Result: International Pheasant Championship

Location: Hoffman, North Carolina

Post Date: Dec 12, 2024

Submitted By: Tessa Hughes,

International Pheasant Championship front row (l-r): Judd Carlton (scout) with 2024 Champion Haney's Silver Dollar and Luke Eisenhart with Comanche, 2024 Runner-up Champion (Second row, l-r): Bill Mason, Tessa Hughes (judge), Joe Hughes (judge), Barbara Youngs, Mike Sweets, Bob Youngs, Claudia McNamee, Til Hankley, Dr. Fred Corder, Lefty Henry, and Greg Robinson.

On October 25, 2024, in unseasonably warm temperatures, Haney's Silver Dollar, a 3-year-old white, orange, and ticked English Pointer male, with Luke Eisenhart of Leesburg, Georgia, as his handler, swept the International Pheasant Championship at the Sandhills Wildlife Management Area in Hoffman, North Carolina. Silver Dollar is owned by Chris Cagle of Woodlawn, Tennessee. Eisenhart also handled the runner-up champion, first-year all-age dog, Comanche, a white and orange English Pointer male owned by Tucker Johnson of Hobe Sound, Florida.

The Championship began its running at the new venue at Hoffman on Thursday morning, October 24, 2024, with 33 Pointers and Setters competing for the title. Conditions were sunny and dry, with a temperature of 54 degrees for the morning breakaway. The temperature quickly climbed into the 70s by mid-morning and topped 80 by midday.

Dr. Fred Corder, the club secretary and stake manager, made opening announcements, including that, given the current location of the Championship, the Club was continuing its practice that the pointing of a pheasant was not required for the naming of a champion. This author and her husband, Joe Hughes of Moulton, Alabama, were honored to serve as judges. The International Pheasant Championship is one of four National Championship qualifiers that comprise the Carolina Jamboree, a fun season kickoff event taking place at Hoffman for the second year in a row. The handler whose dog garners the highest overall points in all four trials of the Jamboree this year wins a $10,000 purse.

So many people worked hard to make this trial a success: Greg Robinson faithfully drove the dog wagon every day, ensuring the dogs were ready to go and on the wagon and providing water, coffee, and snacks to everyone at every brace. Lefty Henry, when not in the saddle, served as another road marshal. Corder and Bob Youngs also served as marshals. In addition, Rita Corder served delicious lunches each day. Carl Owen and other participants in the Jamboree served us an absolutely delicious Frogmore Stew on Friday night (for those of you who may not know, Frogmore Stew is another name for a shrimp boil). There is also work that goes on behind the scenes, including a great deal of care of the grounds and the quail that are put out and then fed, much of that done by the North Carolina Game & Fish Department.

The Championship Brace
Our champion, Haney's Silver Dollar (PM/Eisenhart), and Game Heir (PM/Corder) were our last brace of the second day. Conditions were hot and sunny with temperatures at around 75 at the start. Both dogs broke away strong, running hard. Silver Dollar is a son of Ransom, and, in his hour, he showed some of his sire's uncanny ability to find birds, racking up four finds despite the heat. He is also a son of the great blue hen, Haney's North Star, who is now the dam of more than one dog qualified for the National Championship.
After the dogs left the breakaway, Game Heir first had a very classy find at 4, looking extremely stylish on the left-hand side of the course. He held well for both wing and shot. Both dogs moved on through the countryside, setting a rapid pace and showing well. Silver Dollar then garnered a beautiful find at 8, standing perfectly still, head and tail high, although birds boiled out all around him. He traveled on for his handler, moving at a fast clip, showing always to the front, and was next found on point at 25. Again, he stood perfectly for the find, and again, birds flew in every direction, some flying directly in front of his face. However, Silver Dollar never turned even his head, standing up like a champion through it all and the shot. Dr. Corder requested the tracker for Game Heir at 25, and he was up. At 29, we were moving into the pine trees on the third-hour course, and Eisenhart was searching hard for Silver Dollar, and so was his scout, Judd Carlton. At 32, we found Silver Dollar standing in the pine trees on point. Eisenhart went into flush, but no birds were flying. I could hear birds calling, and Eisenhart relocated Silver Dollar, and he again pointed. The birds were running on him, and Eisenhart again asked Silver Dollar to relocate. This time he did, ever so delicately, and he locked the birds down on this relocation. When Eisenhart flushed, birds went everywhere, all around Silver Dollar, and seeing it would make hairs stand up on your arms. They kept on flying and flying. Silver Dollar never moved, standing head and tail high. Eisenhart shot and returned to release his dog. When turned loose, Silver Dollar left like a shot to go hunt some more birds and return to the front, making a beautiful cast at approximately 48. For a brief time, we then did not see him. Eisenhart was looking for him to the front, and Carlton was searching, as well, and time was then called. Carlton then called point for Silver Dollar in the next field over. Eisenhart went in to flush for Silver Dollar in heavy cover. He held well for that find, also, and all was in order, thus concluding the brace.

The Runner-up Brace
Comanche (PM/Eisenhart), our runner-up champion, and Quickmarksman's Excalibur (PM/Mike Hester) were in the sixth brace. Both dogs were away fast from the breakaway. Excalibur scored a nice find at 10 and held well for wing and shot. Comanche was running hard and showing us he was a beautiful dog on the run, too, setting a scorching pace through the countryside. He had a perfect find at 12, with Excalibur backing, Comanche looking outstanding on his game. Comanche's head and tail were both high in the air, and he held perfectly that way for the flush and the shot. He then had an almost flawless race, always to the front, showing well, and scoring another find at 49, with Excalibur backing again. Again, he looked perfect on his game and held that way for both wing and shot. The startling thing about this young dog is that, as soon as Eisenhart turned him loose, he then hit the trail running hard, not fazed by the miserable heat and dust, searching hard for more birds. Again, he scored a find at 54 and looked extraordinary again. He held that pose throughout the flushing and the shot for his handler. He then went on to resume that hard-running pace again despite the dry heat. Hester called point for Excalibur at 58, but no birds were produced, and Excalibur finished his hour during that flushing and relocation attempt. Comanche finished strong to the front, running hard.

The Running
Our first brace was comprised of Rester's Cajun Spirit (PM/Carlton) and Touch's Shadow Rider (PM/Mark McLean), last year's runner-up champion. Although both dogs ran ambitious races, Cajun Spirit had no birds during his hour, and McLean asked for his tracker at 21, after Shadow Rider had not been seen since the breakaway.

Nighthawk's Rebel (PM/Eisenhart) and Game Surge (PM/Corder) were in the second brace of the day. They left well from the second-hour breakaway and ran hard. Eisenhart called point for Rebel at 38, with Game Surge backing. However, no birds were flying, with Rebel suffering the unproductive. Both dogs continued on well, and then Surge scored a beautiful find at 45. He looked sensational on his game and held well for both wing and shot. Rebel was lost shortly after his point, and Eisenhart asked for his tracker at 55. Surge ran always to the front and finished the hour running strong.

Papa Joe (PM/Hester) and Bandit's Hill Avenger (PM/McLean) were in the next brace. Although the dogs made nice casts away from the breakaway, Joe was not seen again, and Hester asked for his tracker at 23. McLean called point for Avenger at 23, but no birds were flying, and Avenger suffered an unproductive. He went on to have a good, forward race, hunting aggressively, but he had no bird contact. He finished the hour strong, always to the front.

Rampage (PM/Eisenhart) and Southern Nation (PM/Lefty Henry) were in the first brace after lunch (Brace 4). Both dogs left the afternoon breakaway strong, and Rampage scored a beautiful find at 8, standing well for wing and shot. He and Southern Nation ran aggressive races, but neither had any further bird work. Rampage finished the hour well. Unfortunately, Nation was lost, and Henry asked for the tracker at 55.

Erin's Happy Hour (PM/Carlton) ran as a bye-dog in the fifth brace. He ran well from the breakaway but scored an unproductive at 3 and an unproductive at 5 and was up.

The next brace was the runner-up champion brace, which has already been covered.

The seventh brace of the trial started us off with our second day of running on Friday, which dawned hot and bright.

Our day started with Haney's All In (PM/McLean) and Rocky River Halo (PM/Stevenson). Shortly after the breakaway, as we were veering to the left through the pines, Jerry Raynor, McLean's scout, called point for All In on the right. After relocation, birds were flying for All In, who held well for the flush and shot. All In was then away, running hard for his handler. Unfortunately, Halo was not sighted again after the breakaway, and Stevenson requested his tracker at 20. At 26, McLean called point for All In again, and again, All In handled both the flush and the shot with perfect manners. Unfortunately, All In was not seen again after 45, and McLean requested the tracker at 1:00.

Dominator's Wild Bill (PM/Carlton) and Woodville's Yukon Cornelius (ESM/McLean) comprised our eighth brace. Both dogs set a fast pace away from the breakaway, and Cornelius scored an impressive, beautiful find at 18. He then hustled, snapping through the countryside, with McLean pointing him out, with him always to the front. Carlton called point for his dog at 24, but no birds were flying, suffering an unproductive. Cornelius then suffered an unproductive at 39 and continued hunting aggressively, always to the front, impressing us all with his aggressive ground race under difficult conditions. At 58, Raynor called point for McLean, and Judge Joe Hughes traveled with McLean to find Cornelius on point. He looked beautiful, and McLean flushed for his dog, Cornelius holding well for wing and shot. This concluded the brace.

Erin's Wild Atlantic Way (ESM/Eisenhart) and Touch's Malcolm Story (PM/McLean) were in our ninth brace. By then, temperatures had climbed even further, but the challenging conditions did not slow these dogs. The Setter scored a beautiful find at 29, looking perfect on his birds, with Malcolm Story backing. All was in order. Eisenhart requested his tracker at 29 for Way. Malcolm Story suffered an unproductive at 34. He finished the brace well and had a very nice find at pickup.

Rester's Johnny Ringo (PM/Eisenhart) and Haney's Easy Money (PM/McLean) comprised our 10th brace. Both dogs ran strong races, ever forward, with Ringo scoring a beautiful find at 46. Easy Money suffered an unproductive around the same time. Both dogs were lost at pickup.
The next brace was the championship brace, which is covered above.

Lester's Storm Chaser (PM/Henry) and Sandhill Ike (PM/Jerry Raynor) were the 12th brace. Storm Chaser scored a beautiful find at 15, showing excellent style on point and beautiful manners. Unfortunately, he was thereafter lost, and Henry requested his tracker at 35. Ike ran a forward race, a classy dog, but was lost after approximately 25, with Raynor requesting the tracker at 45.

Miller's Heat Advisory (PM/Carlton), last year's champion, and Heisman (PM/Hester) were our 13th brace. Heat Advisory ran a strong, aggressive race just as he had the year before, and Heisman matched him for a good deal of the brace until he was lost, with Hester requesting the tracker for his dog at 38. Heat Advisory scored a beautiful find at 4, looking perfect on his birds, and held well for both the flight of birds and the report of the gun. Traveling on, point was called for him again at 11, and again, his manners were again impeccable. He was then absent to the front for a fair amount of time, and when he was found at 51, he was on point and perhaps had been for some period of time. Carlton chose to flush for his dog, but it may be the birds had left him by that time, and Heat Advisory suffered an unproductive. Heat Advisory finished his hour strong, always to the front and hunting hard.

Erin's Perfect Storm (PM/Eisenhart) and Touch's Midnight Rider (PM/McLean) made up our 14th brace. The dogs ran aggressive races, showing nicely to the front, and they scored a divided find at 50, both holding well. They continued, running hard, with Midnight Rider scoring another find after pickup had been called, but within time. He also handled this find well and looked beautiful on his game. Perfect Storm also finished strong but had no further birdwork in his hour.

Haney's Storm Warning (PM/Eisenhart) and Game Nation (PM/Corder) comprised our 15th brace. It was extremely hot and dry for this brace. The dogs ran well from the breakaway, in spite of the heat, and both handlers called point for their dogs at 21, but no birds were produced on the flush. Continuing on, both handlers made the decision to pick up their dogs at approximately 45.

Touch's Breakaway Fred (PM/McLean) and Erin's High Note (PM/Carlton) comprised our 16th brace. Breakaway Fred had no game contact and was not seen after the breakaway, with McLean requesting the tracker at 24. High Note ran a strong race, but he had no bird contact. The heat was extremely harsh, and Carlton picked him up at 31.

Game Star (PF/Corder) ran as a bye-dog in the 17th brace. She ran a beautiful race, scoring a classy find at 25 in heavy cover in a thicket and holding for her handler through both the flush and the shot. She moved on with class and speed, and Corder called point for her again at 34, but this time, no birds were flying. Corder decided to pick her up at this juncture, thus concluding the championship.

Hoffman, N. C., October 22
Judges: Joe Hughes and Tessa Hughes
INTERNATIONAL PHEASANT CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 32 Pointers and 3 Setters
Winner-HANEY'S SILVER DOLLAR, F1698758, pointer male, by Ransom-Haney's North Star. Chris Cagle, owner; Luke Eisenhart, handler.
Runner-Up-COMANCHE, F1705324, pointer male, by Touch's Red Rider-Southpoint's Dixie Chick. S. Tucker Johnson, owner; Luke Eisenhart, handler.