Ag-Grow working cattle dog sale achieves record top price

There were 12 quality dogs showcased in this year's Wroe and Co working cattle dog auction in Emerald to produce a sale record-breaking top of $16,500, and average of $5500.

In 2021, Adam Sibson's dog Shadowvale Bo sold for $8000 to equal the previous sale record.

Four females and seven males were featured on Friday.

The event attracted one of it's biggest crowds to date, with buyers quick to take advantage of the quality line of dogs on offer.

The top selling dog Diamantina Wiggles, owned by Steve Elliott of Diamantina Performance Dogs, Winton, was knocked down over the phone to buyers Ray and Kelly Heslin of Heslin Cattle Co, Normanton, for $16,500.

The three-year-old Border Collie is the daughter of Macs Western and Diamantina Schell.

Vendor Steve Elliot said he thought a lot of his dog heading into the sale.

"I bred Wiggles since she was a pup and I competed a little bit with her in past trials," Mr Elliot said.

"I believe she's going to be a good work dog and hopefully someone else can get the enjoyment out of her.

"She has a great bloodline, and I won the Ag-Grow working dog trials with her mother Schell, back in 2019.

"Coming into this sale, you don't know what can happen, if people are looking for a quality dog, they're worth every cent."

Mr Elliott said Wiggles was one of his most expensive dogs that he's ever sold in his career.

"I like training the pups and watching them learn and we can only have so many dogs," he said.

"She's got a lot of good breeding in her and it's getting hard to get and I would say she would be the most expensive dog I've sold."

Long-time event organiser and renowned working dog trialler Paul Wroe, Middlemount, said the demand for working dogs has grown exceptionally in the last few years due to labour shortages.

"That was certainly reflected in the sale on the day," Mr Wroe said.

"It was truly great to see our sale top price record broken on the day and for Steve Elliot, who is a long time supporter of the sale and trials, to achieve that result.

"I believe we had a good line up of good quality working dogs, who were bred and trained by some of the industry's top working dog handlers.

"Graziers are realising just how valuable a good quality working dogs is to their operations, and how much they can get done on their own with some useful dogs."