11 month old Milou gained the final points she needed for her title on Sunday. I really didn’t expect it to happen so fast. The plan was to give her some ring experience while a youngster so she was ready to compete once she’s mature …. which feels like a very very long time off! But clearly other plans were afoot.
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She is such a fun puppy and awesome to train. I’m really looking forward to when she is old enough to start working on that other end of her name!

The wins continued in Tasmania this weekend for Rachael and Liina (Ch Armahani Moonstone Movtta (AI)) gaining Best in Group and Runner Up Best in Group at the Hobart Dog Club double, under judges Ben Luxton (SA) and Lance Wright (Qld).

They really are having an amazing start to the year, with I'm sure many more exciting times still to come.
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At only 2 years of age, Liina (Ch Armahani Moonstone Movtta (AI)) became part of breed history today, becoming the first Finnish Lapphund bitch in Australian history to be awarded an all breeds Best in Show!

Liina is a total credit to Rachael's love, dedication, and presentation and I am incredibly proud to be able to take this ride with them.
Very excited to see what is around the corner for this awesome team.

After a run of shows leading into the new year, we only entered the one for the NY cluster, making our way to Bulla with our puppy team Wicket (Armahani Nacre Nuotio (AI)) and Milou (Armahani Opal Otsaripa (AI)) for some lovely summer evening showing on New Year's Day, under NSW judge P Hartwell (NSW).

It was Wicket's night to shine, with a good deal of over-enthusiasm, being short listed down to the final 3 in group judging, and then coming back into the ring to take Best Puppy in Group.

He's an exciting boy with loads of potential (to match that enthusiasm!) and I'm looking forward to having a fair bit of fun with him this year.

The last few months of 2021 were a bit of a whirlwind: the end of lockdown, followed by opening up in Victoria and a rush of shows before the end of the year.

In Tasmania, the wins continued with Liina (Ch Armahani Moonstone Movtta (AI)) ending the year with another couple of Best in Groups under her collar, as well as several classes in group (including one earned in Melbourne). She finished the year*:
 #1 Finnish Lapphund Bitch (Australia)
 #3 Finnish Lapphund (Australia)
 #3 Bitch - All Breeds (Tasmania)
 #3 Working Dog (Tasmania)
 #1 Working Dog Bitch (Tasmania)

Fleur (Ch Neut Ch Armahani Iolite Ilo (AI) HT) ended the year having earned 10 Best Neuter in Shows and the top neuter in Tasmania*. And little Orson (Armahani Opal Otso (AI)) gained his first points toward his championship.

In Sydney, Obi (Armahani Nacre Nalle (AI)) was finally able to hit the show ring, racking up several points toward his championship as well as a Puppy in Group win.

Here in Melbourne, we pushed forward with a bunch of shows to get our group of youngsters some experience.  Milou (Armahani Opal Otsaripa (AI)), our at home girl, surprised me with earning the BCC or RBCC from the minor puppy class at almost every show she was at, defeating a range of older girls. We also gained points on our puppy boy Wicket (Armahani Nacre Nuotio (AI)) and intermediate Avicii (Armahani Lapis Lazuli Lurjus) who had a couple of very nice wins on the way.  Both boys have a lot of maturing to do, and some experience to now gain, but I'm looking forward to seeing what they can achieve.

Mika (Armahani Fireopal Fapmu) at 7 1/2 years of age was rehomed back to us, and now lives with my Dad who has been pretty lonely since the passing of Kulta a couple of years ago. He's settled in marvellously and I've taken the opportunity to start showing him a little, and he ended the year with a couple of Best Neuter in Groups. We also started a similar journey with neuter girl Kira (Armahani Lapis Lazuli Loimuta) who was Runner up Best Neuter in Show at the only show she attended, the Working Dog specialty.

Outside of the show ring, we haven't yet had a chance to start competing again, but most of my fun has been taken up with lots of foundation training with Milou, who completed her agility beginner's course as well as learning a vast range of behaviours.  She is a smart (albeit incredibly naughty!) pup who is going to give me loads of fun and I look forward to every moment.

Her uncle Leevi (Armahani Kunzite Kuutamo (AI) CCD RE TK.S AD JDX SPD SD GD HT ET JC) has had a chance to get out again, and competed at the State Agility finals, where he placed second in Excellent Agility.

*Dogzonline Pointscore

It has been quiet for Liina (Ch Armahani Moonstone Movtta (AI)) the last month or so, but she made up for it this weekend at the Conformation Judges Training Committee Championship Shows in Tasmania with BEST IN GROUP under judge R Lowe Saturday Champ Show and then INTERMEDIATE IN SHOW (Rex Lowe) at the Sunday Champ Show.

Not to be outdone, Fleur (Ch Neut Ch Armahani Iolite Ilo (AI)), took all three Best Neuter in Groups on offer over the weekend, converting both Saturday shows to R/U BEST NEUTER IN SHOW (J Connell - Champ Show, C Eastley - Open Show) and then BEST NEUTER IN SHOW (R Lowe) at the Sunday Champ Show. 

Little Orson (Armahani Opal Otso (AI)) became the first of the Opal's to win at the group level today, taking Best Baby Puppy in Group at the British Bulldog Club of Tasmania ALL BREEDS Show under Tasmanian judge Mr A Jones.

Orson is co-owned with Sarah Hyslop and family and handled by Rachael Holloway of Zuleika Finnish Lapphunds.

It has been a total whirlwind of a two months here at Armahani. Raising the Opal babies, nudging into events, and back out, and back in, and back out as we experience on again off again COVID lockdowns, and  celebrating from afar the success of our Tasmania team.

But the big news was the addition of little Milou (Armahani Opal Otsaripa (AI))) as a permanent part of our own household.  I had long been hoping to keep a girl pup from this litter, being Baby's grand-pups, and Emmi and Louis' great grand-pups.  Milou (named for Emmi and Louis) won me over with lovely balanced, true to type conformation, and a keenness to work in both food and toy drive, so I'm very hopeful she will follow in her family's pawprints and join me in a range of sports.  In he meantime, as the first puppy I've raised in about 18 years, she is sure keeping me on my toes, but providing me with a lot of fun.

We have also kept an interest in Orson (Armahani Opal Otso (AI)) and Josie (Armahani Opal Onnetar (AI)) who will be showing in Tasmania with the Zuleika/Armahani team and Luna (Armahani Opal Onni (AI) who will be showing in NSW with the Pawformance/Armahani team.

Speaking of Tasmania, they are about the only Armahani kids able to be out in the ring at the moment, and they are showing the others how it is done.  Liina (Ch Armahani Moonstone Movtta (AI)) earned Best In Show at the Working Dog Club of Tasmania's working dog specialty on the 26th May. On the same day, Benni (Sup Ch Armahani Heliodorr Hulivili (AI) ET) came out of retirement just briefly to receive his sash for being Runner-up Working Dog of the Year 2019/20, and showed us that the old-boy still has it by being awarded Best in Group at the all breeds show.

A week later Liina was again awarded Best in Group.

While we didn't make it into the show ring ourselves before the last lockdown, we did manage a tricks trial and a rally trial with Baby.  She earned her first two quallies toward her Novice tricks title, and another two quallies toward her Masters rally title.

An amazing achievement for Rachael and Liina (Ch Armahani Moonstone Movtta (AI)) today, earning not only her first all breed champion show Best in Group award, but then going one better to be awarded Runner up Best in Show at the Combined Breeds Dog Club in Tasmania.

Our thanks to judge Kaye McGhie (Qld) for recognising our girl.

At 17 months of age, this was Liina's last show in the Junior class, and I never would have in my wildest imagining thought I would see one of my junior girls awarded so highly.

Liina keeps proving that I always underestimate her!