ONE of the best line ups of working dogs went under the hammer at the inaugural Working Dog Challenge Trial and Auction at Carcaor yesterday, with demand from all states driving prices to $24,000.
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The final spectacle of the three-day event hosted by Bowyer and Livemore, Bathurst, and the Central Tablelands Livestock Exchange (CTLX), the auction drew crowds of over 250 people and featured 57 working dogs from vendors in NSW and Victoria.
Overall 47 lots were sold to the $24,000 high, and averaged an impressive $7422.
Lokabe Purple (Poppy), a 12-month-old black and tan Kelpie female from Nathan Morris, Forbes, described as an all-rounder gained the top bid of $24,000 from online buyer through StockLive, Wes and Nadene Crozier of Moorara Pastoral, Moorara Station, Pooncarie and Moorak, South Australia.
Sired by Eveready Roy II and out of Raimar Storm, she had the same grandparents as the Australian record-top priced Kelpie, Eulooka Hoover, sold for $35,200.
A well-bred, nice type of dog, Mr Morris said Poppy was an obedient, quick learner with a calm temperament who's full potential is yet to come.
"I bought her (from Lokabe Kelpies) just as a sale project... I was the manager of the (CTLX) saleyards for a lot of years when they first opened, and I wanted to support the sale," he said.
"It is pleasing to see people appreciate good dogs, and are willing to pay for them which shows their worth."
Mr Morris said with the current labour shortage, people are paying good money for working dogs because they know the value they hold in providing for the business.
Currently with a team of 10 Kelpie working dogs plus pups, the Crozier family said Poppy would be a good fit for their team.
"Working ability was a huge factor," Nadene Crozier said. "She hasn't reached her full potential yet, but she looked amazing and has the great genetics behind her also.
"Because of her working ability and good genetics, there is also the possibility for future breeding from her as well."
Nigel Kerin of Kerin Agriculture, Yeoval purchased the second-top dog, Shady Acres Ally May, at $16,000 along with four others to average $10,500 across his selection.
Ally May was a 3.5-year-old Border Collie female offered by Robert Johnston, Shady Acres Working Stock Dogs, Casino. She was sired by Millisons Park Larry out of Shady Acres Sally II, and was said to have "done the big miles mustering with horses and bikes day after day in hilly and steep terrain".
She was a paddock sheep and cattle dog, and will be used by Mr Kerin in his cattle trading enterprise along with the two other Border Collies he purchased including; P&A Dimmie from Paul Roots for $14,000 and Shady Acres Joe, also from Mr Johnston, for $9000.
The two Kelpie males he purchased from Adrian Allbut, Bathurst were Droversdream Dodge at $6500 and Drovers Dream Gordie at $7000. They were the high-selling pups of the offering at only five months of age.
Full siblings they were by Droversdream Simon and out of Droversdream Jessie, and will be used in the Kerin Poll sheep operation.
Mr Kerin also sold 'Tina', a 3.5-year-old black and tan Kelpie female for $14,000 to Diamond Livestock, Narara, Evans Plains.
Two dogs reached the third-top price of $15,000.
The first was McDougall's Mint offered by Geoff McDougall, McDougall's Kelpie stud, Hay, and purchased by Adrian Allbut of Droversdream Kelpies, Bathurst.
A two years and nine-month-old black and tan Kelpie male, he was by Darcoo Squirt out of the station bred Millie and was described as "an enthusiastic young dog, with a nice nature" that "has won the Hay Shear Outback Novice Yard Dog Trial in 2021".
Mr Allbut said Mint was a correct, easy to handle dog which had everything he was looking for.
"He will be going out to a big property at Lake Cargelligo which runs Aussie Whites," he said.
"I wanted a dog which was ready to go to work day in, day out... at that price he was still cheap!"
Also making $15,000 was Braeside Ruger offered by Peter and Megan Rutherford of Stanford Kelpies, Bathurst and purchased by James and Sam Freeman of Fairford, Neville.
The cover dog of the catalogue, he was a just over 12-month-old black and tan Kelpie which Mr Rutherford said was "well advanced for his age".
"You forget how young he is... He casts off the back of the bike, has a good clean cast, great footwork, great cover... Then in the yards he keeps going and barks on command," he said.
Sired by Amos Zone, a dog which featured in the Sire Shootout and did well in a number of trials, he was out of Braeside June which Mr Rutherford said was a great dog in her own right going back to a number of champions.
The Freemans also took home Tarrants Sassy, a five-month-old Kelpie female from Justin Tarrant for $1500.
The Rutherford duo also sold Stanford Ragner for $14,500 to South Australian buyer Daniel Nutt, Port Augusta. He was a Lokabe Ace out of Stanford Kelly.
Other high-sellers were Whites Alex, a Kelpie female offered by Sam Cook and purchased for $11,000 by JAD Agriculture, Yeoval, and Braeside Rooster, a Kelpie male offered by Aaron Booth and purchased for $11,000 by a client of Ray White Emms Mooney.
Dogs sold throughout NSW, while four went to South Australia, one to Victoria and four to Queensland.
StockLive had 479 viewers and 109 logged in users from all states. They big on 76 per cent of the sale and bought 15 lots including the sale top lot.
The sale was conducted by Bowyer and Livermore, Bathurst with auctioneer Harry Phillips.
- Trial and charity pup results to follow.
- See full report in this week's The Land newspaper.
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