chase a plastic bag.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. All right. Very good. Let's talk about all of these ribbons, these awards. This is quite an array and I will say, whenever an AKC competition is on TV, I cannot turn the channel. I cannot look away. I have to watch it through to the end because it's fascinating to watch the competition. So, tell me about all of these awards.

Stacie Thompson:
So these awards are just various awards that the dogs have gotten over the years. Some of them are from confirmation. Some of them are for coursing. So the ones that say lure coursing, those are field events. The red, white, and blue is what's called Best in Field. So they compete against other Ridgebacks and then if they win against the Ridgebacks, then they compete against the winners from all the other breeds. Once that happens, then they can be Best in Field. So Zero, my dog, has been best in field twice, which means that he ran against Whippets and Greyhounds and Salukis and Afghans and was able to win those days. So, it was a lucky day.

Anthony Godfrey:
Even Salukis. Wow. Very cool. I just pretended to know what a Saluki is. So that's really fun. That's exciting. So how often would you say you are taking them to competition of one sort or another and how far away have you taken them for competition?

Stacie Thompson:
I don't do it as often as others. Others are committed and they're out there every weekend. We only have two shows in the spring and two shows in the fall here in Utah. So, we do both of those if we can. And then typically we do Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado in here and just kind of keep it close. But I've been as far as Washington State and North Dakota, and I guess quite a few states.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, so we have some photos here of the competition. Let's look at that.

Stacie Thompson:
We do. So when you win, you get to take a picture with a judge.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, yeah.

Stacie Thompson:
That's the one that I read. This is Zero's son. And you get to take a picture, which is great.

Anthony Godfrey:
Look at that. They know exactly how to stand. Like, there we are. We're ready to go.

Stacie Thompson:
Yeah. Well, and so you're showing off, right? They're best qualities. So you can see there should be longer than the front.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. Beautiful dogs. Yeah. Very cool. And this is the ridge. There's a magazine. There's a Ridgeback magazine?

Stacie Thompson:
Yeah. So if you belong to the club, you know, we can show our dogs and advertise if you are wanting us.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, look, there you are.

Stacie Thompson:
There I am.

Anthony Godfrey:
New champion in the magazine.

Stacie Thompson:
That's Izzy. So Izzy is Scarlett's mom, who we have here today.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. That's very cool.

Stacie Thompson:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Look at that. Huh. They're very photogenic dogs.

Stacie Thompson:
They are. And this is Zero's dad.

Anthony Godfrey:
Dex.

Stacie Thompson:
Dex.

Anthony Godfrey:
Very cool. Very distinguished looking dog. Like, “I stand on business.”

Stacie Thompson:
They do.

Anthony Godfrey:
“I have things to do.” Stay with us when we come back. We meet Stacie Thompson’s Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Zero and Scarlett.

Male Voice:
Never miss an episode of The Supercast by liking and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform. Find transcripts for this episode and others at supercast.jordandistrict.org.

Female Voice:
In Jordan School District, communicating and connecting with parents is really important, and that's why we're very excited about ParentSquare. ParentSquare has replaced Skylerk as the District's new communication platform. With ParentSquare, you'll receive all District and school communication via email, text and/or the app based on your preference. All messages can be translated to your preferred home language indicated in Skyward and it takes less than a minute to set up your notification preferences. You can use the ParentSquare app on any device. The app is available at parentsquare.com/signin. We look forward to connecting with you through ParentSquare.

Anthony Godfrey:
Let's go meet the dogs, shall we?

Stacie Thompson:
Let's do it. This is Zero, we'll meet him first.

Anthony Godfrey:
Alright, let's meet Zero. Now, they're very well behaved. I saw you put them in the kennel and they just like, "Oh sure, no problem. Why don't we go into this zipped up little box?"

Stacie Thompson:
They're used to coming to dog shows.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Stacie Thompson:
So he's 10, so I'm just going to grab him. He is my racing dog, so he loves to run.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. He has two white paws on the left and two brown paws on the right.

Stacie Thompson:
Yeah. Our dogs shouldn't have too much white, so we don't want the white to go up past that first joint.

Anthony Godfrey:
Is it a problem, the white that he does have on his paws?

Stacie Thompson:
Not at all.

Anthony Godfrey:
Or that doesn't take away from it?

Stacie Thompson:
Not at all. So, they typically have a little bit on their chest as well at times, so you can see.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now, someone told me when we got our second dog that some dogs are treat-motivated and some are ball-motivated. Is that, in fact? Is that breed-specific or does that just vary on the dog?

Stacie Thompson:
For Ridgebacks, typically are very food motivated.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. I don't know if they might pick that up, but that was a loud attack on the snack that was airborne.

Stacie Thompson:
But they typically are independent thinkers, so if you throw a ball, they might go get it the first time, but the second time they kind of look at you like, “well, you threw that away, so you don't want it. That's all you. So why would I want it?”

Anthony Godfrey:
I actually, I respect that.

Stacie Thompson:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
I really respect that. Oh. That's Zero?

Stacie Thompson:
Yes. Good boy, buddy. Scarlet.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Your hand signals are telling him exactly what to do.

Stacie Thompson:
Yeah. So he has...

Anthony Godfrey:
He seems very obedient.

Stacie Thompson:
He has been a show dog, you know, a few years ago, so he does know, and he's just a very good dog.

Anthony Godfrey:
And as a racing dog, how fast does he go?

Stacie Thompson:
Oh, that is a good question. So, if they're running against a Greyhound, the Greyhound might be going much faster than he's going, but the judge has to be able to look at each breed independently and see, is this dog moving the way it's supposed to? They're graded in five categories, and they get up to 10 points in each category, and they run twice. So he would have to run correctly for our breed and follow and have good agility and all of the things that they're looking for.

Anthony Godfrey:
So it's not just fast running, it's good running.

Stacie Thompson:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
I see.

Stacie Thompson:
It's important that they follow and don't cheat and cut across the field.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I can agree with that.

Stacie Thompson:
And they want to show their agility. Can they corner well? Do they come in, you know, still excited about chasing the plastic bag? And are they fast?

Anthony Godfrey:
Can they corner well?

Stacie Thompson:
Mm-hmm.

Anthony Godfrey:
And, Zero, do you corner well?

Stacie Thompson:
He says, "Well, I am a Best in Field dog."

Anthony Godfrey:
Of course, you corner well. You're in a magazine.

Stacie Thompson:
Good, buddy.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now, that ridgeback really does stand out.

Stacie Thompson:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Once you point it out.

Stacie Thompson:
So just like we have cowlicks in our hair, you can see that he has two right here.

Anthony Godfrey:
Kind of a whirl on each side of that that sends the hair. Can I?

Stacie Thompson:
Yeah, you can touch it.

Anthony Godfrey:
So it goes that way. Oh, wow. And you can -- oh, that's interesting. So, the hair just goes back the opposite direction.

Stacie Thompson:
Mm-hmm.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, yeah. Good boy.

Stacie Thompson:
Yeah. And they have to have two to be correct.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, okay.

Stacie Thompson:
And then it should run down all the way to about their hips back here.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now, if all of that wasn't right, but they were really good runners, would you still have them in that competition, or do they have to have the whole package?

Stacie Thompson:
So for a running dog, they can't run —f they -- we have to have a ridge, but if it's not correct, they can still run.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. They have to have a ridge, but it can be less than it might be for sure . . .

Stacie Thompson:
Just because that's our hallmark.

Anthony Godfrey:
If I pet him, do I need to put my hand out first?

Stacie Thompson:
He's really easygoing. He just wants to be curious. Zero, dog, down.

Anthony Godfrey:
Zero, what's going on?

Stacie Thompson:
He likes a butt scratch, so...

Anthony Godfrey:
Zero, hello. What a nice dog you are. And a champion, yes? Oh, wow. So you have to pet them in just the right spot, or else you're pushing back on that hair.

Stacie Thompson:
Mm-hmm.

Anthony Godfrey:
And this is Scarlett.

Stacie Thompson:
Yep. And so she is my show puppy.

Anthny Godfrey:
She was pretty excited to come out and say hello.

Stacie Thompson:
Yeah, we'll let her come out. So she's a little smaller. Males are about 85 pounds normally. Zero's a little bit bigger. And the females are about 70.

Anthony Godfrey:
Scarlett? Hi, Scarlett. Come here. Now, is that a shorter ridge than Zero has?

Stacie Thompson:
A little bit shorter. It's fine if it goes down to their hips like hers. She has a little bit more in her body here.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Stacie Thompson:
But you just don't want it to stop mid-back.

Anthony Godfrey:
She's sniffing the mic, a little curiosity there.

Stacie Thompson:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
The microphone does look like something you might want to chase with that furry covering on it. What are the treats you're using?

Stacie Thompson:
This is just freeze-dried liver. They like this.

Anthony Godfrey:
I had that for lunch.

Stacie Thompson:
You did?

Anthony Godfrey:
No, I did not. Freeze-dried liver, huh?

Stacie Thompson:
She's just learning to show, so we'll get her out next spring. She's just been practicing till then.

Anthony Godfrey:
So she hasn't competed?

Stacie Thompson:
She has a little bit. We were at Ridgebacks, have what's called our Ridgeback Nationals. Every dog breed usually has a national competition where it's just Ridgebacks and no other dogs.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Stacie Thompson:
We were lucky this year that it was here in South Jordan.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, really?

Stacie Thompson:
It travels around the country.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow.

Stacie Thompson:
This year it was at home in our backyard.

Anthony Godfrey:
How nice.

Stacie Thompson:
So she was able to compete without having to travel too far, and she earned third against all the puppies in her class, which was great. It was a lot of competition. We had about 500, I think, three... I think we had about 500 Ridgebacks here that...

Anthony Godfrey:
Third out of 500.

Stacie Thompson:
Well, not out of 500 because there were boys and girls in different ages.

Anthony Godfrey:
Right. Sure.

Stacie Thompson:
So her class would have just been with the puppy class.

Anthony Godfrey:
I see.

Stacie Thompson:
They go in different classes. And so she would have been in the 15 to 18-month class.

Anthony Godfrey:
Which of your dogs has been the most successful in competition?

Stacie Thompson:
Zero's been the most successful runner, and so far her mother has the most titles in AKC confirmation, but we're just getting started. So, we'll see how that stands up.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. So you think that Scarlett may give her mom a run for the money, huh?

Stacie Thompson:
Let's hope so.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Stacie Thompson:
Do you think so? What do you want?

Anthony Godfrey:
Are you just interested in me?

Stacie Thompson:
She says yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Any advice for those who might be considering Rhodesian Ridgebacks in their lives?

Stacie Thompson:
Um... Be ready for an independent-thinking dog. You need to just make sure you research the breed well, know what you're getting into, and find a breeder that will support you and your dog for the life of your dog.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Fantastic. Well, these dogs are lucky to have you, and it sounds like you're very lucky to have these particular dogs as well. It's really fun to talk with you and to meet them and spend a little time.

Stacie Thompson:
Yeah. Thank you for coming to meet them. They're always good to get to meet new people and have new experiences, so this is good for them as well.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, “Education is the most important thing you'll do today!” We'll see you out there.