Nyngan's Gary White is a man in high demand.
For about 20 years, the contract stockman has been travelling overseas to impart his wisdom of working dogs by holding clinics for farmers.
Born and bred in Nyngan, Gary has lived on the land all his life and grown up with working dogs.
His father started White's Kelpie Stud about 50 years ago, which was one of the founding studs of the Working Kelpie Council.
Dog trialling and training working dogs is in his blood and in 1999, Gary was first approached to go to American to hold clinics.
"They asked me to go over there and it just all snowballed from that. I've been over six times (to America) giving clinics," Gary explained.
But it's not just the USA where Gary has travelled to, over the years he's given clinics in Finland and Germany and has already done two overseas trips this year with more planned.
The clinics are typically held on a farmers property over two to three days, and while overseas Gary aims to run three clinics that focuses on working with the dogs natural instincts.
He said 70 per cent of the clinics he runs in America is for kelpie dogs.
"And even in Finland and Germany, most of the dogs I do are kelpies. But you've also got Border Collies and other breeds," Gary added.
"The herding breeds are born with a natural instinct to work stock.. then when we get them up to a certain age and stage we put command on them to harness that instinct a bit so they're actually working with us and we can work together as a team."
Every day the contract stockman works with his own dogs, who are trial dogs and help make Gary a living through their work on farms with duties involving mustering.
Gary said he's been very lucky in Australia, competing in prestigious competitions and has even won four national kelpie trials.
Now that his children are grown, Gary and his wife, Angie, have been able to travel overseas more regularly conducting the clinics.
Gary said it has been a great opportunity and that he and Angie are very lucky.
"We've got a lot of good friends, especially in America now, that we've seen a lot of....," he added.
Gary said the next big overseas trip was "in the pipeline" with plans to do clinics in Switzerland, Germany and the United Kingdom.
Taylor Jurd
Hi, my name is Taylor Jurd. I am a journalist with Australian Community Media, I write for the Western Magazine and Wellington Times.
Hi, my name is Taylor Jurd. I am a journalist with Australian Community Media, I write for the Western Magazine and Wellington Times.
