SIRE: Ch. Dufenhof North to Alaska, CD (clearances)

HEALTH CLEARANCES:
OFA Hips:  GOOD (SMH-1853G27M-VPI)
OFA Elbows:  NORMAL  (SMH-EL1673M27-VPI)
OFA Shoulders:  NORMAL (SMH-SH622M27-VPI)
OFA Thyroid:  NORMAL (SMH-TH102/27M-VPI)
CERF:  SMH-1212

2009
AKC Championship at 13 months 
Award of Merit, Blue Ridge Specialty 
Best In Sweepstakes, GSMDCA Blue Ridge Specialty 
Best in Sweepstakes, Blue Ridge Supported Entry 
Best in Sweepstakes, Blue Ridge Supported Entry

2010
Award of Merit, GSMDCA Midwest Regional Specialty
AKC Grand Championship (5/29/10) -- a Swissy first!
Award of Merit, GSMDCA Eastern Regional Specialty
America's #1 Swissy (AKC Breed Points)!

2010
GSMDCA "Top 20" Winner at the National Specialty -- not only the
Judges' Choice but the People's Choice too!!!!!

Shea is a super sweet, happy and smart young boy out of Holly Witzgall's "Ushi" and sired by Shirley Smoker's "Denali".   Shea is a big boy, at a rock hard 147 pounds (3.5 years of age) with still some maturing yet to do.  He has absolutely gorgeous structure from top to bottom, stem to stern.  Shea's topline is dead level, he is blessed with beautiful angles/side gait and a lovely reach of neck, supporting a very pretty, correct Swissy head.  He also has as gorgeous a rear as I've seen on a Swissy.  It's well angulated, powerful, wide and true moving away from you.  As for things I would change -- Shea could use a better coat.  His pigment is beautiful, but his coat is quite short with very minimal undercoat.  And at times he can carry his tail a bit too high.  Other than that, he's a very handsome, powerful dog who is built to go all day long. 

Shea finished his championship with great ease at 13 months, ably competing with much older dogs, with 14 of his points and three major wins from the puppy classes.  At just 16 months of age, he swept the Sweepstakes at the Blue Ridge Specialty weekend (back-to-back-to-back Best in Sweeps, his litter sister was Best of Opposite the two days she was there), and followed that up by taking an Award of Merit at the specialty, defeating a ring full of much older dogs.  At just 21 months of age, Shea began dabbling as a special, and really coming into his own by summer 2010.  Although not showing as much as some of his toughest competition, and as an exclusively owner-handled dog, finished 2010 as the #1 GSMD in the country.  Remaining a Top 10 Swissy in 2011, Shea has only been out a handful of times to stay fresh, and in October he thrilled us all with his Top 20 win at the National, where he was also vote the "People's Choice."

Shea is happy in the ring, of course, because he's Shea.  He's never met a dog he didn't want to play with.  What an easy dog to have around and travel with.  Most of the time, Shea just loves having fun being a puppy with his owners, the Conways, on Long Island.  Shea especially enjoys going fishing with his "dad" Tom and making rounds about town, where his friends and admirers are growing by leaps and bounds.  Did someone say Leap and Bound?  Those could be Shea's middle names!  He is such a happy, playful goofball of a boy.  

SIRE:

BISS Ch. Dufenhof North To Alaska, CD
clearances

DAM:

Ch. Cold Spring Blush, ROM 
clearances

BINSS Ch. Rise and Shine's Blazing Riot, ROM
clearances

5 months, helping Dad fish

6 and 1/2 month old Shea, lost in a Bethlehem PA Cornfield!

pictured at 11 mos

pictured at 16 mos 

Best in Sweeps at the Blue Ridge GSMD Specialty (16 mos)

Shea taking back-to-back Best of Breed wins at Rockland County (21 mos)

BOB Old Dominion Kennel Club (23 months)

Shea, on his 2nd birthday

2 and 1/2 years of age

3 years of age