The Melbourne Cup weekend is our biggest show weekend of the year, with four very very big days, including our breed specialty on the Saturday. 

We usually have large entries, and it was so exciting to have over 70 entered in our specialty and entries between 30 and 40 the other days.

On Saturday we had our FLCV specialty show under specialist judge Ambjorn Lindqvist from Stenseitensen Kennel in Sweden. After fully expecting (and to be honest telling everyone I know!) that my dogs would likely do fairly poorly, I have to say the haul of ribbons and trophies at the end of the day felt a little on the crazy side.

Tortik (Ch Armahani Helidorr Halu (AI)) was our big star, going DCC and RUBISS. Followed by our complete dark horse Taija (Ch Armahani Crystal Cuovgat) who came out for her final retirement show, reminded me of just how much fun she always was to show, and ended up RBCC - you could have knocked me over with a feather! 

Our bigger class wins were:
Minor Puppy in Show - Uno  (Armahani Jade Jalokivi)
Opposite Intermediate in Show - Baby (Am Ch Ch Calaban's Dirty Dancing RN (Imp USA))
State Bred in Show - Taija (Ch Armahani Crystal Cuovgat)
Open in Show - Tortik (Ch Armahani Heliodorr Halu (AI))
Veteran in Show - Louis (Sup Ch C'est Louis Armstrong des Chevaloupsgreg CD RAE RM HSAs (Imp USA))
Neuter in Show - Koda (Armahani Fireopal Fitmat)
Reserve Neuter Bitch - Squiggle (Ch Armahani Diamond Dansut (AI) CCD RA JD HT ET JC FM)

On to property classes, judged by Robyn Price, where Tortik won Best Headed Dog, and Taija and Baby were 2nd and 3rd respectively in Best Gaited. Then our "A Team" of Lumi, Tortik, Koda and Taija won Best Breeders Team!!

By far my proudest moment, however, was winning Best Owner, Breeder, Handler with Tortik. It is always an incredible class to win, but this year was extra special, with the lovely perpetual trophy which was donated by Tonya Syme in Vanessa's memory. While circumstances meant my original plan of entering Benni in this class didn't quite work out, it was the next best thing to win with his brother, and a few tears were shed. 

While we were busy at the specialty, Loki Bear (Armahani Jade Jylha) was in Albury winning Minor in Group - his first class in group win, but I'm sure not his last.  Congratulations to Nicole!

Onto the rest of the weekend ....

Sunday (forever known as "lost gazebo day") in gale force winds, at the Working Dog Club specialty saw Tortik again go DCC and RUBOB under breed judge Dr L Hjorth (Norway) who had very very nice things to say about the Lappies in the ring. Baby was RBCC. Uno Minor of Breed. And Squiggle Neuter of Breed, following it up with Neuter of Show under GS judge Mr N Smith (Gibraltar).

Monday was the Vic Women's Dog Club all breeds show. Unable to handle at this show, and running around like a headless chook all day anyway, I have to thank Shell and Nik for handling Tortik, Baby and Koda for me. Shell successfully took Tortik to BOB, and Nik took Baby to RBCC. It was Squiggle's day again, going Neuter in Group under judge Mrs A Smith (Gibraltar) and then Neuter in Show under Dr L Hjorth.

And then today at the Sunbury Kennel Club all breed show - such a fantastic fun show. We were entered under Mr K Nielsen (Denmark) who also awarded Tortik BOB and Baby RBCC, with it being Koda's turn to go Neuter of Breed. 

An exhausting, but very special weekend!

It was a rally weekend for us, with trials both yesterday and today.  There was certainly a moment, waking up yesterday to the coldest October day in 6 years, when I wondered if I was completely crazy.  And that thought was repeated, again and again, as we suffered through pouring rain, sleet, hail, and gale force winds!

At the morning trial, Baby (Am Ch Ch Calaban's Dirty Dancing (Imp USA)) was first in the ring in the novice class, and I ended with a very soggy wet score sheet handed to me at the end! But it was a ncie one, with her earning a lovely score of 95.  Which was her third pass, so gives us her RN title.  I later found our she was 1st in the ring again, so a cherry on the top.

Louis (Sup Ch C'est Louis Armstrong des Chevaloupsgreg CD RAE RM HSAs (Imp USA)) went next, in the Masters ring, and scratched home a score of 90, so a qualifying score for his Championship.

Given the conditions, I decided not to run Baby again, but Louis continued, going a little better with a score of 93 in the afternoon trial.

​In Sydney, Shell was out with Squiggle (Ch Armahani Diamond Dansut (AI) CCD RA JD HT ET JC FM) in the agility ring, earning her first AD and first JDO quallies!  Way to go 

Today just Louis and I were out again at another rally trial.  At least it was just an afternoon trial, so I was able to sneak in a bit of a sleep in!.  He did a lovely job, earning a score of 96, which would have been three points higher if I hadn't got lost half way through the course! Bad handler!

But the best news of the day came with a phonecall from Rachael in Hobart, to let me know that Benni (Ch Armahani Heliodorr Hulivili (AI)) had just earned his first Best in Group!!!  So incredibly proud of this new team and grateful every day that such a wonderful loving family have given Benni his perfect home.

Last weekend, Baby (Am Ch Ch Calaban's Dirty Dancing) was entered her first Rally-O trial, in the Novice class, and earned a lovely qualifying score of 93 points with a 2nd place in ring.

This Sunday we were back trialing, and she did it again, with another score of 93, which this time gave her a lovely 1st place ribbon and trophy.  She doesn't look too happy about it, but it would seem Baby feels exactly how her great grandmother does about posed photos!

Louis (Sup Ch C'est Louis Armstrong des Chevaloupsgreg CD RAE RM HSAS) also trialed in the Masters class, earning his first leg toward his Rally-O Championship, with a score of 95.

In Sydney, Squiggle (Ch Armahani Diamond Dansut (AI) CCD RA JD ET HT FM) was out in the agility ring with Shell, earning a couple of places, even if the quallies passed her by.  And in Tasmania, Benni (Ch Armahani Heliodorr Hulivili) took his little sister Fleur (Armahani Iolite Ilo) out for her first show, with Rachael, where she became the first Iolite to gain her first lot of challenge points!

Here in Melbourne, Akela (Armahani Iolite Ilkio) and Uno (Armahani Jade Jalokivi), got to meet up again and play at the local FLCV walk, and I hear they had a lovely time.

Around about the time our last litters were being planned I decided it was well and truly time to revamp the Armahani web site that has been in existance for ten years.  A few weeks I thought it would take, long up before the puppies were born!

Just as those puppies are all turning six months of age, we have finally made it!!  With huge apologies to all of those friends who have had to put up with my incessent complaining as I worked away at what turned out to be a far bigger task than I anticipated.  And even more apologies to those who have had the frustration of finding the old Armahani web site being so out of date.

It has been about ten months since there has been news posted on our site.  In that time we have had two beautiful litters, our Iolite and Jade litters, seen Lumi (Grand Ch Armahani Diamond Davvir (AI) CD RA ADX JD ET) earn his Australian Grand Championship as well as his ADX title, Tortik (Ch Armahani Helidorr Halu (AI)) become an Australian Champion, Kirra (Neut Ch Armahani Crystal Cumma) become an Australian Neuter Champion, Veikko (Ch Armahani Diamond Dansut (AI) CCD RA JD HT ET JC FM) come off mothering duties to earn her CCD title.

In the show ring we've had the excitement of seeing the new babies debut with some great results, and Tortik grow and blossom, taking out four Best in Groups so far this year in fairly limited showing.

​Over the last few months, we've also returned to the Rally ring with Louis (Sup Ch C'est Louis Armstrong des Chevaloupsgreg CD RAE RM HSAs (Imp USA)), to see him earn his RM title.

It has also been a year of incredibly grief and sadness, with the illness and passing of my good friend Vanessa Brotto, of Articmal Kennels, who first saw me on this Finnish Lapphund journey of mine.  Bennigan (Ch Armahani Heliodorr Hulivili (AI)) returned to me for a few months, and a couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure to finally fly him to his new family in Launceston where he is being showered with love and affection.

I hope you enjoy exploring our new site.  There is some of the old information transferred across, and some new pages, and a few new youngsters to get to know.