Lamb Production

Woody the $9000 Kelpie tops the Wagga working dog auction

Terry Sim, April 11, 2017


WOODY the Kelpie’s last-minute inclusion in the 2017 Wagga Yard Dog Club working dog auction turned out to be a nice $9000 afterthought for owner Mat Corby.

The 19-month-old black and tan dog topped the annual auction on Sunday when he was bought by Temora district Australian White breeder Jack Derrick.

The club sold 26 of the 29 dogs offered for an average of $3518.26, at least $500 higher than last year’s average.

Woody is by Matt Sherwood’s Boco Wonder out of the bitch Gilescreek Meg. Mat bought Woody as a pup and was surprised at the $9000 sale price.

“I had a reserve of $4000 on him, $9000 certainly exceeded what I thought he was going to make.

“It’s a shock to me and to a lot of other people too.”

Mat is a stationhand on the University of Sydney’s southern NSW tablelands property ‘Arthursleigh’ at Marulan near Goulburn, which runs about 16,000 sheep and 200-300 beef breeders.

“I wasn’t even going to put him in the sale, but they rang me up — they were a little bit short of dogs and I just decided to sell him only a month ago.

“I’ve been giving him more work in the last month or so and he came along really well; he improved a lot.”

It was the first time Mat had sold a dog at auction. He doesn’t breed many dogs.

“But after this I might start.”

Nothing fazes Woody

Mat said Woody is a calm worker – “nothing seems to faze him too much” – and is expected to be a good all-rounder. Woody casts well in the paddock, keeps a good distance off stock in the yard, but can back, bark and work along the side of a race.

“The best dogs I’ve had have natural work and it just makes it that much easier.

“They’ve got to be keen to please,” Mat said.

Wagga Yard Dog Club president Matt Whitley said auction bidders came from throughout New South Wales and from Queensland.

Club secretary Simon Hartwich said demand was greatest for fully trained dogs, rather than for pups, among station owners and managers.

“All the trained dogs sold above their reserve prices and some well above.”

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