Myrniong resident Dane Simmonds is so proud of the hard work his kelpies do on his Parwan property that he entered them into a canine challenge, where they took out third prize.
Mr Simmonds said the Cobber relay competition among Australian and New Zealand working dog owners was an opportunity to see how hard his kelpie sheep dogs, three-year-old Ruby and four-year-old Tully, worked.
“We work seven days a week,” he said.
“The Cobber Challenge Relay was fun to do. I would’ve been happy wherever my dogs ended up and it is so good to see what they do.”
Mr Simmonds manages Parwan Prime, which turns off 150,000 lambs a year, and about 100,000 head of cattle. He also has a livestock handling business.
The former military veteran grew up with horses and livestock and returned to working in agriculture about 10 years ago.
Twelve teams of working dogs from Australia and New Zealand entered the 2022 Cobber Challenge Relay, wearing GPS collars to track their work during three weeks, with the hardest working team crowned champions.
The relay celebrates working dogs and their contribution to Australian and New Zealand property owners.
Dora Houpis
