Kojonup Kelpie ‘Boof’ selected to compete in Aus-NZ working dog comp

A hard working Kojonup Kelpie will be giving farm dogs around the country and New Zealand a run for their money in a trans-Tasman challenge tracking their movements for three weeks.

Three-year-old Boof has been selected as one 12 working dogs to vye for the coveted crown in the annual Cobber Working Dog Challenge.

The red and tan farm dog is the trusty sidekick to Kojonup sheep and cattle contractor Rob Sibley, honing his craft in the yards and undulating paddocks of the Great Southern.

Mr Sibley — who runs Great Southern Livestock — travels across the State mustering, weaning, marking, drenching and vaccinating livestock and has worked with dogs since he was just three-years-old.

He believed the “trust and understanding” between himself and Boof — who has bounced back after a broken leg — coupled with the countless hours they have spent on the job together could put the Kelpie in good stead for the title.

Boof has been with Rob since he was a 3-month-old pup, and has proven himself a valuable team member through his “ongoing consistent work” and his “strong ability and patience” with stock.

Boof was the only WA working dog selected, and will be vying against Narroonda Ritz and Krui Snowy from Queensland, Turbo, Koby and Roxy from New South Wales, Jack and Jill from Victoria and Kit from Tasmania.

In its sixth year, the challenge has for the first time been opened up to Australia’s trans-Tasman neighbours, with three dogs — Pine, Trix and Spark — competing for New Zealand.

Each dog will be fitted with a GPS collar over a three-week period from August 16 to September 5, tracking how far, fast and how long they work.

Their progress can be followed along the way, with daily data uploaded to the challenge website cobberchallenge.com.au.