Two top dogs at central west working dog auction

Roma's Terry McWhirter sold three-and-a-half-year-old male Border collie BG Riverside Danny to Parker Land & Cattle Co at Monto, while J & A Grills, situated at King's Plains near Inverell in NSW, made a successful sale of Aitken's Cobber, also a male Border collie, aged two, to W & J Saunders at Normanton.

Mr McWhirter topped last year's sale in the working dog section with Riverside Casino, a three-and-a-half-year-old female Border collie sold for $13,500, also to Parker Land & Cattle Co.

"I'm really happy they bought Danny," he said. "I kept in contact with them and they've since bred from Cas, and I bought a bitch pup from them."

Riverside Danny was sired by Woodford Jack, who also sired Cabra Glebe Liz, the 21-month-old collie who was sold to the Parkers for the world record price of $40,000 at Rockhampton a week earlier.

Danny is a full-blood brother to Riverside Buck, owned by Andrew Jansen, who won the working dog trial championship at Rockhampton at the same time.

Mr McWhirter also sold an 18-month-old bitch, Hinman's Mary for $12,000, at Blackall on Saturday.

Aitken's Cobber's $15,000 sale followed straight on from the sale of Danny and his owner, Jeremy Grills said it was the first time he'd sold at Blackall.

"I had three dogs - they all sold really well," he said "Cobber's two years old, he's got no vices - you don't have to tell him what to do all day."

The sale, conducted by Frame Rural Agencies, saw 23 of 27 dogs sold for an average price of $5179, compared to 2023's sale of an average price of $5437.50 and 16 lots sold.

An Australian record $23,500 for a pup was paid at that sale, broken at Rockhampton this month when Carrdoon Della was sold for $32,000.

Frame's Rural Agencies is offering a $5000 working dog challenge incentive in 2025, for people who purchased dogs through this year's auction.

Dogs 14 months and under have two chances to win, next year and in 2026.