Angela Cavill

United Kingdom

We bought our first Finnish Spitz in 1969 going on to make ‘Toveri’ the U.K.’s most successful Finnish Spitz prefix having bred or owned over 70 Champions although only breeding one or two litters each year. I first came to Finland to hunt with Finnish Spitz in 1976, later gaining my Metsästyskortti (in Finnish language, Hunting License) and became a Finnish Spitz Trial judge. I first judged Finnish Spitz in the UK in the 70s and passed my Finnish Spitz judging exam in Finland in 1995 and have judged the breed several times in Finland most importantly I was honoured to be asked to judge at the Finnish Spitz special show – Talvipäivät – in 1996 and in 2018. I have been patron of the Haukku-Ottelu (the main annual bird trial for Finnish Spitz) the Koppelohaukku (a bird trial for women handlers) the Poikuehaukku (a bird trial for young handlers) the Hirvi-Herra Ottelu (for Finnish Spitz and Pohjanpystykorva elk hunters) and a major trial held on 100 year Independence day. I am proud to be an honorary member of both the Finnish Spitz Club of Finland and the Finnish Kennel Club. At the request of the Finnish Spitz Club of Finland I wrote a book on Finnish Spitz to educate people overseas about the breed and its place in Finnish Culture and at the request of the Finnish Kennel Club I translated this book (with some help) into Finnish. In 2003 I was awarded the Suomen Valkoisen Ruusun Ritarikunnan Ansioristi by the President of Finland mainly for my work with Finland’s National dog and perhaps also for my work on the committee of the Anglo-Finnish Society in the UK.  I speak Finnish and am a confirmed Finnophile, visiting Finland several times each year to work with dogs and to see my many friends. I have judged Finnish Spitz at the Crufts Centenary Show and in the USA and Canada.  I have been in different positions  in  the UK Finnish Spitz Club from 1984 – 1992. In other work with dogs: I am a member of the Royal Kennel Club (UK) and worked with the Young Kennel Club from 1985. I organize one of the UK’s largest Championship Shows annually. I also have a long involvement with rescue dogs.