Arnie was chosen to help begin Batorok. Nobody expected that one day he would feel every bit as much ours as the dogs born here.

Arnie, affectionately known as Arnold, first entered our story when Kirstie began planning the very first Batorok litter. Determined that Armani would be paired with the dog she believed complemented her best rather than simply the most convenient choice, she found herself drawn to a handsome young male bred by Ilse Roos of Ekvar Hungarian Vizslas. Compact with excellent bone, Arnie had the substance and beautiful front assembly she hoped to strengthen, was already proving himself a successful show dog, and there was something wonderfully familiar about his family. A request was nervously made to Ilse, and thankfully she said yes.

Arnie first became part of Batorok from a distance, through an AI litter. That first litter was everything we could have hoped for, although ultimately no puppy remained here. Our only girl already had a wonderful home waiting, where she would go on to become a much-loved therapy dog. Arnie returned to life with Ilse, while we continued following the handsome boy who had helped begin our breeding journey.

Then, unexpectedly, came the opportunity to know Arnie the dog, rather than simply Arnie the sire. In 2019, Ilse mentioned that she wished he could be shown more often and was considering having someone campaign him. Kirstie's response was immediate: send him to Brisbane. What was intended to be a short show holiday collided with COVID-19 and became close to two years. Somewhere along the way, the visiting show dog simply became our beloved adopted boy.

Sweet, cuddly and famously talkative, Arnie was equally happy commanding attention in the show ring or occupying Patrik's lap at home. His laid-back, no-fuss nature made him beautifully steady and unconcerned by the chaos around him, and a dream for anyone to show. He was an effortless, graceful mover with a beautiful far-reaching stride, strong topline and impeccable tail carriage — qualities we treasured and were delighted to see passed to his daughters. Together, Arnie and Kirstie achieved her first Runner-Up to Best Exhibit in Show, with more to follow, alongside numerous Best Exhibit in Group wins.

While Arnie was living with us, we chose to repeat his pairing with Armani after Kirstie had seen and fallen in love with a daughter from their first litter. Those two pairings ultimately gave us Celeste and Dusk — our two back-to-back Best in Show winning singletons — and firmly established Arnie and Armani as the foundation of Batorok.

After returning home for a time, Arnie came back to Queensland for one final campaign and quickly completed his Australian Grand Champion title, collecting further Best Exhibit in Group wins and finishing in particularly fitting style with two Best of Breed wins at the Brisbane Royal Show. He also qualified for Queensland's prestigious Dog of the Year competition, although the event itself was sadly cancelled during the COVID lockdowns.

Today, Arnie is retired and back home with Ilse. We still miss our adopted boy, but pieces of him remain everywhere — in Celeste's effortless movement, in Dusk's famous talking, and now in his granddaughter Grace having entire conversations of her own. We will always be enormously grateful to Ilse, not only for allowing a new breeder to use her beautiful dog, but for later trusting us with Arnie himself.

Together with Armani, Arnie became the beginning of our very own Batorok Hungarian Vizslas. We chose him because we admired what he could offer Armani. He became family simply because he was Arnie.

Some highlights include:

Foundation sire of the Batorok breeding program.
Multiple Best Exhibit in Group winner.
Multiple Runner-Up to Best Exhibit in Show winner.
Multiple Brisbane Royal Best of Breed winner.
Dog of the Year qualifier.
Sire of multiple Best in Show winning progeny.

Official titles:

Australian Champion title.
Australian Grand Champion title.