Shannon grew
up in Southern California on a thoroughbred ranch, but her
parents also trained Arabians. Shannon's mother was put in
touch with Carroll and Ruby Hayhurst, of the famed Whirlaway
Whippets, through Johnny & Karen Johnston, of Gypsy
Whippets. It then all started in 1974, Shannon was only 9,
when she obtained her first Whippet from Carroll & Ruby.
Shannon's first 4 Whippets came from Carroll & Ruby of
Whirlaway.
At the time Whippets were only the beloved pets of Shannon,
but she would occasionally attend a 4-H show and then later,
AKC shows. She grew up showing Arabians, having shown the
Canadian National Champion Arabian Western Pleasure horse, "McMac"
- as well as owning a 3 time National Champion half Arabian
mare, She's A "Flame".
Shannon met her husband Brad through Arabians as he was also
a trainer, throughout this time she always had a Whippet.
They started their family of four... Sterling, Krystyl,
Kassandra & Stuart. Her last Whippet, "Sil", passed away at
a rip old age in 1988. It wasn't until December of 1999
that they got another Whippet, and then a new story
begins...
Shannon got "Kevin" in December of 1999, after having moved
from New York to North Carolina and no longer having horses
- Shannon wanted to go back to her true love, Whippets. We
got Kevin (Kismet's
Midnight Rambler) from
Kiesha Crawmer who re-introduced Shannon to the show ring.
Krystyl quickly fell in love with the breed and wanted to
show Kevin in Juniors. So Krystyl & Kevin started their
show careers together and had some great success in the
Juniors ring, before Krystyl decided that she enjoyed the
breed ring even more. Together Shannon & Krystyl finished
Kevin's Championship and before long he became - Best
In Field Winning, Ch. Kismet's Midnight Rambler MC, LCM, CRX,
OTR - but
before doing this, they got their second Whippet and future
foundation bitch, "Sweet Pea" (SDW
Diamondntheruff V Hasue) and between Shannon and their
soon to be good friend, Barbara Wayne, they finished Sweet
Pea. Barbara lead her to her Winners Bitch win at the
Canfield, Ohio Mid-West Specialty weekend, for a 5 point
major. She came home only needing 1 point to finish but
they decided to breed her to Barbara's beautiful boy "Blaze" (SBIS
Ch. Bohem Circus Runaway ROM) and
when Sweet Pea was 5 weeks in whelp with her first litter of
10 puppies, she completed her Championship! She became Ch.
SDW Diamondntheruff V Hasue SC, FCh, CR. During all
this, they decided that they had to have a black and white
Whippet, something Shannon always loved. They soon found
"Daisy" (Shannon Down Talkn To The Moon) and though
she was never really shown, she proved to be the beginning
of the Shannon Down performance dogs, having been an awesome
lure courser herself. She soon became Best
In Field Winning, Shannon Down Talkn To The Moon MC, FCh,
CRX, OTR. Kevin, Sweet Pea and Daisy were the
beginning of Shannon Down!
Sweet Pea and
Daisy's kids and grandkids and so on, still grace the
Shannon Down household today, though Daisy has passed away,
Sweet Pea still lives at Shannon Down as queen of the
couches and her progeny now extends down to great great
grandkids. Their foundation litter came in 2002 when Sweet
Pea whelped her first litter sired by Blaze. This litter
produced 10 stunning puppies or many different colors and
types. Two of them finished their Championships - "Brooks" (SBOS
Ch. Shannon Down Blazing Saddles SC, CRX-3, OTRM-3) and
"Leigh" (Multiple
Group Placing, 2004 Top 20 Contender Ch. Shannon Down
Blazing Angel SC, CR, OTR) and
many others are pointed/major pointed towards their
Championship and one who only needed a major to finish his
AKC Field Championship. Eight of the ten puppies have
titles in the show ring, coursing, racing and/or obedience
and therapy.
In 2004, the Shannon Down family moved to South Carolina
where they now reside and they have been splitting their
time between showing, coursing, racing and raising litters.
The year of 2007 was focused on AKC Lure Coursing where
they, to their amazement, finished 6 of their own dogs AKC
Field Championships as well as finishing Kiesha's boy
"Murphy" (FC
CuRas A Clockwork Orange SC, FCh, SR, CRX-3, ORC) Field
Championship as a Veteran.
Going back another year, Kiesha leased Daisy to be bred to
her, then new dog, Murphy. Shannon and Krystyl got "Bosley" (Shannon
Down Full Throttle V Kismet) from
this breeding who has helped them in their journey into the
race world. Bosley soon became - Multiple
NOTRA Meet Winning, FC Shannon Down Full Throttle V Kismet
SC, FCh, WRCh, ORC. Bosley is pointed towards his
show Championship. We believe he may be the oldest dog to
complete a race Championship of any sort, having finished
his WRCh when he was 6 years and 7 months to the day. His
kids are tearing up the coursing field and doing quite well
on the straight and oval tracks as well. Most of all, they
have excellent temperaments.
During the many years of being back in the Whippet world,
Shannon Down has obtained and bred dogs of two different
'types' - the show dogs and the race dogs. Having had
Bosley enlighten Shannon to the wonderful world of racing,
she got her first race bred Whippets from Don Papin of
Windyglen Sighthounds and then from Genny Holland of Appaws
Whippets and their race lines have blossomed from there,
having leased a beautiful and fast girl named "Raku" (Wheatland
Raku ORC) from
Kim Otero. The most recent race additions came from Susan
Heiniger of QuiXand Whippets and Merril Woolf (Kentfield)
and Robyn Brown (Elektra). Their race lines are just
starting and the show lines are still being built upon but
most importantly all the dogs at Shannon Down and dogs that
Shannon Down has bred are the most wonderful companions and
live first and foremost as couch and bed dogs.
Health & Temperament is priority at Shannon Down!
Looking back on the past few years....
2004
Leigh - Top 20 in the AKC show ring
2005
Bosley - #11 in NOTRA Racing
Bosley - #17 in OTR point earners
Leigh - Top 25 in the AKC show ring
2006
Tigger - #16 in OTR point earners
Rupert - #13 in ASFA Lure Coursing
Bosley - #20 in ASFA Lure Coursing
2007
Rupert - #2 Whippet & Sighthound & #1 Dual Champion in
AKC Lure Coursing
GiGi - #3 Whippet & #1 bitch in AKC Lure Coursing
Viva - #10 in AKC Lure Coursing
Bosley - #20 in AKC Lure Coursing
Ripley - #15 in CWA Racing
Tigger - #3 in NOTRA Racing
Tigger - #18 in WRA Racing
Cuda - #4 in OTR point earners
GiGi - tie for #8 in OTR point earners
Viva - tie for #8 in OTR point earners
Brooks - #14 in OTR point earners
2008
GiGi - #3 in AKC Lure Coursing
Rupert - #6 in AKC Lure Coursing
Helen - #7 in AKC Lure Coursing
Cuda - #11 in AKC Lure Coursing
Tigger - #13 in AKC Lure Coursing
Quincy - #16 in AKC Lure Coursing
Bosley - #17 in AKC Lure Coursing
Anna - #19 in AKC Lure Coursing
Leo - #10 in CWA Racing
2009
Striker - #2 in OTR point earners
Cuda - #4 in OTR point earners
GiGi - #8 in OTR point earners
Tinsley - #20 in OTR point earners
Cricket - #2 in CSFA Lure Coursing
2010
Byelobog - #2 in NOTRA Racing
Ryan - #11 in NOTRA Racing
Tinsley - #3 in OTR point earners
Liam - #4 in OTR point earners
Catori (Bosley
daughter) -
#1 in ASFA Lure Coursing & #13 in AKC Lure Coursing
Tala (Bosley
daughter) -
#4 in ASFA Lure Coursing & #24 in AKC Lure Coursing
Takota (Bosley
son) -
#7 in ASFA Lure Coursing
Mya - #11 in ASFA Lure Coursing
Nado (Bosley
daughter) -
#9 in ASFA Lure Coursing & #16 in AKC Lure Coursing
Cooper (Bosley
son) -
#15 in ASFA Lure Coursing
Layla - #20 in ASFA Lure Coursing
Liam - #20 in AKC Lure Coursing
Cricket - #7 in CSFA Lure Coursing
2011
Byelobog - #1 in NOTRA Racing
Ryan - #3 in NOTRA Racing & #3 in WRA Racing
Catori (Bosley
daughter) -
#1 in ASFA Lure Coursing
Tala (Bosley
daughter) -
#4 in ASFA Lure Coursing
Gator - #5 in ASFA Lure Coursing
Nado (Bosley
daughter) -
#7 in ASFA Lure Coursing
Takota (Bosley
son) -
#11 in ASFA Lure Coursing
Gavin - #1 in OTR point earners
Mumble - #2 in OTR point earners
Demetri - #3 in OTR point earners
Skadoosh - #5 in OTR point earners
Hammer (Rupert
son) -
#8 in OTR point earners
Cindi (Rupert
daughter, now passed away) -
#10 in OTR point earners
Liam - #11 in OTR point earners
Trick - tied for #14 in OTR point earners
Tinsley - tied for #18 in OTR point earners
Widget - #2 in Novice A Obedience & #3 in AWC Advanced
A Rally
2012
Jaylo - #8
Canadian Show Whippet
Lola - #14 Canadian Lure Coursing Whippet
Lani - #19 AKC Lure Coursing
Ryan - #1 in WRA Racing & #1 in NOTRA Racing
Byelobog - #2 in NOTRA Racing & #12 in WRA Racing
Gavin - #4 in OTR point earners
Mumble & Skadoosh - tied for #5 in OTR point
earners
Lafayette - #8 in OTR point earners
Claire - #10 in OTR point earners
Pietros - #15 in OTR point earners
Catori (Bosley daughter) - #1 in ASFA Lure
Coursing, she has been #1 three years in a row now!!!
Denali (Bosley daughter) - #6 in ASFA Lure
Coursing
Nado (Bosley daughter) - #7 in ASFA Lure Coursing
Tala (Bosley daughter) - #10 in ASFA Lure
Coursing
Dude (Bosley son) - #16 in ASFA Lure Coursing
2013
Ryan - #1 in WRA Racing & #8 in NOTRA Racing
Byelobog - tied for #10 in NOTRA
Racing & #18 in WRA Racing
Catori (Bosley daughter) - #1 in ASFA
Lure Coursing, her 4th year as the #1 ASFA Whippet!!!!
Tala (Bosley daughter) - #3 in ASFA
Lure Coursing
Denali (Bosley daughter) - #4 in ASFA
Lure Coursing
Dude (Bosley son) - #6 in ASFA Lure
Coursing
Nado (Bosley daughter) - #11 in ASFA
Lure Coursing
Briony - #18 in ASFA Lure Coursing
Vulcan - #1 in OTR point earners
Aiden - #5 in OTR point earners
Mumble - #16 in OTR point earners
Skadoosh - #19 in OTR point earners
2014
Kennet - #1 male A sprinter in the
Netherlands
Koichi - #6 male A sprinter in the
Netherlands
Faith - #9 female A sprinter in the
Netherlands
Pax (a Rupert grandson) - #3 in Lure
Coursing in the Netherlands
Tala (Bosley daughter) - #7 in ASFA
Lure Coursing
Catori (Bosley daughter) - #8 in ASFA
Lure Coursing & #22 in AKC Lure Coursing
Shea - #9 in ASFA Lure Coursing
Tattie (Ryan daughter) - #13 in ASFA
Lure Coursing
Dude (Bosley son) - #15 in ASFA Lure
Coursing
Nado (Bosley daughter) - #16 in ASFA
Lure Coursing
Sayuri - #19 in ASFA Lure Coursing
Skiffle (Ryan son) - #3 in WRA Racing
Ryan - #6 in WRA Racing & #10 in
NOTRA Racing
Etta (Ryan daughter) - #10 in WRA
Racing & #27 in NOTRA Racing
Phoebe - #19 in WRA Racing
Aiden - #21 in WRA Racing
Godric - #21 in WRA Racing
Byelobog - #11 in NOTRA Racing
2015
Yapsi - #10 in
AKC Lure Coursing
Dandelion - #13 in AKC Lure Coursing
Athena - #23 in AKC Lure Coursing
Tala (Bosley daughter) - #2 in ASFA
Lure Coursing
Shea - #3 in ASFA Lure Coursing
Catori (Bosley daughter) - #4 in ASFA
Lure Coursing
Denali (Bosley daughter) - #8 in ASFA
Lure Coursing
Nado (Bosley daughter) - #16 in ASFA
Lure Coursing
Athena - #19 in ASFA Lure Coursing
Skiffle (Ryan son) - #2 in WRA Racing
Ryan - #9 in WRA Racing
Aiden - #14 in WRA Racing
Godric - #19 in WRA Racing
Phoebe - #5 in NOTRA Racing
Etta (Ryan daughter) - #7 in NOTRA
Racing
Popcorn (Rupert daughter) - #2 in OTR
point earners
C-Ya (Rupert daughter) - #3 in OTR
point earners
Syrio - #4 in OTR point earners
Scrat - #6 in OTR point earners
Shea - #9 in OTR point earners
Phoebe - #12 in OTR point earners
Yapsi - #12 in OTR point earners
Luna - #16 in OTR point earners
Briony - #18 in OTR point earners
Early Shannon Down... |
