Jim Ritterspach is perhaps the most influential chinchilla breeder of the 21st century. He has judged and competed internationally in the chinchilla industry for over 40 years, winning his first Grand Show Championship in 1967. He is a sanctioned judge for both ECBC and MCBA, having judged more National level chinchilla shows than any other judge. Within these show organizations, Mr. Ritterspach has served as Vice President, Chairman of Shows, and Senior Advisor. Additionally Mr. Ritterspach is an inductee into the Empress Hall of Fame.
In 1999 Mr. Ritterspach and Chinchillas.com formed a successful alliance, selling and exporting many of the finest chinchillas produced in the United States each year. These chinchillas are recognized around the globe for their superior quality and prepotency, establishing a reputation for unequalled excellence. In 2005, the Ritterspach / Chinchillas.com alliance added a new breeding associate, thereby making the original Royal Persian Angora chinchillas available to international clientele for the first time in history. To date, Chinchillas.com has founded new breeding programs in over thirty five countries on five continents.