Subscribe to the American Field Sportsman's Journal! See the NEWS section for details.

I Accept

United Kennel Club (UKC) is an international dog registry celebrating bonds, rewarding ability, and preserving the value of a pedigree. We use cookies to capture information such as IP addresses and tailor the website to our clients' needs. We also use this information to target and measure promotional material. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information.

Skip to main content
Facebook Instagram YouTube

Result: Tribute to a Champion (Shady Hills Zeena)

Post Date: Mar 17, 2025

Submitted By: Mike Husenits

Shady Hills ZeenaS25

Shady Hills Zeena

Three-time Champion Shady Hills Zeena passed away on February 22 from complications caused by a stroke and a battle with inoperable cancer. She had just turned 9 a few weeks prior to her passing. Zeena was owned by Deb Nihart of Prattsburgh, New York, and was trained and handled by Marc Forman and Deb of Shady Hills Kennel throughout her entire competitive career.

Zeena's three championship titles were achieved on wild birds in grouse and woodcock events staged in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York. She won the Lake States Championship in 2021, the New York Grouse Championship, and the Michigan Woodcock Championship, both in 2024. Additionally, Zeena added important wins at the Pennsylvania Grouse Open All-Age and the Hadaway Grouse Classic, plus 15 other placements starting as a puppy in 2016 and continuing consistently through 2024. Zeena was crowned Michigan Cover Dog of the Year for the 2021-2022 season.

Zeena was bred once to champion Double Deuce Zeke and whelped a litter that includes several promising youngsters including Shady Hills Lefty and Shady Hills Zeeva, both owned by Deb Nihart and trained by Marc Forman.

Zeena was whelped on January 11, 2016, from a litter bred by Mike Husenits and Dave and Mark Hughes. Her sire was Fourteen-time champion and National Champion Erin's War Creek, her dam Brave Heart Cassie, a futurity and multiple-time winner. Deb acquired Zeena as an 8-week-old puppy in March of 2016. Marc Forman and Deb honed her natural qualities into the champion she became. Zeena was always Marc Forman's "go-to" whenever new territory was being explored for grouse. If grouse existed there, Zeena would find them every time. From the same litter as Zeena, several other wild bird champions were developed, namely Duck Hook, A Distant Spec, and Warrior Zeke, all with a combined championship win total of nine, all on wild birds.
A great champion has passed over the rainbow bridge, but her proud owner, Deb Nihart, states: She leaves paw prints of love forever in our hearts.