Spring plans!

Well then! Planning the shows for spring, huh? Here at least! :) Here in Finland we have some odd "break" between January and April.. Guess the show organizers can't afford the big mess centers they need to get a big international show running in. Pretty sad, because there's not much going on here now. That means, you must head out abroad! I like that thought..

Well we have this one show in Kajaani. I'm just avoiding it because I've heard it's very cold there. Like to not freeze in a dog show.. Getting too comfortable haha! No, well the judge for kleinspitzes is our dogs breeder, so it's obvious my dogs can't compete. Junior handling would've been nice but it's a pretty long way there for "only" junior handling, nearly 600 kilometers.. Not like I wouldn't have done that before,  but this time like this!


Year 2007 in Turku INT show with my kleinspitz Tipsu

The next show will be Turku international show 21-22.1. I will be there only the other day, because there wasn't anything to do on Sunday, unfortunately. There will be a qualification competition to the Finnish Championship final in junior handling and an english pointer to show in the breed ring. Don't have to run in hurry, that's a nice little variation. A strange thing came up when the timetables were published.. Junior handlers had been shared to two judges. That's the first time as far as I remember that happens! And it's for sure not a good thing, if you ask me. We have two age groups, 10-13 years and 14-17 years. After both groups are judged, there will be a competition to name the Best In Show-Junior handler of the two winners. If the groups are judged by two judges, how can there be two juniors that represent the same "style/taste" of handling? Will be fun to follow! Because we all know - every judge has their own opinions, and that's why we don't have the same winner every time. Well, I guess we just have to live with this and criticize afterwards.. Hopefully we don't have to :p

 
Turku INT show 2009, with dalmatian Kikero                         Turku INT show 2011 with american cocker Meri

And yes, we'll be many, 64 junior handlers in the older group, 17 in the younger. Wonder where the younger contestants have gone.. They grew up and moved to the older group? Hmm. 64 juniors, that's much more that we have had in a long time! Some years ago, that was a normal number of competitors, not anymore, which is a shame. But good to have the "old good times" back in the numbers of competitors! It'll be interesting to attend and follow the competition, our judge will be Mr. Chris Bexon from UK ( in the older group). The handling is different in all parts of the world, so it will definitely be interesting!





Talking about heading abroad, we'll be at the World Winner 2012 in Salzburg at least! Ninja will attend the breed ring and I & my two friends who will travel with me and my mom will compete in junior handling all three days. That'll be fun! Maybe some other trips in the spring also.. We'll see!

♥ Hilde ♥