in memoriam

Rovinon Alex "Alex" born 28.6.1989 was my first beardie and we shared so many happy as well as sad moments. He was always there for me and was an important friend during my studies in the University. He had a very typical beardie temperament. He was very outgoing and happy. He had B/C hips and 3 of his littermates had C or D hips.

We attended some shows together and it was really a kind of circus. I had never been showing earlier and Alex was the kind of beardie who was very excited and jumped up and down in the ring, pulling on the lead and having really "the time of his life". Somehow, me and Alex enjoyed showing although we did not gain any success in the show ring. Through Alex I also learned to know a lot of lovely people who were active in the dog world. Erja Saarela was a very close friend of mine during the time I lived in Turku. She was a breeder of toy poodles. Unfortunately Erja died all too early because of cancer. She taught me so much about coat care and we had many good discussions about dogs.

One of the most tragically things in my life happened two days before Christmas in 1993. Alex got killed in a car accident. I lost a very dear friend and thought I would never get another dog. It hurts so much when you loose a dear friend. He will always have a special place in my heart and I will never forget him.

"In my dreams
I'll always see your soul
Above the sky
In my heart
There always be a place
For you for all my life
I'll keep a part
Of you with me
And everywhere I am
There you'll be
There you'll be"
(- Faith Hill's There You'll Be)

FIN CH Ethos	Matteus Janus	FIN CH Dearbolt Birthday Boy
		Fiina
	FIN CH Ceeta	FIN, N CH Bifrost Berlioz
		Boby
Axtam Black Rosita	Farmarens Black Ursus	Farmarens Tristan
		INT CH, Nord CH Jarlabankes Blue Belle
	La-Jun Bee	INT, Nord Ch, V-78, -79 Farmarens Black Karuso
		FIN CH La-Jun Samantha

Name: Firstprizebears Joe Cocker

Titles: Fin Ch

4.5.1994 - 21.1.2005

Breeder: Conny Loest and Joop Hartman, Belgium
Owner: Ann-Christine Johnsson,
Kokkola, Finland

My darling Oliver went to the other side of the rainbow on the 21st of January 2005. He had suffered from arthrosis since he was 4,5 years old. I miss him so much. He does not live in our home anymore but he is still in our hearts. Thank you Oliver for a great time together. Sleep well my love.

Oliver was my first show dog. I met Joop and Conny while they visited a show in my hometown and that was summer 1993. Firstprizebears Dennehotso was shown there and I was so impressed. What a wonderful beardie. Since then I stayed in contact with Joop. At those times there was no e-mail so we kept in contact by writing letters. Joop told me they were going to mate FPB Enoreen (who is a littersister to Eminence and Emerson) and he offered me a puppy from this litter. Oliver was such a huge personality. He did never enjoy shows and he had a very sensitive temperament. He loved people and other dogs but he was very afraid of thunderstorm, fire works, any kind of loud noises. He was the kind of dog who enjoyed life most when he stayed inside the house. We went to dog training classes, tried many kinds of therapy to make him feel better but they did not help a lot.

He was not an easy dog as there were so many things in normal life that he was worried about. I felt rather desperate from time to time as I would have enjoyed doing so many different things with my dear friend but he prefered being at home. He had only one girlfriend and he produced one male puppy. When you have a dog who needs a lot of attention and is a little bit more demanding you also get very attached to them. There was such a huge emptyness in my life when Oliver left.

INT, F CH Clovis du Kastell a Labous Mor	INT, F CH Giagolo Zenith of Deborahs Farm	Multi CH Shilstone Choir Boy
		INT, F CH Chris Evert Lloyd du Blason de Kerlan
	Adjanie Brune Du Blason De Kerlan	Multi CH Shilstone Choir Boy
		Unifrance De La Mare De Brizon
DK CH, Koopenhagen Vinder-95 Firstprizebears Enoreen	Multi CH Shilstone Choir Boy	CH Pepperland Lyric John
		CH Potterdale Serenade
	Multi CH Shilstone Secret	CH Potterdale Conclusion
		CH Potterdale Serenade

On the photo above is Kalle and Oliver with me. Kalle had just arrived and he was such a charming boy. Oliver really loved him from the first moment they met. They never ever even argued.