"Echo"
CH SR Shadowmyst Knight Spirit CD WC CGC
(Ch. Chelons Mac The Knight JH, WC, CD, CGC X Remedy's Shot of Scotch CDX, OA, OAJ, CGC)
OFA Good-OFA Elbows Clear-Eyes Clear
3/3/1998 ~ 11/8/2010
My first Champion.
I will always miss your happiness. You lived your "Dash" with complete and utter Joy.
A true example to all of us about how to live and love the moment.
Despite the cancer that raged inside, you still walked the pasture with us, galloping along when you could, still
swam a bit for a short retrieve, begged like a champion for treats in the middle of the pack and as always, picked
up everyone's bowls after mealtimes for a biscuit. I don't know if I'll ever have a dog that will do that again.
You always wore a smile and that always made others smile. You were just gleefully happy...even when you were in
trouble. Maybe even more so. But it was hard to be mad at a smiling dog, so you got away with a lot.....like peeing
on the bird instead of picking it up...yeah, that was a good memory from a hunt test. But, hey...you did come back
and get it, so maybe you just weren't quite clear on what that "marking" thing meant.
You never, ever complained and even on the day of your departure, you had the will to wag when I brought you
your stuffed octopus. I could tell that inside you wanted to play with that thing....make it honk one last time, I saw
your eyes light up and you tried to lift your head, but I had to do it for you that time. And doing so was an honor
that I did with pleasure and heartwrenching sadness.
I will never forget you, my beautiful boy.
Rest in sweet peace.
Echo was trained through CDX level obedience, but due to new and inventive
ways to NQ each time, he failed each of the 8-10 times he was entered. But,
boy, he looked beautiful for every one of the other exercises. His most often
used tactic was to perform and pass every exercise with a very high score
right up to the broad jump....and then he would seem to say,
"Ah, who needs to jump over that thing when my mommy is right over
here.....Hi Mommy...I sit in front. Aren't I good?"
Agility was the same way. If anyone saw him at the St. Paul shows in, I think
2001, he completely and literally crashed his way through the course,
breaking 3 pieces of agility equipment along the way. He was very, very fast
that day.
He knocked every bar off the jumps breaking one, went through the first
tunnel twice because it was the wrong way the first time, hurled himself over
every single contact zone, slid off the other side of the table with all his
toenails trying to find purchase with no hope, leapt back onto the table like a
border collie and play-bowed into a down immediately, smiling madly at me
during the 5 count, then hit the A-frame with such force it rocked, and I
seriously think he jumped from the top of it, hit the ground and with one
more leap, he cracked that silly broad jump he loves so much when he
jumped right ON it instead of over it, rolled the second tunnel into a little girl
on her daddy's lap sitting just outside the gates, and finished by crashing
onto and off of the teeter with such force that it broke the weights off the end
of it.
As I left the course with my very naughty dog, a mob of course setters
shaking their heads converged onto the assaulted course to assess the
damage. It took 15 minutes to repair or replace the equipment. The judge was
not happy-she had a plane to catch.
But the audience, which was brimming with hundreds of people including the
balcony, thoroughly enjoyed Echo's performance. The entire time gasping
out "Ooh's and Ahh's and Oh no's and laughing hysterically...which Echo
heard plain and clear as encouragment to continue with his rampage. He
clearly had no remorse.
I have to admit that while I knew it was a horrible run of unbridled
naughtiness, I smiled right back at him during that 5 count on the table. I
really loved him at that moment. He is the happiest dog in the world and if he
wants to share that with the whole crowd, it's not the worst thing that could
happen.
It was always fun to show Echo in obedience and
agility.....the title wasn't important.
The ride was.
We had a blast.
Some of Echo's achievements:
Echo finally gets his 1st Novice Agility Leg in 2006 without breaking any equipment!
First place in Grad. Novice at the Sept. Cluster 2004
May 2003
Echo finishes his Companion Dog Title with 4th place at the Mason City show.
With his usual flair, Echo adds a 4th leg at Marshalltown with a score of 195.5
and SECOND PLACE! Woo-Hoo Echo! On to OPEN!!
NEW CHAMPION!!
ECHO Finished May 11th, 2002 with a 2 point win from the
Bred-by class.
April 2002
Best of Breed in Grove, OK. for 1 point.
January 2002
4th Place in Open Yellow at LRCTC
BEST OF WINNERS at Chain 'O Lakes Kennel Club for Echo's 2nd 3 Point Major win
October 2001
Passed the Working Certificate Test at the National
September 2001
2nd Place in Open Yellow at the LRCTC Specialty
August 2001
Winners Dog for 2 points at the Greater Hickory KC in North Carolina
April 2001
Echo finished his Started Retriever title AND took a GROUP 4 at the Heart of Iowa KC Show.
OFA Good, Elbows Normal, Eyes CERF, Heart Color Doppler Clear

CH SR Shadowmyst Knight Spirit WC CD CGC
Echo finished his Championship May 11th, 2002.
Echo's first Major...
Echo won his first Major with style, going Best of Winners.
He continued his winning ways by taking a GROUP 4 April, 2001
Echo also finished up his Started Retreiver title in April. He ran Agility and
competed in obedience after finishing his championship. Clearly a dog that
can do it all!
Take a look at a great picture of Echo's brother, Jack. Jack is OFA Excellent, Elbows clear.
Click here to see Echo's Baby pictures...