Bamma Kelpies' Adrian Carpenter, Cressy, Tas, on utility trials

Bamma Kelpies stud principal Adrian Carpenter, Cressy, Tas, has taken on the Tasmanian Yard Dog Association presidential role this year and aims to bring a state utility championship to Tasmania.

Mr Carpenter represented Tasmania in the Australian Utility Championships and placed second in the interstate challenge, and was the Australian Yard Dog Association president between 2021-2022.

"I had just started trialling, I worked with whatever would work, with a Border Collie or Kelpie or half and half, it didn't matter to me," he said.

"I saw a few Kelpies at trials and I quite liked them, and bought one from a bloke up the road and really liked him.

"I was successful with him and it's gone from there."

He said he won the first trial he entered, which spurred on his interest to continue developing his practice as a dog trial competitor.

He has had three consecutive years as the Tasmanian Yard Handler of the year, seventh place for the Australian Yard Dog Championships at Mansfield, and first places in the Formosa Utility Trial and Myrtleford Trial.

"I'm not a person that watches something and says 'I could easily do that' and not do it," he said.

"If I thought my dog was good enough, I'd go and have a crack at it."

Mr Carpenter said he'd "caught the bug" for utility trials and started focusing on those competitions.

"I was initially looking for a sheep dog that could do a bit of paddock work, but more force, now I'm looking for an all-round dog that leans more towards a paddock because I've got a bug for utility trials," he said.

"As you get older you appreciate a dog that's easier to work."

Mr Carpenter is the Connorville Station manager, one of Tasmania's original wool properties, established in 1824.

He works with more than 20,000-head of sheep, mixed cropping with poppies, grass seed, potatoes, peas, canola, and has been going from strength to strength.

He initially started in the industry as a shearer and wool classer, running a shearing contractor business.

He received the Best Commercial Fleece award at this year's Australian Sheep & Wool Show, for the Connorville commercial flock.

"We're looking for about a 17-18 micron sheep in cutting about seven kilos, which we are pretty close to," he said.

"It's been good so far, I've been sending fleeces to [Bendigo] for probably 10 years, as long as I've been here, but this is the first big ribbon."