A Kelpie breeder is taking Casterton's iconic Kelpie muster by storm, with his prized pup set to make a pretty penny in the annual working dog auction.
For more than 25 years, Casterton has been home to the Kelpie Muster and working dog auction and festival which attracts thousands of visitors each year.
Elfinvale Stud Kelpies principal Tom Ausin, Melville Forest, trains and breeds Kelpies each year for the annual sale.
Mr Austin's first run in the show was 25 years ago when he topped the inaugural working dog auction with his prized pup Butch fetching $2400.
"It's pretty impressive going back 25 years ago," he said.
"It was a big thing to put a dog into the auction with the unknown of what it was going to make, and it ended up being a good result.
"Butch was only 27-months-old and it ended up paying for our honeymoon."
Mr Austin hopes his 4.5-month-old puppy, Elfinvale Dennis, will bag him a good price when the Kelpie hits the auction stands later this month.
He said his training was what made his stud unique from others in the country, and why farmers regularly returned to source working dogs.
"Our training is based on harnessing that genetic instinct," he said.
"The dogs naturally want to work, so it's just our ability to put commands and harness that genetic potential.
"A lot of our clients are repeat customers, so they keep coming back, because they know what they're getting."
Casterton Kelpie Association president Karen Stephens has overseen the event since its inception in 1997.
Ms Stephens said the festival had grown exponentially, from a small festival into a large-scale event that attracted thousands of national and international attendees.
"My background and interest in promoting Casterton meant we were always looking for something to hang our hat on and we realised that Casterton was the birthplace of the Kelpie," she said.
"The community has always wanted to promote Casterton and to put Casterton on the map and that was certainly the premise we had 25 years ago.
"I think the biggest thing that the auction has done and what we've been able to do is promote Casterton, but also give value to the farm working dog and realise how important they are to the farming community."
The recent COVID-19 outbreak has dampened expectations of the event going ahead, with the festival cancelled due to restrictions.
But luckily, the working dog auction is set to go ahead online on June 13.
