The Parapara-Makirikiri Sheep Dog Trial Club held its annual working sheepdog sale fundraiser on Sunday, January 21, at Te Anui farm at the end of Ruatangata Rd, Whangaehu.
Club president Duncan Atkinson, who also manages Te Anui farm, has been the driving force behind the annual event, which started in January 2020 with only 24 dogs presented for sale.
Auctioneer Chris Hay and one of his spotters, Corie McLean, in front of a gallery of eager buyers.
The 2024 fundraiser had 19 huntaways, 24 heading dogs and 10 youngsters entering in the sale — 45 dogs went under the auctioneer’s hammer.
Regular auctioneer and club member Chris Hay did a massive job in the sweltering humidity, knocking the dogs down to the many eager buyers, who came from throughout the North Island.
Graeme Strawbridge, of Ōtorohanga, putting 2-year-old Ace through his paces.
The top money of $9800 went to Simon Prouting’s lovely, versatile huntaway bitch Girl. Simon farms out of Dannevirke and has been a regular vendor. Howard Ingles, of Gisborne, also a big supporter of the event, sold 5-year-old heading dog Clyde for $9500, heading off local Marton man Wayne Falkner and Glen, who made $9000 in the heading dog section. Wayne has been a regular seller since the sale’s inception.
Howard Ingles taking 5-year-old Clyde to his new owners.
A large proportion of the dogs sold came from within the Manawatū-Whanganui area. Despite not reaching the top price of the 2023 sale where Justin Booth sold a huntaway for a record NZ price to an Australian buyer for $17,500, the prices held up well, with the fully broken-in dogs and the well-started younger dogs realising their value. One or two dogs were passed in, but were sold before the day ended.
Chris Hay pulling bids for Neville Hughes' huntaway.
Another regular Ōtaki vendor, Neville Hughes, had four dogs in the sale including two that his young children, Shelby and Colton, presented for sale, paddock trained by them to get some pocket money.
Colton sold his 8-month heading bitch Tako for $1400, much to the delight of those present —a pretty daunting experience for both youngsters to get out in the selling arena in front of the huge gallery of buyers, but they said they would be back.
Club members put in time working the sheep for the event, and on the day Ian Burling, of Turakina, who set up the sheep for the vendors in the selling paddock, was kept pretty busy.
The club made $4600 out of the fundraiser, and Atkinson said the club would continue to provide a platform and venue for working sheep dogs to be sold as long as the demand was there.
