The Old Man

Tom and Marg Walkerhave been involved with purebred dogs since 1971.  Until 1988, they bred and exhibited Siberian Huskies under the kennel prefix, Fjiordlund's, Reg.  Because of a knee injury and, then, surgery that made it unwise for Tom to work with a dog as big and rambunctious as the Siberian Husky, they stopped breeding and exhibiting that breed.

 
    In mid-1978, the Walkers were introduced to the Finnish Spitz.  For Marg, it was love at first sight.  As a result of her instant love for the breed, in 1979, they purchased a year old male who really hooked them on the breed.  That male, who became Mexican and International Champion Foxhill Thorin [Thor], was an excellent family pet and a great showman.  He won the hearts of the Walkers and their children and became the foundation sire for their breeding/show program.  Since 1979, the Walkers have exhibited and bred Finnish Spitz under the kennel prefix, Finkkila's--a word coined to express, "The place where the Finnish Spitz are."

    The Finnish Spitz was, in 1979, a Rare Breed in the U.S. and, as such, could not be exhibited in American Kennel Club (AKC) shows.  So, in 1980, the Walkers started exhibiting their Finnish Spitz in Mexico City in the Mexican/International (FCM/FCI) shows.  Their Thor was the first of the breed to be exhibited in Mexico and the first Finnish Spitz in the world to be awarded both FCM and FCI championships.  They finished FCM and FCI championships on 10 Finnish Spitz; had the first of the breed to place in group in an FCM/FCI show; and had the first two of the breed to win groups in FCM/FCI shows.

    The Finnish Spitz was approved by the AKC for competing in the Miscellaneous Class beginning 1 April 1984 and for point competition in the Non-Sporting Group beginning 1 January 1988.  On 30 January 1988, a Walker Finnish Spitz became the first male of the breed to finish an AKC championship--a female had finished a few days earlier.  From 1 January 1988 to present, Tom and Marg have finished AKC championships on more than 60 of their Finnish Spitz--most owner handled.  Twenty-five of these were finished during the first two years the breed could be exhibited (1988 & 1989).  In addition to the ones they have finished, quite a number of their breeding owned by other fanciers, have been finished in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.  Also, several of their breeding have earned Obedience titles in the U. S. and Canada--at least one, an AKC CDX.

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CH. FINKKILA'S NORSKI
The Finnish Spitz male,CH. FINKKILA'S NORSKI, is pictured winning
Best in Show at the Sooner State Kennel Club of Shawnee, Oklahoma, Dog Show on 27 May 1991.
Norski was the first Finnish Spitz to win Best in Show at an AKC all-breed show.
He is pictured with judge, Dr. Robert J. Berndt, who awarded the Best in Show,
and with Clint Livingston, the handler. Norski was bred by Marg Walker and Clarice James and
was owned by Tom T. and Marg G. Walker.

Since Thor died a few months before the Finnish Spitz could be shown in AKC point competition, his grandson, AKC, SKC, Canadian, Mexican, and International Champion Finkkila's Norski --7/22/83 to 10/26/96 (bred by Marg Walker and Clarice James), took his grandsire's place as the Walkers' showman.  Norski, who inherited the showmanship of his grandsire, became the trailblazer for the breed in the United States.

Before AKC's recognition of the breed, he had finished both the Mexican and International championships and had done quite well in the group ring in Mexico with several group wins.  He was the first Finnish Spitz male to become an AKC champion; the first of the breed to become a States Kennel Club (SKC) champion; the first U.S. bred Finnish Spitz to become a Canadian champion; the first Finnish Spitz to win a Best in Show in an AKC all-breed show; the first of the breed to rank in the Top 20 Non-Sporting Dogs in the U. S.  (1992 & 1993); the first of the breed to rank in the Top-10 Non-Sporting Dogs in the U.S. (1992); and, the top winning group competitor for the first five years that the breed was exhibited in point competition in AKC shows (1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1992).  In addition to Norski's 164 group placings (including 28 group wins) in AKC shows, he received group placings in SKC, Canadian, and Mexican/International shows.  He was the second Finnish Spitz to win a group in an FCM/FCI show (his sire, AKC, Mex., and Int. Ch. Finkkila's Knute, was the first).  In 1992, at 9 1/2 years of age, Norski was Best in Specialty Show at the first AKC approved Finnish Spitz Specialty. 

CH. FINKKILA'S MARSU
The Finnish Spitz male, CH. FINKKILA'S MARSU, is pictured with his handler, Clint Livingston. Marsu, bred and owned by Dr. and Mrs. Tom T. Walker, was Best in Specialty at the Finnish Spitz Club of America, Inc. National Specialty Dog Show in 1993, was Pedigree's 1993 Top Dog of the Breed, was Best of Breed at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in 1994, and was the top group winning Finnish Spitz in 1994.

At the 1993 Specialty, at 10 1/2 years of age, he was best veteran and strongly challenged the younger, Ch. Finkkila's Marsu for BISS.  Also, he received an Award of Merit.  In both 1991 and 1992, Norski was Best of Breed at Westminster and, also, was the Pedigree Top Dog of the Breed winner both years.  In 1993, he was Best of Opposite to a female cousin at Westminster.  Much too late, the Walkers realized that retiring Norski at 10 1/2 years of age was retirement-too-soon!

 

A Finnish Spitz puppy teasing an older brother.  The older brother appears to be telling the pup to get lost!

 

AKC, Finnish Hunting and Finnish Show Ch. Ukkoherran Taika.
He is pictured here as a young dog in Finland, Taika was born in Finland Ocotber 1980. He produced Several pups that became outstanding hunters.

AKC CH. Brown's 'Mikki', son of Taika
Mikki, bred by the Walkers, was born on March 18th and died on June 2, 2003

AKC, FCI, and Multi European Ch. Fjiordlund's Finkkila Yuri
Yuri, a son of Taika produced by froze semen. Yurio, bred by the Walkers, was born on March 13, 1996.

AKC, FCI and Multi-European Ch. finkkila's Tikko
Tikko, a son of Taika, was bred by the Walkers and was born on March 16th 1992.

ACK CH. Finkkila's Kamu
Kamu, a son of Taika, produced by stored frozen semen, was bred by the Walkers and was born on June 16th, 1998.

 

More Walkers' Finkkila's Finnish Spitz

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