For me, at any rate, the weekend 6^th and 7^th August was rather busy with two shows. On the Saturday we travelled north to the Houndshow encountering heavy traffic as we approached and reached Stafford, and with three six month old puppies in two cars we could have done with arriving a little earlier. However, we were all in good time for a midday start, where 17 dogs were entered for Finnish judge Leila Karkas. Just one failed to make it to the ring, a bitch who had come into season at the wrong time. BoB was Steve and Alison Piearce’s Finnish Import Ahonpään Esko at Sukunimi finally gaining his qualifying CC to make him a Champion – subject as normal to KC confirmation. His first three came as a puppy. The Open dog class had a entry of five dogs, and following Esko my Niko (Puulatva the Red Norseman among Inkivaari) won the DRCC – his seventh. In bitches the CC went to Hannah and Rob Thompson and Angela Cavill’s Ch Toveri Tuula, and the RCC was awarded to Ch T Piku from Hakojen owned by the CC winner’s owners plus David Cavill, also BV. There was no male puppy and the three puppies were all shown in the bitch puppy class. BP was Enkelini Toivoa, known at home as Hope, owned by Abigail Rolfe.

The following day I went to Paignton Ch show where the South West Hound Club was also holding a show. I am a member of the committee. Paignton does not offer classes for Finnish Spitz but I have been told that if we can offer a sufficient entry we might be offered classes in the future. However, there was only one entry in the SWHC show, my Niko who was awarded BoB.