A black and tan Kelpie bitch called Capree Eve has sold for an Australian record price of $49,000 at the Capree Poll Merino ram sale and invitational working dog sale.
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Co-principal of Capree stud, Chris Stapleton, sold 40 rams to $7250 twice for an average of 1993 with 17 paddock rams being passed in.
However, the invitational sale of 10 working Kelpie dogs selling for an impressive average of $12,525 added further excitement to the sale result.
Buyer of record-selling Kelpie was the Gilmore family, Tattykeel, Oberon. Ross Gilmore founded his Fernlee Kelpie stud about 15 years ago and said the genetic background of Eve presented him with many favourable types.
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"Females like Capree Sophie, Kayleen, and Poppy in her pedigree on the dam side and Capree Claw on the sire side are the type of genotype I was looking for," Mr Gilmore said.
"She also had a fantastic phenotype, excellent conformation, and looks. When you put the two together, you get an elite animal.
"Kudos to Chris Stapleton, I've always regarded him as one of the leading breeders of kelpies, and he's proven it with the breeding and stockmanship to produce a female like Eve.
"We're looking for dogs that are thinkers and problem solvers. It is fine to have robotic dogs that operate entirely on commands. But we're looking to breed dogs that are capable of seeing and sorting out a problem before we need to step in."
The Gilmores are familiar with record-breaking breeding stock, an Australian White ram from the Tattykeel stud sold for $240,000 last month.
"It was interesting to be on the other side of the auction," Ross Gilmore said.
"It's been a big few weeks for us, and there's a lot of confidence around, and that was also behind this decision."
Leanne Ferguson Guyong, near Blayney, bought two kelpies: Milburn Jen (Lexi) for $17,000, offered by Sam Cook and Capree Candy at $13,500, offered by Chris Stapleton.
Lexi was sired by Karana Jed VI out of Milburn Rosie II, and the November 2020 drop black and tan bitch was described as easy-going in nature and has started to back sheep and work dry cattle.
Capree Candy is a red and tan bitch that was whelped in July 2021 and was sired by Capree Crash out of Capree Hope II.
A delighted Mr Stapleton said he was "really happy with the sale result" with four rams selling for $7000 or more.
The Polkinghorne family's Charinga Merinos, Berrimal, Victoria, bought the equal top-priced ram at $7250. With a micron of 16.5, the poll twin had a breeder wrinkle score (BWS) of 1 (bare) and was sired by Charinga 19010 Kneely, which was bought for $38,000 by Mr Stapleton from the Polkinghornes.
Roger Polkinghorne said Kneely was an ET ram that was the outstanding ram in the flush of eight embryos.
"I thought a lot of that ram, which came from a 450mm rainfall environment," he said.
"When I next saw Kneely, he had a 12-kilogram fleece with a massive staple length and quality and was so well in a much higher rainfall environment than where his family is from.
"His progeny have performed well in the higher rainfall country where Chris is, and I am pleased to bring back some of the ram's dam (genetics) into my flock.
"He's a very heavy cutting ram, with extreme staple length and a big, pure, loose nose."
Mr Polkinghorne said Charinga sells 50 rams into high rainfall areas in Tasmania and to some flocks around Armidale.
Bathurst district commercial producer Michael Ryan bought the other equal top-priced ram for $7250 for a 10 Kneely son with a micron of 17.9. He also paid $7000 for a son of Gowandale Bruce Lee, with a micron of 17.6. Overall, Mr Ryan bought eight rams averaging $2531. He also paid $8000 for Capree Sue and red and tan Kelpie, offered by Chris Stapleton and described as an all-rounder. He also bought Capree Ryder, a six-month-old pup offered by Sam Cook for $3000.
Kelvin and Belinda Pearce, Bathurst, who are long-term Capree clients, paid $7000 for another son of 10 Kneely, with a micron of 17.8. They also paid $3250 for another son of Bruce Lee, which had a micron of 16.2.
Matt and Kerry Connor, Taralga, were volume buyers with six rams to $2250, averaging $1291, while Sunbeam Pastoral Company, Neville bought five rams averaging $1000. Also from Taralga were S and M Greenhills, with four rams averaging $1000.
The selling agents were Elders Mudgee with Jason Pearce the auctioneer.
More to come
Simon Chamberlain
I have comprehensive experience in rural and regional journalism, as well as more than six years as a media officer for several politicians and worked in local government. I rejoined The Land in May 2022 and have loved being back in harness, reporting on a massive range of topics.
I have comprehensive experience in rural and regional journalism, as well as more than six years as a media officer for several politicians and worked in local government. I rejoined The Land in May 2022 and have loved being back in harness, reporting on a massive range of topics.
