Result: Grand National Grouse and Woodcock Invitational Championship

Location: Ellenburg, New York

Post Date: Jul 10, 2025

Submitted By: Kelly Hays

Grand National Grouse and Woodcock Invitational Championship (front, l-r): Snyder's Fireside Ed with Tammy Chaffee (handler) and Northwoods Cedar with Eric Saetre (owner/handler). (Behind): Mike Flewelling (judge), Joe Cammisa, holding the trophy from left to right is Scott Chaffee and Lindsey Saetre, and Doug McMillen (judge).

2025 Grand National Grouse and Woodcock Invitational Championship and Point Earners. The following is a list of the top Grand National Grouse and Woodcock invitational points earned for dogs and their owners.

Snyder's Fireside Ed
Grand Winner, Guaranteed
Owner: Steve Snyder
Handler: Tammy Chaffee

Meridith Grade Corky
Invitational Winner, Guaranteed
Owner: Dennis Keysor
Handler: Tammy Chaffee

Over The Hill Merry
Invitational Winner, Guaranteed
Owner: Rod Lein
Invitation declined

Ralphy's Chasehill Rip
1284 points earned
Owner: Brian Ralph
Handler: Scott Chaffee

Northwoods Cedar
1284 points earned
Owners: Eric & Lindsay Saetre
Handler: Eric Saetre

Asper Hill Bandit
1096 points earned
Owner: Jon Cullen
SCRATCH

Chasehill Snoop Dog
992 points earned
Owners: William & Karen McFadden
Handler: John Stolgitis

Warrior Zeke
944 points earned
Owner: Mike Husenits
Handler: Mark Hughes

Grouse Ridge Mags
889 points earned
Owner: Bill Ballin
Handler: Scott Forman

Chasehill Poison Ivy
852 points earned
Owners: William & Karen McFadden
Handler: John Stolgitis

Northwoods Atlas
772 points earned
Owner: Greg Johnson
SCRATCH

Lake Effect Ali
714 points earned
Owner: Tim Kaufman
Handler: Tim Kaufman

Ponderosa's Copper Penny
708 points earned
Owner: Robert Ellis
Handler: Robert Ellis

Mohawk Mill Miss You
684 points earned
Owners: William & Karen McFadden
Handler: John Stolgitis

Back Creek Lucy
659 points earned
Owner: Steve Graham
Handler: Rich Hollister

Meredith Grade Penny
648 points earned
Owner: Dennis Keysor
Handler: Scott Chaffee

Over The Hill Morgan
Owner: Robert Zielke
Handler: Rod Lein

The Running
Wednesday and Thursday;
Callbacks Friday

The 2025 Invitational Championship was held in Malone, New York. The draw was conducted at Donavan's restaurant on Tuesday, April 15, at 6 p.m., with a gathering of owners, handlers, spouses, judges, and trial committee members. Bill McFadden, the landowner, gave a brief speech about the acquisition of the property and his goals for future field trials at the grounds. We were also graced with the presence of Andrea Dumas, the governor of Malone, New York, who had never heard of a "field trial" and was excited to get to know a little bit more about the sport, and gave us her full support.

The courses are approximately two miles long at a normal walking pace over varying terrain, some bordering old stone walls with mature apple trees, others following young aspen stands with mixed soft and hard woods throughout each course.

Day 1 - April 15, 2025
We started at 7 a.m. with wind blowing sideways and snow; quite a lot of snow fell that day, and each brace became more and more difficult to endure. It felt as if we were summiting a mountain with a long line of gallery members covered in wet, heaving snow with a high temperature that day of 31 degrees, and because the ground was no longer frozen, each footstep drew up about one pound of mud and snow that quickly froze around your boots. My logbook got completely soaked, and the ink ran on each of the pages.

Brace 1:
Warrior Zeke, handled by Mark Hughes, and Over The Hill Morgan, handled by Rod Lein, both were turned loose, and an exciting first brace as both had bird work in less than stellar conditions. Zeke was quick to get to work and stopped at 7:15 a.m. and was relocated to a woodcock, and Morgan slid in nicely for a back, all in good order. At approximately 7:25 a.m., a sizable grouse got up over the path, likely disturbed by the gallery. It was likely roosting, as I could not discover any footprints in the snow.
Morgan went on to have two woodcock finds at 7:40 a.m., in close proximity to one another. Both dogs handled well and to the front, never slowing their pace.

Brace 2:
Northwoods Cedar, handled by Eric Saetre, and Back Creek Lucy, handled by Rich Hollister, were next as the snow continued with mixed precipitation and increased winds. Both dogs handled with a consistent big range. Lucy stopped at 15 but quickly moved on. Both were found standing a woodcock at 20 in a nice, divided find. Lucy stopped abruptly at 30 to the right with Cedar standing close by; a grouse was produced over both dogs. Lucy went on to have a woodcock at 45, and then another grouse at 50.

Brace 3:
Lake Effect Ali, handled by Tim Kaufman, and Meridith Grade Corky, handled by Tammy Chaffee. The weather continued to show us no mercy, and walking conditions deteriorated quickly. This course was tough as it had quite a lot of downed trees to maneuver over, and some areas were quite wet; both dogs were hard-charging and handled well to the front. Corky stopped at 20 and displayed an impressive posture in an area that showed a young aspen stand, and a woodcock was produced in good order. Ali ran hard and to the front; however, ran birdless.

Brace 4:
As the day continued and the temperature dropped, with more snow falling, it most certainly impacted the dogs' ability to secure birds and the handlers' ability to hear the bells. Mohawk Mill Miss You, handled by John Stolgitis, and Snyder's Fireside Ed, handled by Tammy Chaffee, both ran forward and deep, ultimately found no birds in their hour.

Brace 5:
By this brace, I measured 5 inches of heavy, wet snow on the ground, which was now clinging to trees, making bell rings even harder to pinpoint.
The sun came out briefly and was a welcome sight, but soon disappeared. Chasehill Poison Ivy, handled by John Stolgitis, and Ponderosa Copper Penny, handled by Robert Ellis, were turned loose; both dogs disappeared promptly and were not seen until 15, where both were standing a woodcock all in good order. Again, the dogs disappeared and were not seen much. At 30, both dogs were found standing; no bird was produced, and both dogs were moved on. Penny finished her 60 minutes, and the tracker was requested for Ivy at 45.
Brace 6:
Grouse Ridge Mags, handled by Scott Forman, and Ralphy's Chasehill Rip, handled by Scott Chaffee. Both dogs handled well just outside of the bell range, and at this point, it became difficult for me to write as my hands were cold, and if it weren't for Adam Dubriske supplying me with hand warmers, I would be finished. Mags stopped at 30, and no bird was produced for her. Both dogs finished their 60 minutes with no birdwork but ran a decent forward race in less-than-stellar conditions.

Brace 7:
Chasehill Snoop Dog, handled by John Stolgitis, and Meredith Grade Penny, handled by Scott Chaffee. This was the last brace of the day, and the judges and I were ready for a break. Both dogs stopped at 40, and no bird was produced for them. They both finished the hour in good form.

Day 2 - April 16, 2025
Our day could not have been any worse than the day before. The sun showed itself, and quite a lot of the snow disappeared overnight as our temps increased. Walking courses proved to be significantly easier. We started promptly at 7 a.m.

Brace 1:
Snyder's Fireside Ed, handled by Tammy Chaffee, and Chasehill Poison Ivy, handled by John Stolgitis, were scratched. Ed ran deep and forward for Tammy just out of the bell range. At 45, he stopped on the left in close proximity to the path, where a grouse was produced for him all in good order. Five minutes later, he stopped again on the right and had a nice woodcock find. He finished the 60 minutes strong and to the front.

Brace 2:
Ponderosa's Copper Penny, handled by Robert Ellis, and Grouse Ridge Mags, handled by Scott Forman. Both dogs hit the course hard and had a very competitive forward race. At 20, the gallery moved two woodcocks that were close to the path with no dog involvement. Penny had a well-mannered woodcock find at 50. Mags was picked up by Scott at 30 for finding and bringing a newly deceased grouse to the line. This grouse was struck by a vehicle earlier and was found close to where this course crossed the road.

Brace 3:
Ralphy's Chasehill Rip, handled by Scott Chaffee, and Chasehill Snoop Dog, handled by John Stolgitis, were out next. This was the "woodcock" brace! At 10, Rip stopped, and Snoop Dog slid in for the back, and a woodcock was produced for both dogs, all in good order. At 15, a woodcock got up from the trail without any dog involvement, and another was reported by a gallery member. Rip had a woodcock find at 35, and Snoop Dog had a nice woodcock at 37. Both dogs finished their hour forward.

Brace 4:
Meredith Grade Penny, handled by Scott Chaffee, and Warrior Zeke, handled by Mark Hughes, were turned loose. During this part of the day, the wind had picked up, assisting in further snow melting. Zeke stopped at 15, and a woodcock was produced for him in good form. Both dogs finished the hour, and the gallery moved a woodcock off the path at 30.

Brace 5:
Over The Hill Morgan, handled by Rod Lein, and Northwoods Cedar, handled by Eric Saetre. Both dogs scorched the course and ran very deep and hit very "birdy" objectives. Morgan stopped at 20, and a bird was unable to be produced for her and was moved on the course. Cedar had a nice woodcock find at 10 and an unproductive find 10 minutes later. Eric found Cedar at 50; no bird was produced for her.

Brace 6:
Back Creek Lucy, handled by Rich Hollister, and Lake Effect Ali, handled by Tim Kaufman. Both dogs ran forward and finished their 60 minutes; however, they ran birdless.

Brace 7:
Meridith Grade Corky" handled by Scott Chaffee, and Mohawk Mill Miss You, handled by John Stolgitis. Corky was found at 30 and had a nice grouse find deep to the right and was backed by Miss You. Both dogs finished the hour.

Callbacks
Judges Mike Flewelling and Doug McMillen discussed who would be called back for the next day and which courses to use. They were to call back two braces with one reserve brace.

Brace 1:
The course chosen was No. 5, and the dogs chosen were Back Creek Lucy, handled by Rich Hollister, and Snyder's Fireside Ed, handled by Tammy Chaffee.
Both dogs hit birdy objections and handled well to the front. Ed stopped first at 10 minutes and was backed nicely by Lucy; a woodcock was produced all in good order. Five minutes later, both dogs stopped again briefly and then moved on. Lucy had an unproductive early on, and shortly after, we had two wild flushes on woodcock just shy of the path. Lucy had a nice woodcock find at 20. Ed stopped abruptly, and a grouse was flushed from a tree, all in good order.

Brace 2:
The course chosen was No. 1, and the dogs chosen were Ralphy's Chasehill Rip, handled by Scott Chaffee, and Northwoods Cedar, handled by Eric Saetre.
Both dogs stopped briefly, about one minute into the brace, but then moved on. Rip stopped at 6 and had a nice woodcock find. He moved on and finished the hour strongly. Cedar went on to have a grouse find at 15. Cedar ran big, stopped at 37, and a woodcock find, all in good order. Cedar was found after time. Eric leashed her, stepped back, and produced a woodcock.

Judges for the 2025 Grouse & Woodcock Invitational Championship
Doug McMillen, Reynolds, Pennsylvania, and Mike Flewelling, Holden, Maine.
They both witnessed a plethora of worthy performances with high-caliber dogs. Mike and Doug are knowledgeable bird dog men with plenty of field trial experience. They worked hard in less-than-stellar conditions to observe all contestants equally, and deliberated cautiously to choose the winners.

The Winners
Champion--Snyder's Fireside Ed
Ed's journey to the champion's podium was a culmination of a winning partnership with Ed's owner, and Pioneer Kennels' pro trainers Scott and Tammy Chaffee. Steve has been developing what could arguably be the finest line of English setters for upland bird hunters and cover dog field trialers alike. Steve's journey began as an 8-year-old hunting with his father and their Irish Setters, which led to his first English setter in 1970. He was introduced to cover dog trials with Jerry Kolter and his first field trial prospects, Rocky Balboa and Snyder's Liz. As Jerry drifted away from field trialing, Steve contacted Pioneer Kennels and Scott and Tammy to continue his quest for winning competitors. His current winning streak and the bedrock of his current setter line began in 2015, when he purchased two-time champion Jetwood from Michael Cooper. Jetwood has proven to be a strong producer of winning setters, including Ponderosa Mac. Steve then made what is inarguably the purchase of a lifetime, when he bought the then runner-up champion Ponderosa Mac from Bruce Cartwright in 2016. Ponderosa Mac amassed a record-breaking eight championships and three runner-up championship wins, including three national championships and two runner-up national championships. In addition to Jetwood and Ponderosa Mac, Steve purchased Snyder's Full Rage, which garnered five runner-up championships. Since acquiring Jetwood, Steve has to date accumulated 12 championship wins and 10 runner-up placements with his line-up of English setters. A truly remarkable feat in the highly competitive cover dog field trial circuit.
In addition to his win record, Ponderosa Mac has proven to be a prolific producer of winning trial dogs in many different circuits, along with producing excellent hunting dogs. Among these are Ch. Snyder's Pioneer Scout, and the current winner of this championship, Snyder's Fireside Ed. Both of these dogs are from the very first breedings of Ponderosa Mac and the only ones of their litters to be campaigned in cover dog field trials. Ed was bred and raised by Dale Ash, and he was subsequently purchased as a derby dog by veteran field trial enthusiast and English setter breeder, Dr. Mary Beth Esser. Steve purchased Ed from Mary Beth in October of 2021 after a visit to Scott and Tammy's winter training grounds in southern Alabama. After Steve observed Ed in a workout, he contacted Mary Beth about purchasing Ed. Ed has been in Tammy's string of competitors since his derby age and has been knocking on the door of championship placements for the last several years.
This win for Steve was very special, as a life-changing turn of events occurred during the Wisconsin Cover Dog Championship this past fall. Steve was driven to a local emergency center by his loving wife, Wendy, complaining of chest pains. While there, he suffered a critical heart attack that resulted in the stoppage of his heart. He was revived and air-lifted to the Mayo Clinic, where he underwent emergency heart surgery, followed two days later by a second surgery. To say that he was very lucky to survive would be an understatement. When Tammy and Scott contacted him about Ed's win, it was the uplifting news that continues to help him face what will undoubtedly be some months of recovery. Steve is a very upbeat person and is working hard towards spending next fall gunning in his favorite hunting spots once again. We believe that we speak for the
entire field trial community in wishing him the best of luck in his journey to full recovery and many more bountiful bird hunting excursions with his winning lineup of English setters.

Runner-up--Northwoods Cedar
Cedar was the dog that literally changed everything for us. We got her in 2019, just wanting a bird dog to hunt with. After she spent some time with her breeder, Jerry Kolter, at Northwoods Birddogs, he convinced us we should take her to a fall trial and try our luck. We had zero idea what trials entailed. We didn't even know they existed. But Lindsey entered her in the Reuel Henry Pietz Derby Classic in Minnesota, and she won! That set the hook in us pretty hard. She had a couple more derby placements, and then we moved into the shooting dog stakes. She was a wild card when she was younger. She ran off more than she finished. She had a motor and heart that we really struggled to keep in check for a couple of years, with placements here and there, but she started to hit her stride last spring. She won the North Country Spring Open Shooting Dog trial and came close in a couple of others that spring. Then, in the fall, she won runner-up champion at the Minnesota Grouse Championship. The following weekend, she won her first Championship in Wisconsin at the North Country Championship. Those three trials gave her the points needed to qualify for the 2025 Invitational this spring. Lindsey handled her to a win at the Don Didcoct Amateur Classic in Wisconsin. This is a big amateur trial that Lindsey really wanted to win. Cedar had a classic Cedar run. She ran big and on the edge of bell range while getting two woodcock and one grouse find in the hour stake. That was right before the Invitational. So, we had high hopes she could continue to run well.
Cedar has always been a handful, but when it comes together, it is so much fun. We can sit back and enjoy the ride. We wouldn't be anywhere near this point if it weren't for Jerry and Betsy at Northwoods Bird Dogs and all the members of the MGDA, CVGDA, and the Moose River Club. They welcomed us into the birddog world and taught us so much. Cedar has had one litter, and three of her pups are also active in trials. These three have multiple derby placements and are now competing in shooting dog stakes. Last week at the Moose River Classic, Cedar and the three pups were all in the same shooting dog stake. Cedar showed them she still has it, and they all have a ways to go. She took second while all three of them showed their immaturity breaking on birds. But they all have very bright futures for sure. I could go on forever, we are still on could nine from the Invitational. It was so much fun and cool to see all those great dogs in the same place. To get the runner-up championship is mind-blowing and something we will never forget!

The organization would like to thank our generous sponsors, Purina, Garmin, and OnXHunt, for their contributions to this trial.
Thank you to those who generously supported lunches and snacks throughout the days.
At the draw, appetizers were sponsored by Rod Lein, and last year's runner-up, Over The Hill Merry.
A handlers' dinner at Donovan's Steak and Ale in Malone, New York, was held Wednesday night and did not disappoint. Tim Kaufman stated it was one of the top three meals he has had in his life.
Lunch was sponsored by Denny Keysor in honor of last year's winner, Meridith Grade Corky.
Mark Forman and Deb Nihart sponsored daily coffees and Amish pastries.
Suzie made the best-ever delicately frosted shortbread and pizzelles.

The committee would like to thank the following:
Graig Blair, from Purina, for their years of unwavering support; Patrick Bowman, with Garmin; Ben Brettingen, with OnXHunt; and Eric Munden, with Lion Country Supply.
Thank you to Bill McFadden! Bill recently purchased the property from Bruce Bennett with the addition of an updated clubhouse/gathering area.
And finally, we would like to thank the pretrial committee for getting the grounds ready: Adam Dubriske, Andy Weik, Bill McFadden, and Joe Cammisa.

Ellenburg, N. Y., April 15
Judges: Mike Flewelling and Doug McMillen
GRAND NATIONAL GROUSE AND WOODCOCK INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats on Consecutive days; One-Hour Finals] - 5 Pointers and 9 Setters
Winner-SNYDER'S FIRESIDE ED, F1672601, setter male, by Ponderosa Mac-Rouge River Bogsucker. Steven Snyder, owner; Tammy Chaffee, handler.
Runner-Up-NORTHWOODS CEDAR, F1691883, setter female, by Erin's Prometheus-Northwoods Carly Simon. Eric & Lindsey Saetre, owners; Eric Saetre, handler.

The 14 Invitees. (Foreground, l-r): Adam Dubriske, Joe Cammisa, and Mike Flewelling.