Result: National Amateur Pheasant Shooting Dog Championship

Location: Bloomingdale, Ohio

Post Date: Nov 17, 2025

Submitted By: Joe Cammisa

National Amateur Pheasant Shooting Dog Championship (first row, l-r): Alex Smith with Calico's Over The Top and Stacey Goodie with Backcountry Champagnesupernova. (Second row, l-r): A curious spectator joins Ralph Gillota, Aaron McAfee, Ronnie Rogers (judge), Tiffany Smith, Mark Janiec, Ella, Chris Catanzarite, Michelle Gillota, Lee Long (judge), and Greg Strausbaugh.

This year's National Amateur Pheasant Shooting Dog Championship is...(drum roll)...Alex Smith and Calico's Over the Top; Runner-up, Backcountry Champagnesupernova with Chris Catanzarite.

A continued short history of the National Amateur Pheasant Shooting Dog Championship shows the most recent winners since 2017.
2017 --Touch's Katrina. Austin Turley, owner and handler.
2018--Touch's Hail Stone. Alexander Rickert, owner and handler.
2019--Upfront's Southern Star. Lance Schulz, owner and handler.
2020--Touch's Diamante. Austin Turley, owner and handler.
2021--Hightailing Maggie. Kevin & Maureen Joyce, owners; Kevin Joyce, handler.
2022--Navajo Cody. Camille Masiello & Saverio Morelli, owners; Joseph E. Lordi, handler.
2023--Miller's Cover Girl. Jack & Fran Miller, owners: Fran Miller, handler.
2024--Calico's Country Strong. Calico Kennels, owner; Alex Smith, handler.
2025--Calico's Over the Top. Calico Kennels & Alex & Tiffani Smith, owners; Alex Smith, handler.

Calico's Over the Top ("Blaze") comes from Frank Henderson, Alex and Tiffany Smith's Calico Kennels, home of notables such as Calico's Dancing Bear and Calico's Thrillogy. Blaze was the winner of the Purina Top Amateur Shooting Dog of the Year this past year and is a two-time National Amateur champion. He is out of Calico's Country Strong, who won the National Amateur Pheasant Shooting Dog Championship last year.

Backcountry Champagnesupernova ("Flex") is another product of Chris Catanzarite's wonderful and successful breeding program. Flex won the red ribbon in the National Pheasant Shooting Dog Futurity on these same grounds. She won the blue for first place in the National Quail Shooting Dog Futurity in 2024, and she placed third in the National Walking Shooting Dog Futurity. This, by the way, is her very first title, and her performance dictates many more to come.
The judges for the trial were Lee Long of Berkey, Ohio, and New Market, Tennessee native, Ronnie Rogers. Both are long-time owners, handlers, and trainers with many placements between them. They rode high in the saddle under extreme heat conditions, never letting down and watching each brace as if it were their own. The dogs were first, and their comfort was second. They are two great sportsmen and outdoorsmen who well represent our sport, having given freely of their time.
The winner and runner-up are detailed in the brace descriptions.
At the breakaway gathering, Chris Catanzarite, the trial chairman, introduced the judges and reporter, and outlined the weekend's events. Notables riding in the gallery were: Jeff Haggis, Dave and Jen Park, Alex and Tiffany Smith, Tim McClurg, Stacey Goodie, Greg Strausbaugh, Dave McKay, and others.

The Running
Brace 1: Red Alert Lane (PM/Ed McKay) and Redbud's Southern Boy (PM/Aaron McAfee). The conditions on the grounds were hot, dry, dusty, and hard ground. I do not know the last time it rained here. The first brace broke away at 8:05, and it was a foot race up to the "Top O' The Hill," where a line of autumn olive trees stretches for about 200 yards. Both scouts were riding left with the two dogs showing once before the end of the autumn olive. A pheasant was flushed by the gallery before the treeline ended. After the first turn and at the road crossing, both dogs made a second appearance. By now, the sun was already bright, and there were no clouds in the sky. With the ground parched dry and conditions getting more extremely dusty, Aaron asked for the tracker at 27. Red Lane Alert Lane hunted hard for the hour, never backing down from the heavy cover, finishing his hour strong.

Brace 2: Glenmere's Cruiser (PM/Jeff Haggis) and Backcountry Pure Gold (PF/Chris Catanzarite), last year's runner-up champion. Both broke away at 9:19 at the rockpile crossing heading west towards the clubhouse turn. Both making a long cast up the hill, with Pure Gold found pointing at 5. She was moved forward for a relocation, but there was no one home. The weather continued with a warm breeze now added, and overall, best described as hot, dry, and nasty. Both were covering the ground well until Cruiser had a short disappearance, and Jeff called for the tracker at 41. Pure Gold ran the hour with no other bird contacts.

Brace 3: Mohawk Mill Gangster (PM/Ed McKay) and Calico's Country Strong (PF/Alex Smith), last year's champion. Cutaway at 10:40, both were eager to get started and took a deep cut into the outlying area. Country Strong made the Top O' The Hill turnaround at 18 and worked the autumn olive orchard from one end to the other. Gangster didn't quite make the turnaround, and the tracker was called for at 21. Country Strong dropped over the hill with ease and began running bigger, with Alex asking for the tracker at 30.

Brace 4: Jolene Jolene (PF/Dave McKay) and Tian Butterbean (PM/Cliff Mesnard). Butterbean was scratched by his handler, and Jolene was loosed on her own at 1:37. She checked in at the first road crossing, scrambled up the right-side hill, and followed the left tree line towards the rockpile crossing. She was found standing, but the flushing and relocating attempt could not produce a bird. [Editor's note: Seriously, you can fry an egg on the seat next to me in the side-by-side.] The heat did not deter her as she, like the mailmen of yesteryear, conducted her appointed rounds. She was found standing at 30 on the left with a relocation carrying her up to a slight grade, with bird presence proving to be null in void, she was then taken up by her handler.

Brace 5: Mac's Slim Jim (PM/Tim McClurg) and Ragg's Rich and Rare (PM/Greg Strausbaugh). Breaking away at 2:18, both were off to a great start, running deep and wide, crossing the course before the powerline hill, heading towards the well pad. Jim ran very well in the heat, pushing forward, hunting the covers at hand. Rich and Rare was not seen for a while, and Greg asked for the tracker at 22. By 45, the few clouds that had appeared in the sky were broken up or gone, with the heat continuing to swelter. Tim worked tirelessly trying to put Jim on a bird, and at 50, they were up at the order of the handler.

Brace 6: Backcountry Fearless (PF/Chris Catanzarite) and Crow Creek Redbud (PF/Aaron McAfee). They left in a hurry at 3:21, scrambling to the Top O' The Hill and the autumn olive line. A pheasant flew off the left side of the olives and out towards the right tree line with no dog having made contact. Both dogs were seen just before the first road crossing, and Fearless was found standing at the rockpile crossing in the tree line. She was relocated and covered the autumn olive on both sides of the road, suffering an unproductive. After the crossing, both dogs continued, keeping up a good forward pace, with Fearless picked up by her handler at 54 and Crow Creek Redbud finishing the hour.

Brace 7: Miller's Miss Congeniality (PF/Joe McHugh) and Calico's Over the Top (PM/Alex Smith). With the morning a bit cooler than the day before, the fanfare started at 8:05. Both dogs headed for the Top O' The Hill, and at 2, Over the Top was already standing at the first part of the autumn olive. Alex made quick work of flushing a pheasant and, with all in order, moved his charge on. Miss Congeniality continued for a bigger and more hopeful down-course pursuit. At 7, Over the Top was found again, pointing near the left and end of the olives. A pheasant was produced, a shot rang out, and we were moving forward once more. At 20, just past the first pond on the left, Over the Top was holding true to his name, standing another time on a third pheasant find. Alex flushed, the bird erupted, and the shot was fired with all in order. The gallery rode up a pheasant at the next pond on the right. Joe McHugh had never handled Miss Congeniality before, but did a great job when she was found at 35 after the fifth road crossing, high and tight. All in order, she went on to finish the hour. Not to be outdone at the end, at 48, Over the Top stopped once more for a pheasant find. Looking good as we all rode up, she just put the icing on the cake.

Brace 8: The Secret (PM/Joe Lordi) and Mohawk Mill King Pen (PM/Dave McKay). The brace broke away at the clubhouse turn. King Pen was found standing at 7; a pheasant was produced in the autumn olives at the Top O' The Hill, all in order. At 10, near the end of the autumn olives, The Secret was found standing. Joe flushed, and a pheasant was produced. All in order, he moved on, showing speed and determination as he left the stage. The Secret crossed at the rockpile just before 25, and the tracker was called for at 30. King Pen went on, hunting hard and in all the obvious covers. He made a nice move just after the well pad when he took in the entire left field.

Brace 9: Waybetter Bobby (PM/Bobby Venterosa) and Backcountry Bruiser (PM/Chris Catanzarite). Off at 10:42, with a big breakaway by both, it did not take Bruiser long to start the excitement. He was found standing at 7 in the autumn olives with Bobby backing. It was there that a pheasant was produced by Chris, who fired the shot, and all was in order. Bruiser was at it again at 57 with a second find as Bobby came back, and another pheasant was in the books. Chris decided to pick up Bruiser at 58. Bobby finished the hour.

Brace 10: Mac's Real McCoy (PM/Tim McClurg) and Cheyenne Jack (PM/Joe Lordi). The after-lunch brace started at 1:43 when both dogs broke away with an initial large cast up the hill. The heat was back, and clouds were starting to form. Meanwhile, both dogs continued running hard and searching for the quarry. Scenting conditions were dissipating, and the dust and heat were starting to become unbearable. The brace was short-lived when Joe picked up Jack at 20 and Tim decided to lift Real McCoy at 24.

Brace 11: Redbud's Lightning Catcher (PM/Aaron McAfee) and Hirollins Bad Boy (PM/Ed McKay). Both dogs broke away in the heat of the day. The time was 2:16 in the middle of the afternoon. Conditions were hot and very dry. Both dogs started with a large cast and immediately settled into the work at hand. Both were big runners and quickly put distance between themselves and their handlers. The heat started taking its toll on body and pads, as Catcher was up at 25 with Bad Boy up a few minutes later, both by their handlers.

Brace 12: Backcountry Champagnesupernova (PF/Chris Catanzarite) and Calico's Bright Eyes (PF/Alex Smith). Both were off the starting line at 3:04. Dark clouds came out of nowhere, and both dogs had bird finds while thunderclaps and lightning started. The brace was canceled for the day.
Breaking away at 8:07 the next day, both dogs took the hill, and Bright Eyes was standing at 10 with Supernova backing. Alex flushed, fired, and both charges were staunch and tall for a good finish to the birdwork. Cut loose once more and just three minutes later, both were found standing over a divided find. Both handlers flushed, putting a pheasant to flight, and all was in order. Supernova took a big leap to the front, hunting deep and hard. At 24, Alex moved a pheasant and decided to pick up. Champagnesupernova had the field to herself and went to work, hunted hard to the front, and handled well. She hit all the right covers and, at 45 and 50, was rewarded for her efforts with two nice pheasant finds, all in order as usual. When she was cut loose after the second find, she put plenty of turf between her and Chris; she was seen standing a long way off at time. Flex finished the hour as strong as she started.

Brace 13: Southpoint's Hog Wild (PM/Mark Janiec) and Bittersweet War Cry (PM/Joe Lordi) were the second brace of the morning and broke away clean. War Cry took a big leap of faith from the beginning bell and put a lot of turf between himself and Joe; Joe up at 20 after not seeing her for a while. Meanwhile, at 5, Hog Wild had a beautiful find with all in order. Joe decided to call it a day at 20 and asked for the tracker, ending War Cry's bid, and at 35, Hog Wild stood again. Mark was not sure that his charge was confident of what it was pointing and moved him on. Mark and Hog Wild finished the hour.

Brace 14: Mohawk Mill Patriot (Dave McKay) a bye dog. Broken loose at the rockpile, coming in towards the clubhouse turn, Patriot started out strong. He pinned a pheasant at 10, with Ed flushing, firing, and all in order. There was a wild flush at 14 with no dog contact, and Patriot continued hunting hard and driving forward. Patriot is a classy moving dog that made some good moves throughout and finished the hour.

The Amateur Pheasant Shooting Dog Championship sponsored its customary banquet on Friday, which was well attended. The food was fantastic. The local 4H Club held a banquet and fundraiser at the clubhouse. As usual, the field trial group attended, trying to support the youngsters as they do each year.
We would especially like to thank our proud sponsors: Greg Blair with Purina, Garmin, the Amateur Field Trial Club of America, and Jeff Haggis of Haggis Saddles.
We thank everyone who contributed to the trial's success, especially Dave Hughes and Dave Park for their late-night efforts filling water tubs on the course. Dave Hughes also needs to be thanked for his attention and perseverance in driving the dog wagon, making sure that dogs were on the truck and on the line in this continuous course trial.

This report details the 2025 National Amateur Pheasant Shooting Dog Championship, highlighted by winning dogs like Calico's Over the Top and Backcountry Champagnesupernova along with all the notable participants and the challenging conditions of the Mingo Field Trial grounds and the weather Mother Nature dealt out. Let me emphasize the dedication and hard work of the owners and handlers who train and compete for this championship title. The trial is portrayed as a testament to the field trial community's commitment and passion, whose efforts sustain the tradition year after year.
Until next year...

Bloomingdale, Ohio, September 19
Judges: Lee Long and Ronnie Rogers
NATIONAL AMATEUR PHEASANT SHOOTING DOG CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 27 Pointers
Winner-CALICO'S OVER THE TOP, F1692315, pointer male, by Dominator's Rebel Heir-Calico's Country Strong. Calico Kennels, Alex & Tiffani Smith, owners; Alex Smith, handler.
Runner-Up-BACKCOUNTRY CHAMPAGNESUPERNOVA, F1701699, pointer female, by Dragonfly-Apple Annie's Sweet Delight. Chris Catanzarite, owner and handler.