Contributor

Holly Horton

2 published articles

Holly Horton of Ajuaq Finnish Spitz attended her first dog show because it sounded like a good reason to skip school for the day. A few months later she completed a three-week road trip of 13 shows in 21 days and was hooked for life. Her first breeds were Alaskan Malamutes and Siberian Huskies, and she became a firm believer in a dog doing what it was bred to do—or as closely as possible in our modern world—as she learned to mush and has covered over 2,000 miles of trails every winter. The bumper sticker “A Well-Balanced Dog Has a Title At Both Ends” has been her motto ever since. Holly knew the size and power of the Alaskan Malamutes would prevent her from showing them into her older age and sent her looking for a smaller breed. It was a sort of happy accident that landed her in Finnish Spitz in the late 1990s, and she’s been there ever since. Her dogs have been awarded multiple Group wins and placements and have consistently ranked in the Top Five for Breed and All-Breed every year. Always Breeder/Owner-Handled, they have also been awarded multiple NOHS Bests in Show and Reserve Bests in Show. She is on her fifth generation and is currently the only Finnish Spitz Club of America member to have four generations of Register of Merit dams. Holly is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the FSCA and was the AKC Gazette Breed Columnist for several years.