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A Tribute to Our Members
Member Profiles Current Featured Profile
Jennie & Joe Piott
Lifetime Members
Jennie (Jeanette) and Joe Piott, of Kuwinda Rhodesian Ridgebacks, joined the NWRRC in late 1989, just after the club was formed. In fact, they were at the very first club meeting. We all owe the two of them a great deal, especially regarding their contributions to Ridgebacks and lure coursing, as Joe was one of the very earliest enthusiasts and advocated for our breed competing in lure coursing as an AKC-recognized event! Our club honored them a few years ago with a lifetime membership.
Not too long ago, I had the pleasure of speaking with the delightful Jennie Piott. I got to learn a lot more about her and Joe, who passed away in 2022. I was also able to learn more about both of the Piotts and their Kuwinda Rhodesian Ridgebacks through the comments, contributions, and background from club members Marykay Ligocki, Betsy Metcalf, Kathy Thompson, and Rosalie Sterner. Likewise, I thank each of them for contributing.
Jennie (Jeanette) Piott, with one of her beloved Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Anna, GCHB DC KUWINDA'S TATUAGGIO DELLA ROSA SC
Background
Jennie grew up in Indiana and met Joe through a Methodist church youth group. After completing her degree in economics at Indiana University, Jennie and Joe moved to Washington so Joe could get his PhD in physics from the University of Washington. Jennie worked for the State of Washington in the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Joe ended his career with Boeing after having worked in academia. They lived on a 10-acre property in Puyallup and had two daughters, both of whom still reside in Washington.
Ridgebacks
“Joe heard about Rhodesian Ridgebacks and was immediately enthralled,” says Jennie. “We went down to a dog show at the Seattle Center and decided we had to find one for ourselves. Our first Ridgeback, Rusty, came from a breeder we happened to find… but our second Ridgeback, Rafiki, DC WARIDI'S AMINI RAFIKI MC, came from breeders Shirley Wait and Noel Brittenham [note: Karen McClelland’s mother—Karen's kennel is Hataki Ridgebacks]. Rafiki was our foundation bitch.”
“Joe had a friend that had coursing equipment so Joe went and picked it up because we thought it would be a wonderful thing for our dogs to do. We had 10 acres so set it up and let our dogs use it. We then got the newly formed NWRRC involved.” The rest, they say, is history.
Member Spotlight
Gale Severson
Gale Severson, Member Since 1990
Gale Severson, of Mwen-Yezi Ridgebacks, joined our Club in 1990, just a year after it was formed. She has been on the board a few times, has contributed a ton to supported entries over the years, is widely respected as a breeder, and is known for her warm, authentic, and kind character. Gale joined RRCUS in 1995 and has been active in that club as well. She’s been in charge of rosettes at the National Specialty off and on since 2017, and 2024 marks her 5th time doing so. To know Gale is to love Gale so we are thrilled to be able to profile her here.
Jillyn Myers
Jillyn Myers (1958-2020), Member from 2000 to 2020
Jillyn Myers of Aegis Rhodesian Ridgebacks was an extraordinary friend to countless members of our Ridgeback community, one of our Club’s most accomplished breeders (over 70 AKC Champions, including Best of Breed at Westminster, along with tens of dozens of other AKC titles), and simply a wonderful human being.
Each year at the Cascade Hound Show, our Club honors Jillyn with memorial trophies and plaques. As I was thinking about how to even begin to write about her, it occurred to me that maybe the best way to profile Jillyn would be to ask those who perhaps knew her best and longest from within our Club and in the RR community at large. My hope is that those of you who never knew her will gain a better understanding of why the NWRRC honors her and that you might be inspired as well.
Debbie Brower
Debbie Brower, Member since 1995
Debbie Brower is the breeder behind Jesmyster Ridgebacks and recent past president of the NWRRC. Her dogs are well-known throughout the US but particularly here in the Pacific Northwest, where Debbie and her Jesmyster RRs are consistent winners in all that she does with them: conformation, obedience, agility, rally, fastcat, trick dog and lure coursing. Debbie is an AKC CGC evaluator, a RRCUS ringside mentor for judges and has taught obedience since the mid-90’s in the Tri-cities area of WA. Her favorite classes to teach are STAR Puppy Classes. In addition to being a member of RRCUS, Debbie is an AKC Breeder of Merit and has been highly involved in our club since she joined in 1995. Debbie and her husband Jim live in Kennewick, WA, and have a working sheep farm and a number of other farm animals. They’re also recent foster fails of “Wingnut,” a rescue Ridgeback from a Midwest puppy mill.
Kathy Thompson
Kathy Thompson, Founding Member, 1989
Kathy Thompson, of K-Tai Rhodesian Ridgebacks, was a founding member of our Club, which was formed in 1989! She has served on the board at various times and was a two-term Club President. Kathy says, “I don’t think the club has changed much except for the increase in numbers and the Facebook group. The club still makes education a priority and welcomes new Ridgeback owners. We also still have hard workers and great enthusiasm.” Kathy has been a resource for untold numbers of RR people in the Pacific Northwest and her dogs’ pedigree can be found nationwide. Kathy has been breeding Ridgebacks since 1980 - her foundation bitch was “Tai,” Ch Askari’s Tai of DeGeare CDX TD and a weight pull champion. Yes, you read that correctly: a weight pull champion. Kathy has done a wide variety of things with her dogs, and in addition to weight pull, there’s everything from truffle hunting to lure coursing, obedience, and conformation.
