“HOPEFULLY (the buyer is) the young girl I talked to before the sale.”

That was an emotional Kahlee O’Leary’s first comment when the hammer fell on her ‘Hazeldell Kimmy’ for the top price of $27,000 – three times her reserve – in Sunday’s Australian Premier Working Dog Auction.

Speaking to Casterton News prior to the sale, a teary Kahlee said the two-year and nine-month-old bitch out of Nomak Meg by Gilescreek Reg, had been intended as a breeding bitch and worked with a contract mustering team across New South Wales and Victoria.

“I’m here to sell her, but I really have no words, I’m sorry - I’m with her every day and I love her dearly,” Kahlee said.

“She’s just a really nice all-rounder bitch; she doesn’t quite have the x-factor for me, but she’s a phenomenal little bitch and I just love her, she’ll be phenomenal wherever she goes – whoever takes her, she’ll look after them.”

And just like a buyer with a ‘wish list’ of dogs for purchase, Kahlee had spoken extensively to potential buyers during the day’s demonstrations and one, in particular, stood out for her.

“I’m here to sell her, but Kimmy’s got a beautiful personality, I think that young girl from Tassie just sees that, I think they’ll be great together,” she said.

It was an anxious wait after leaving the stage, but there were beaming smiles all-round when Kimmy’s buyer turned out to be ‘the young girl’ – Ashley Meaburn and her brother, Lachlan, who hail from Oatlands in Tasmania.

Running Merino sheep and selling rams privately, Ashley has worked Huntaways in the past and started several Kelpie pups, but the farm had been “caught a bit short” recently on experienced dogs, so plans were made for the family’s first Kelpie purchase.

“We bought a bit more land for my brother and I … so (Kimmy) will be great for our growing team,” Ashley said.

“I really liked her, her practicality for me, something that’s ready to go, easy and she’s a very loveable and friendly dog when you’re not working sheep.

“I had a few dogs picked out to look at today, but from the trial today, that’s what set her apart.”

Tassie had great representation in Casterton over the weekend, with 11 dogs from across the Strait in the auction catalogue, a strong field of bidders registered from the Apple Isle and several more “just here to visit”.

“The boys that sell a lot of Kelpies here, they do a lot of trialling and they’re a tight-knit group, so while (the Kelpie Muster and Working Dog Auction) are not well-advertised (in Tasmania), we certainly know it’s on,” Ashley said.

Kimmy will be heading straight into work when she hits dry land on the other side of the Strait and there’s also potential for her to help with the continued expansion of the Meaburn’s working dog team.

“We’ve got lambing coming up, so she’ll be handy for that, crutching, shearing … all the jobs,” Ashley said.

“She’s very well bred, so (a breeding bitch) could be something we could look at.”

And did Kimmy blow the budget?

“I think she’s going to be a good dog, so, well worth it,” Ashley said.

Return hailed a success

AUCTION co-ordinator, Jarrod Alcorn said the Kahlee-Kimmy-Ashley trio epitomised Casterton’s Premier Working Dog Auction and the high-quality standards its working committee set for the event.

“We’ve heard the same things from quite a few vendors … a lot of vendors were umm-ing and aah-ing on their reserves right up to the auction, because they didn’t want to part with their dog and it’s good to get those types of dogs,” Jarrod said.

“It shows that we’re attracting the right people to come and get these dogs and get dogs that are loved, from the vendors.”

He said the quality and consistency of the lots on offer were also evident in the prices paid.

Three lots sold for more than $20,000; in addition to Kimmy, Lot 21 – Jack Leonard’s outstanding bitch, Sally, labelled as the one to watch going into Sunday’s auction – sold for $26,000 and at Lot 36, Sarah Lee, half of the current record-price holder, sold The Lee’s Beast for $24,000.

An additional 14 lots sold for $10,000 and above.

“It’s probably the most consistent, I think, across the board that we’ve had and the most we’ve had above that 20-mark, so it’s a great result for the auction and the vendors,” Jarrod said.

In his first year as auction co-ordinator and only two years’ Kelpie Association committee experience, Jarrod said he was overwhelmed by the amount of work that went into the event, but more so, the efforts of the volunteers who put up their hands to make it happen.

“I’ve only been (to the live auction) once before and that was to look at dogs, not as part of the committee,” he said.

“I had really big shoes to fill, but people like Nicky Holmberg, she’s been here for 25 years and she’s been really good, really supportive and the vendors themselves have helped out a lot, they’ve just been great.

“You’ve got Jack Matthew, the auctioneers, Bernie and James, who volunteer their time and the fellas who help run the demonstrations over there and Giles Kent, who is just amazing.

“Giles has just been non-stop since he got back into Casterton from WA.

“He needed a few coffees to get himself going this morning, but he’s just done a power of work and we wouldn’t get through without him.”

More paw-some stories, photos and details from the weekend's Kelpie Muster can be found in this week's edition of the Casterton News.