I purchased my first Samoyed in 1989. My ex-husband and I looked for months for a male puppy and finally came in contact with a local breeder who was expecting a litter. Like many others, we were only looking for a pet but were soon hooked on showing. We searched for a show bitch and purchased one when our boy was almost a year old. Unfortunately, she didn't end up show quality and neither was my replacement puppy. I did return the second puppy to the breeder but kept my first bitch as she was my baby and I couldn't part with her, show quality or not. My ex-husband and I divorced a short time later. I kept the bitch while my ex got the male (who had been neutered since he didn’t turn out either). After the divorce, tragedy struck: my bitch was taken from me. I had taken her to the emergency vet; there was a possible misdiagnosis, she was put on steroids and gone within 48 hours. I was absolutely devastated, but I lucked out in being able to purchase a male puppy only a few weeks later. He was an absolute doll and saved me from complete depression. Sammies are, of course, naturally affectionate and cuddly, but this guy defined those words. Even at eight weeks of age, he would lay still for hours letting me pet and cuddle with him. During this time I had begun dating Craig Cicerello and we purchased the bitch that became the foundation of Echo Samoyeds. Krista, a.k.a. Ch. Artic Mist's Golden Sunrise, CD, was my first champion. Her first points were back-to-back 3 point majors at 14 months. A friend of mine put these majors on her in Texas at some shows I wasn't able to attend. But I'll never forget the first points I put on her, or any dog for that matter. Craig, Krista, and I went to the SCLA specialty when she was 19 months old. I hadn't been in the ring much but I was going to handling classes religiously. Krista made the cut in open bitch but was acting up a little. Craig was upset because he felt I wasn't trying hard enough to get her under control. He went back to the car and completely missed her taking WB for a five point major! Krista went on to take BOW and BOS over some very nice group placing bitch specials. I was on cloud nine!!! But it seemed to stop there. The next six months we took reserve at almost every show ring we stepped into. Talk about frustrating!!! In June we sent Krista to her breeder, Carolyn Bateman, to show at the Denver Specialty. One of my good friends, Linda Kitzman, showed and finished her with a final 5 point major at the Specialty. Krista had just turned two years old. She was then bred to Ch. Southern Mist's Head'n for a Heartbreak and to date, produced three champions out of the five puppies: Ch Echo’s Quiet Riot (Riot), Ch Echo’s to Die For (Puffin), and Ch Echo’s Tequila Sunrise (Tiki). Riot, the boy we kept out of this litter, had an accident at five months of age. We don’t know how he did it, but he severed all the tendons in his right hock. The surgeon felt he had less than a 20% change of being able to walk without a limp and slim to no change of his foot ever recovering enough to enter a show ring. After surgery and several months of rehabilitation we went to the Austin National when he was eight months old. The hair hadn’t grown back from shaving him for surgery, but he made the cut in all his classes. His sister Puffin (owner Linda Kitzman) won first in sweeps, first in her futurity class, was reserve intersex to the futurity winner, and placed second in the regular classes. After some bouts with pano and more rehabilitation, Riot took his first two points, one dog short of a major, at just over 12 months old. He finished just after his second birthday with three majors. I showed him exclusively in the Bred-By class. When I moved to Ohio Craig and I parted ways. We agreed Riot would live with me and Krista and Murphy were to live with him, but I would be allowed to take Krista and do one breeding myself so I could have a bitch puppy out of her. Later that year, I also brought Tiki home from the Nationals and finished her with three back-to-back majors at the Crown Classic in Cleveland. Early '98 was when I whelped Krista's last litter. I decided to do a repeat of the first breeding to Ch Southern Mist’s Head’n for a Heartbreak and kept a bitch, Lindsey (Ch. Echo's Lyin' Eyes). She was leased to Gary Jones in 2001 and to date has produced 4 champions. Her second litter has produced 4 champions and 3 points kids to date including this years (2005) National specialty winner. She was also the Brood Bitch class winner at this years National with a very impressive lineup to kids. Lindsey’s brother Sullie, (Ch. Echo's Just a Dreamer) made a big splash in the show ring. Co-owned by Deb Martin and myself, Sullie took his first point at eight months with Deb showing him while I was away at the National. I showed him two days in Columbus and he had his first major and BOW under his belt. The Cleveland shows came around - Deb showed him the first two days, placing in open the first day and then took a five point major and BOW. I arrived Saturday and put two more 5 point majors and BOW's on him to finish with a bang at only 10 months of age. He finished 2000 with a handful of BOB’s and a big group placement at only 21 months of age and just missed being in the top 20. Since then he’s been consistently in the top 20. Tiki’s first breeding was to Ch. Cot’n Pic’n Shotavodka. She produced 7 pups, 6 boys and 1 girl. To date, 3 are champions and one was hit by a car with 11 points and both majors at under 18 months of age. Included in this breeding is the sire to this year’s National specialty winner who has unfortunately been neutered so this will be his one and only litter. I'm currently a member of the SCA (have been since 1990), the SAC, and am a past vice president and board member of the newly formed Buckeye Samoyed Club. I have remained an active show enthusiast and occasional breeder through the many challenges and changes that life has thrown at me. I look forward to many more years of showing, making new friends, and enjoying the companionship of this wonderful breed. Somewhere down the road I'd like to try my hand at judging more than just matches but I’m having too much fun showing for now.