Daughter of Wilma/Yankee, the second of six.  Her markings remind me of a kitten.  Milla always makes me smile when she knows we're going training, as she shakes her head and sings in a most hilarious manner!  Led her siblings in the 2008 Bergebyløp (6-dog span).  Can be a bit selective when it comes to eating.

2009-10 season
Jarfjordløpet 72km - point dog
Bergebyløpet 2 x 50km - wheel dog
Finnmarksløpet 500 km - span and lead dog
Pasvik Trail  300 km

2008-09 season
Tanaløpet 25 km - lead dog
Bergebyløpet 120 km (one race leg)
Finnmarksløpet 500 km - lead and span dog

Pedigree for Milla

Daughter of Wilma/Yankee, the fifth of six.  Pirjo was the first of her litter to go out and explore.  Lead dog for all of her siblings in the 2008 Bergeby race (6-dog span), where she learnt lots.  A bit sensitive to folk who try to trick her, and very wary of men in baseball caps after an incident with a local farmer!

2009-10 season
Jarfjordløpet 72km - point dog
Bergebyløpet 2 x 50km - point dog
Finnmarksløpet 500 km - span and lead dog
Pasvik Trail  300 km

2008-09 season
Tanaløpet 25 km - lead dog
Bergebyløpet 120 km (one race leg)
Finnmarksløpet 500 km - span and occasional lead dog

Pedigree for Pirjo

Son of Wilma/Yankee, and the last to be born of the six.  Riku is a big, strong dog, a fast learner and likes the responsibility of leading the span.  He impressed me no end by remembering a place he'd been as a pup, whilst leading his team over a frozen lake.  He knew where he was! 

I have to watch Riku when we meet other dog teams.  He's not aggressive to other spans, but can occasionally jump out sideways to greet a passing or oncoming dog.  It's best to place him further back in the span, on the opposite side to the other team, but this isn't always possible.

Riku decided to pick a fight with an otter that he met in training, but it was Riku that came off worse.  Hopefully he'll now remember that otters give a crafty nip!

2009-10 season
Jarfjordløpet 72km - lead dog until half-way, then wheel dog
Bergebyløpet 2 x 50km - rested to make way for the youngsters
Finnmarksløpet 500 km - wheel and point dog
Pasvik Trail  300 km - wheel dog

2008-09 season
Bergebyløpet 120 km (one race leg) - lead dog for the first half of the leg, but his attentions started to wander to his sister in the span behind him. 
Finnmarksløpet 500 km - span dog

Pedigree for Riku

Daughter of Wilma/Yankee, the third of six.  Ruusa is a big female with the same markings as her father.  Strong and patient, she's developing well as a lead dog.  As a pup, she was the one that all the others followed.  I think she's the most maternal of the flock, and is certainly good to run alongside new dogs in the team.

2009-10 season
Jarfjordløpet 72km - lead dog until half-way, then wheel dog
Bergebyløpet 2 x 50km - rested to make way for the youngsters
Finnmarksløpet 500 km - span and point dog
Pasvik Trail  300 km - lead dog

2008-09 season
Tanaløpet 25 km - wheel dog
Bergebyløpet 120 km (one race leg)
Finnmarksløpet 500 km - span dog

Pedigree for Ruusa

Son of Wilma/Yankee, and the first-born.  Seppo was the philosopher of the litter - as a young pup, he was always sitting still and observing.  A good companion.  Seppo knows his responsibilities, but can be a bit distracted by the females, and like to think he's a bit of a stud!  A strong dog, but light on his feet. 

2009-10 season
Jarfjordløpet 72km - span dog
Bergebyløpet 2 x 50km - span dog
Finnmarksløpet 500 km - wheel and span dog
Pasvik Trail  300 km - wheel dog

2008-09 season
Tanaløpet 25 km - wheel dog
Bergebyløpet 120 km (one race leg) - some good miles as lead dog, but then he got too full of male hormones to ignore the female dog behind him (actually his sister), so he got moved back in the span.
Finnmarksløpet 500 km - span dog

Pedigree for Seppo

Daughter of Wilma/Yankee, the fourth of six.  Susi is Finnish for wolf, and she lives up to her name, with a pure wolf howl.  Enjoys being a house dog every so often.  A real survivor.  Susi is a real beauty, but she does have a bit of a temper.

2009-10 season
Jarfjordløpet 72km - wheel dog until half-way, then took over in lead
Bergebyløpet 2 x 50km - point dog for first leg, then lead for second leg
Finnmarksløpet 500 km - main lead dog
Pasvik Trail  300 km - lead dog

2008-09 season
Tanaløpet 25 km - point dog
Bergebyløpet 120 km (one race leg)
Finnmarksløpet 500 km - main lead dog

Pedigree for Susi

Born 25.11.06.  Son of Bessi and either Yankee or Bolfe, but most probably the latter...  Billy is a real softie!  Loves to be fussed, though he can be a bit sceptical of new folk.  Brother to Katie. 

2009-10 season
Jarfjordløpet 72km - rested to make way for the youngsters
Bergebyløpet 2 x 50km - lead dog for first leg, then span dog

2008-09 season
Billy missed out on the Bergeby race.  He had stepped over the gangline in training, got a bit of a friction burn from the rope on the inside of his thigh, and it wasn't worth risking him in the extreme cold of the race.
Billy then missed out on the Finnmark race as well, after my handler, Vidar, lost hold of him, 3 days before the race.  Billy disappeared off into the hills, and was found by us, thin and scared, on the day we left for Alta.
So not the greatest race season....

Pedigree for Billy

Born 25.11.06.  Daughter of Bessi and either Yankee or Bolfe, but most probably the latter...  Katie has the same ice-blue eyes and and mascara as her mum.  Eats and drinks everything, and is a hard worker in the span.  Could well learn to take it easy...  Sister to Billy.

Katie met an otter one day in the trail, and it proved too much of a distraction for her to ignore.  After that, her ears would go up at the sight of every little tree stump or clump of grass that remotely resembled an otter.  Daft muppet! 

2009-10 season
Jarfjordløpet 72km - wheel dog until half-way, then lead dog
Bergebyløpet 2 x 50km - lead dog for both legs
Finnmarksløpet 500 km - lead and span dog
Pasvik Trail  300 km

2008-09 season
Tanaløpet 25 km - point dog
Bergebyløpet 120 km (one race leg)
Finnmarksløpet 500 km - span and wheel dog

Pedigree for Katie

Born 07.06.08.  Daughter of Louise and Marius, and sister to Logan.  Likes to think that she's faster than him, but she always lets him catch up. 

Leila has, on occasion, tried to be a demanding little madam, and it took her some time to realise that the tactic doesn't work!  The week beginning 16 Feb 2009, she uttered her first adult-sounding woof.

High hopes for Leila - she's not one to draw attention to herself in the dog-span. 

Pedigree for Leila

2009-10 season
Jarfjordløpet 72km:  rested, as she was in heat
Bergebyløpet 2 x 50km - wheel dog - debut race

Born 07.06.08.  Son of Louise and Marius, and brother to Leila.  The only male in the litter, so I was lucky.  Powder blue eyes and a silky black coat.  He's going to be a big fella! 

Pedigree for Logan

2009-10 season
Jarfjordløpet 72km - span dog - debut race
Bergebyløpet 2 x 50km - span dog
Finnmarksløpet 500 km - span dog, right to the finish.  Good lad!

Born 14.08.09.  Daughter of Handsome and Skogen's Berta.  Her dad ran 3x Iditarod and 3x Yukon Quest for Lance Mackey, and was the best dog during the 2008 Iditarod.  Not a bad lineage....  Pretty hopeful on her mum's side, too!  Kippax has very similar colouring to her dad, although she's got the same pointed ears as her mum.  Kippax is a real toughie.

Pedigree for Kippax

Wilma  Was the grand old lady of the kennel, and one of my original three dogs.  Wilma had razor sharp instincts and could find a sled trail, even in thick fog or when it was covered with deep snow.  With Wilma in the lead, I could go anywhere with a sled!  Wilma completed several Finnmarksløpet sled-dog races with her previous owners, including as lead dog.  She was a loyal companion, a great lead dog, and a fantastic mum to her pups.  Wilma was over 12 years of age when the time came for a one-way journey to the vet.

Pedigree for Wilma

Yankee  King of the dog yard, big daddy to the whole pack, and a certain tester of whether one of the females was in heat.

Fletcher  Came to Høyvik as a one-year-old in full heat, and didn't endear herself to the other females by presenting herself to the males.  A nervous dog, she just didn't settle in the dog yard, though I did get her to work harder in the team.  She's now enjoying life in a small kennel in Pasvik, a completely changed dog!