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Assistant Principal Has Passion for Showing Rhodesian Ridgebacks
Description
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 is having a dog-gone 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 striking Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs. Find out why this educator loves showing her prize possessions at dog shows everywhere and what it takes to bring home the title of “Best in Show,” or “Best in Breed.”
Audio Transcription
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