Result: National Open Pheasant Championship
Location: Hoffman, North Carolina
Post Date: Dec 31, 2025
Submitted By: Rhonda Lee
National Open Championship (front row, l-r): Judd Carlton posed with Haney's Silver Dollar and Jerry Raynor posed with Woodville's Long Hard Ride. (Second row): Lefty Henry, Dr. Fred Corder, Bubba Spencer (judge), Luke Eisenhart (handler), Mark McLean (handler), and Carl Owens. (Back row): Til Hinkley, John Ivester, Chris Weatherly, Claudia McNamee, Steve Croy, Mike Sweet, Greg Robinson (dog wagon driver), Bob Youngs, and Fred Potts.
The 56th running of The National Open Pheasant Championship took place October 28 through October 31, 2025, with 40 dogs drawn and run over the six one-hour courses in the sand hills of North Carolina on the J. Robert Gordon Field Trial Area in Hoffman, North Carolina. The 2025 champion, Haney's Silver Dollar, handled by Luke Eisenhart and owned by Chris Cagle Sr. and Chris Cagle Jr., came from the second brace of the stake. They came to win and set the bar very high for those that followed. A strong, four-find performance that flowed throughout the course; finds were recorded at 15, 38, 46, and 49, with high style and impeccable manners. His race was only forward and required very little scouting, being found to the front always after being out of sight.
The runner-up champion, Woodville's Long Hard Ride, handled by Mark McLean for owner Carl Owens, who was riding in the gallery, came from Brace 18. The judges saw a very forward ground searching race marked by finds at 13, 22, and 33. All of the finds demonstrated excellent style and good manners.
The judges mentioned that they witnessed 36 bird contacts pointed by the dogs during the Championship. Birds that were ridden up by gallery, handlers, and scouts were not counted in that figure. They also noted that three other dogs with strong performances could have placed in the winners' circle most weeks, but not quite enough this week to beat the two named winners.
Their comments in order of running:
From Brace 3, Miller's Heat Advisory, handled by Judd Carlton, ran a large, mostly forward race for owner Mike Sweet, riding in the gallery to see his dog. Finds were spaced out at 36, 47, and 53. At pickup, the dog was out of sight but located pointing to the front at 62 in a known covey location. Unfortunately, no birds could be produced, and a non-productive was added to the tally.
From Brace 4, Touch's Shadow Rider had a good forward race with finds at 4 and 44 with style for handler Mark McLean.
From Brace 9, Game Surge ran a strong all-age ground performance, mostly forward. He had two finds at 28 and at 44 for owner/handler Dr. Fred Corder.
Marshaling duties were shared this year by Dr. Fred Corder, Carl Owens, and Bob Youngs. Since the judges were new to these grounds, the marshals were helping the judges to keep on course, as well as the gallery. All went very smoothly throughout the entire trial.
The Judges
This year's running saw two very capable men come to the Hoffman grounds, who had never seen this area before. It is always great to see two judges who come, get along great, watch the dogs intently, and work after each brace to discuss what they had just watched and keep their books in order. Chris Weatherly came to us from home in Grand Junction, Tennessee, where he works on the Ames Plantation. Bubba Spencer lives in Hickory Valley, Tennessee, and recently retired from his Game Warden work. Both men have been bird dog guys and have seen many in the past. We enjoyed them and appreciated their time with us.
The Helpers
The Championship is sponsored by Purina as a qualifying Purina Points trial, and we appreciate their help with the National Pheasant Championship and the Jamboree. Purina hats and literature were all around, and the winners carried bags of Purina Pro Plan home. Lots of sample bags were passed out to spectators and trial participants.
Meals were wonderfully prepared each day, with Mrs. Corder heading up the food kitchen duties. This year, the National Pheasant Club provided lunches and some evening meals for the handlers and many local guests who come to watch and/or visit with friends they see a few times a year. Mrs. Corder was always busy preparing some special delight for us to eat at lunch, and her chili was a great success on a couple of the cooler mornings. The hot chili and corn bread were extra special.
A trial does not run smoothly without the dogs, handlers, and judges on the line. Greg Robinson drives the dog wagon and begins and ends our days at Hoffman. He starts picking up dogs at 7:30 a.m. and drops off dogs as we get back from the morning running, and repeats again about 1:15 p.m., getting the afternoon dogs as well as dropping the dogs back off at their respective kennels between 5 and 6 p.m. as we all return from the afternoon running. Spectators are driven around the courses in the dog wagon to see the action and are sometimes entertained by Greg singing or sharing "Greg" stories. He's always Johnny-on-the-spot when we need to pick up dogs at the end of braces or to be at a logical point to break the next brace away. This year, Greg is keeping the bird count with his helper, Barb Youngs, as they follow every brace. They record finds and ridden up coveys to have a tally for the end of the year.
The Grounds
For decades, many of the best dogs in the country have been tested over the sandy, pine tree rimmed rolling hills and fields of the J. Robert Gordon Field Trial Area outside Hoffman, North Carolina.
In the late 1940s, several field trialers realized that large tracts of land were disappearing, being sold off for development. Realizing this, the group turned to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission for the possibility of help. The Commission approached the U.S. Army to lease a large parcel of land outside Hoffman, known as Camp Mackall (McCall), for the purpose of developing a set of field trial grounds or course, as they called it then. This 8,000-acre tract in the middle of 50,000 acres of DOD land saw clearing begin in 1949 for the clubhouse, barn, and kennels--all completed between 1950 and 1953. The clubhouse and barn area still serve as headquarters for the field trials run today.
The first field trial at the Hoffman Grounds was run in 1953. The NCFTA saw participation grow from two clubs in 1953 to six clubs by 1961. In 1966, the J. Robert Gordon Field Trial Area and the NCFTA hosted the National Amateur Quail Championship. Today, we have 22 Association Clubs competing over these hallowed grounds.
Today, the grounds consist of six one-hour courses, approximately six miles long, each with varying cover. The courses are maintained by dedicated NC Wildlife employees who plant the feed plots and do the mowing. The six courses all offer a varied but similar makeup of open fields, millet and grain sorghum feed plots, piney woods line all the courses, and the cover varies with dog fennel, switchgrass, ragweed, bicolor, panic grass, and love grass. Throughout the courses, we find water in the form of creeks and waterholes, both man-made and natural.
Field trials without birds would not be fun or productive, and the NCFTA works hard with a modern, aggressive pre-release and supplemental program. Several members of the association spend days and weeks preparing release sites, putting out Milo and water ahead, and then actually releasing birds. This team is led by John Ivester, with Rob Henry, Greg Robinson, Gary Miller, Calvin Curnutte, Steve Mills, Bob Youngs, and Mike Hester. Last year, more than 5,000 birds were released from September through March. This year, the initial release saw 180 coveys, released with 20 birds per covey. Cover is abundant due to the very welcome but plentiful rains we received in June, July, and August, providing lots of "home" cover and harboring an abundant supply of food such as grasshoppers and other bugs, and lots of seed from various plant life for the birds. Regular feeding takes place throughout the year by Rob Henry and is filled in by Bob Youngs.
Hoffman, N. C., October 28
Judges: Bubba Spencer and Chris Weatherly
NATIONAL OPEN PHEASANT CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 35 Pointers and 5 Setters
Winner-HANEY'S SILVER DOLLAR, F1698758, pointer male, by Ransom-Haney's North Star. Chris Cagle Sr. & Chris Cagle Jr., owners; Luke Eisenhart, handler.
Runner-Up-WOODVILLE'S LONG HARD RIDE, F1705218, setter male, by Woodville's Saddle Tramp-Yukon Gold Rush. Carl & Ashley Owens, owners; Mark McLean, handler.