General News
16 August, 2023
Dogs have their day at championships
MORTLAKE and Hexham were well represented through a friendly family rivalry at the 2023 Coprice Victorian Farm Dog Championships.
MORTLAKE and Hexham were well represented through a friendly family rivalry at the 2023 Coprice Victorian Farm Dog Championships.
Sisters Kate Jubb and Renae Reynolds, along with Kate’s husband Mitch, all saw success at the Farm Dog Championships during 2023 Sheepvention earlier this month as trainers put their working dogs through their paces.
Mrs Jubb, a Hexham native, took out third place in the championships while husband Mitch took out first in the improver class and fourth in the open.
She credited the organisers with running a successful event.
“The championships ran really smoothly,” Mrs Jubb said.
“The judging was fantastic and the weather was perfect.
“They used composite sheep which provided a really good challenge.”
Mrs Jubb said she was thrilled to have placed third in such a tight competition and sang the praises of her reliable kelpie, Woodja Cruise.
“There was some great competition there so to get that high up was fantastic,” she said.
“Woodja Cruise is reliable. He’s won the event before, and is always consistent.”
Training has been in Mrs Jubb’s DNA since she was young and she began training full time around eight years ago.
“It’s a great challenge,” she said.
“It can be a test of patience but there are great rewards at work from training your dog at trialling.”
Taking home bragging rights over her sister and husband was a highlight for Mrs Jubb, who said the family rivalry was where “the real competition is”.
“There’s a whole different competition with our family, so it was good to pip those two,” she said.
“They’re a great challenge.
“Renae and I grew up training but she has only been back involved for a couple of years and has been very successful, very quickly.
“Our family all train and support each other, and we do a fair bit of work together, so it all ties in nicely.”
Ms Reynolds, a Mortlake local, finished in the top 10 with her working dog Hopkins River Bundy, securing sixth in the open and 10th in the championship.
“We’ve got a great family rivalry going on but it’s good to see everyone having success,” she said.
“(Kate) got me this time.
“We’ve both been training since we were kids but I stopped for quite a while before Kate got me back in to it around three years ago.
“I enjoy it. From getting to see other people’s dogs to watching as mine improve, to spending time around like-minded people.”
Ms Reynolds said she had been enjoying the opportunity to be involved in training again.
She and partner Keilan started their company, Pinpoint Kelpies, around a year ago.
“We’ve been slowly having a crack and getting a few dogs around us,” she said.
“(Keilan) had a lot to do with the dogs and Kate and Mitch were doing it, so it was a good fit.
“We’re trying to get a few litters around but it’s another new adventure for us and an opportunity to continue improving our dogs.
Ms Reynolds said the championships had been a well-run, enjoyable event”.
“There was a nice, tough competition about and tough sheep, so it was a great trial,” she said.