TOP dog trainers from across NSW and into Queensland will be among the vendors offering working dogs at the fifth annual RMA Dundee Dog Auction on November 19.
With 40 dogs offered, it’s the auction’s biggest catalogue to date, and this year’s event also includes an open trial as well as the vendor trial.
Agent Shad Bailey, Colin Say and Company, Glen Innes, said interest in the auction had grown since last year’s impressive result, when dogs topped at $9000 and averaged $4171.
Among the well-known dog triallers competing at Dundee are Casino’s Robert Johnson, Dick Chapman from Murwillumbah and Stan Hughes, Pittsworth.
“We’ve got a lot of new vendors this year and it’s our first year of having a designated cattle side as well,” Mr Bailey said.
“It took a couple of years to find our feet, but last year showed that if we got the calibre of dogs, we could sell them at top prices.”
“The fact that a dog went to Casterton (home of the Casterton Kelpie Muster) says a lot about the quality of our sale. We had six dogs go to Victoria and there was buying interest from NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania, and two years ago there was a bidder from the United States.”
Mr Bailey said the sale would open on Auctions Plus 10 days before the sale, allowing buyers to bid prior to auction.
“Last year there were six dogs already on the market before we got to sale day.”
The action begins at Dundee Sportsground on the Friday, November 18 with the open trial, with the vendor trial to be held over two rounds on Friday afternoon and the Saturday morning.
“We’ve got $6000 in prizemoney for the weekend, and this is the only sale that people get to see the dogs demonstrated in all aspects – in a yard and a paddock situation, and on cattle and sheep,” Mr Bailey said.
“Buyers have three opportunities to witness the dogs working before the sale, along with the online videos.”
Trainer’s talent shines with wins, top price
YOUNG Kelpie trainer Sam Gates, “East Mihi”, Uralla took out the vendor trial at last year’s sale, but also had the top and second highest selling dogs in the auction.
Kanika Croc sold for $9000 to Rick Henry, Casterton, Victoria, and Kanika Roy, who won the vendor trail made $8500, selling to Steve Pederick, PF Pastoral Bendemeer.
It was his second year as a vendor at Dundee after topping the 2014 sale with a dog for $4500.
He’ll sell three dogs at this year’s auction.
Mr Gates has been training working dogs for the past five years, taking over from his father Rick.
He trains between five and 10 dogs a year, but also sells pups that are just started or untrained.
“We start the training pretty young, but they’re 12 months to two years old before they’re moderately to fully trained.
“It’s a big process just getting the pup to the stage where they can go and do a job.”
The family has 4500 acres, running stud and commercial beef and lamb enterprises.
“We wouldn't be able to run this type of operation without the use of dogs – we'd have to put an extra man on,” Mr Gates said.
“All our dogs get used on the place, so they need to be able to do any job, whether it sheep or cattle, in the yards or the paddock
“I don't have time to go home and switch dogs for different jobs, so they’ve got to be versatile.”
