Crufts oh Cruft's..

Hello you! :)

Tinker and me at Cruft's 2011! :)

Oh my, Cruft's is on for this year! I would've so much wanted to be there! Cruft's is the most beautiful dog show I've ever been to. The big finals are so nice and they get each and every competitor in the spotlight.

top-8 in the International Junior Handling final 2011

I just watched a bit of the finals, the last minutes of the toy group. Nice that the pom won! It's a shame I didn't have time to see the kleinspitz BUT I know the dog is beautiful, and I'm glad that it won the breed.

We were almost on our way to Cruft's this year, but I would've wanted to see the International Junior Handling final which is on Sunday and compete with Ninja in the breed. Ninja would have been today in the ring, and we should've left already yesterday. My school wouldn't have liked it as we're going abroad to Croatia and Austria this spring.. enough free days from school already. :(

Competing with the lovely aussie Allmark Muffin Muncher "Tinker"

But next year we'll be there! Ninja has the right to attend, so why wouldn't we? As a matter of fact, Ninja wouldn't probably succeed in the UK if there will be a British judge. They have different breed standards there and Ninja doesn't quite fit in. But I would like to attend for the experience!

Beautiful movements of Allmark Muffin Muncher
© HotDog magazine

Last year I had the most amazing experience, I was honored to represent Finland according to my win in the Finnish Championship final 2010. I thought about the breed that I would wish for a long time, but ended up with a breed I'd never shown before. It was an australian shepherd, and it couldn't have been a better choice!
As a 2nd choice I had a whippet, also a breed I'd never shown before, but ended up with the aussie in the ring :)

Showing Allmark Muffin Muncher "Tinker"
 in the International Junior Handling final
© Paula Heikkinen-Lehkonen

The australian shepherd I got was a beautiful male, Allmark Muffin Muncher "Tinker". There was totally 3 aussies in the IJH final last year. I think I did a pretty good performance for the judge Christopher Habig from Germany, and he thought so too, because I was shortlisted to the 8 best!! That was really the moment of my life. I hadn't expected ANYTHING! And so boom! I was in the top-8. Wow. I won't ever forget that moment. As a swapdog I got a german pointer, once again a breed I've never even touched, but it went very well :)

A german pointer as a swapdog
© Paula Heikkinen-Lehkonen

My success ended in getting into the top-8, but oh my gosh, that was SO beautiful. A Finnish representative has once won Cruft's, if I remember correctly in the 80's. After that, we haven't got that much success, so I was honored to stand for Finland that day :) And still I can remember when I go so many congratulations from all Finnish friends who were truly happy about it. I love you! It's so important everyone cheers for each other!

Girls, girls.. :) The girl with the pointer,
winner of the IJH final 2011, Paulina  Lisiak from Poland!
© Charlotte Page

This Sunday I will watch my nose attached to the screen on the International Junior Handling final and cheer for all my friends, and of course our Finnish representative this year, Susanna Gourine. I'm so disappointed I'm not there, but I'll keep my fingers and toes crossed for you my friends! GOOD LUCK! :)

Allmark Muffin Muncher "Tinker" owned by Neil and Angie Allan

 

Play-time with Tinker ♥   

♥ Hilde ♥