Does your farm dog work harder than the rest? Now is your chance to put it to the test.
For the first time in its six-year history, the Cobber Challenge is going Trans-Tasman, with farm dogs from New Zealand invited to compete against their Aussie counterparts.
The Cobber Challenge is a opportunity for farmers to measure how hard their dog works.
It has become an international celebration of the unsung hero of agriculture - working dogs.
"The Cobber Challenge provides hard data to prove what most farmers already know; a good working dog can do the work of at least two or three people," Cobber's marketing manager Kellie Savage said.
In previous years, dogs have regularly clocked more than 50 kilometres in a day, highlighting their contribution to the farm team.
Twelve dogs from throughout Australia and New Zealand will be fitted with a GPS collar to track their distance, working duration and speed over a three-week period.
Points are awarded, the dogs are ranked, and by the end of the challenge, a new champion is crowned.
Now in its sixth year, the 2021 Cobber Challenge will run from Monday 16 August to Sunday 5 September.
Each day of the competition, data is uploaded to the Cobber Challenge website so fans can follow the performance of individual dogs, as well as the best performing team.
Working dog travels 835km in three weeks
Northern NSW station hand Glenda Rogan and her Kelpie-cross Buddy won the challenge last year, setting a record of 835km over the three-week competition.
The competition coincided with a busy period for Buddy and Glenda, including weaning calves and moving other cattle.
They worked every day over a total of 98 hours.
"He's a big, strong dog who's always busy, so I thought he'd be a strong contender," Ms Rogan said.
"I thought entering the competition would be a positive thing for my local town to watch during COVID."
Buddy has continued to work hard since the competition and has made a genetic contribution to Glenda's working dog team.
"I have one of Buddy's sons, who I've called Mate, and at 12 months old, he's proving to be a really good dog in the bush," Ms Rogan said.
"He loves nothing more than finding cattle in the bush and bringing them up when we're mustering cattle."
This year's winner will receive $3000 to be spent on a working dog breeding program, training for a working dog or participation in working dog trials.
For more, visit cobberchallenge.com.au/applynow.
Nominations close at 11.59pm Sunday 27 June.
