Source: Radio New Zealand
Farmers came from far and wide for the the Parapara-Makirikiri Sheep Dog Trial Club auction. supplied
Organisers of a long-standing North Island working dog auction are in disbelief after $320,000 changed hands at their latest sale.
With sheep farming riding a wave of record lamb prices and strong international demand, buyers arrived at the auction near Whanganui last Saturday with extra money in their back pockets.
Hundreds attended the annual Parapara-Makirikiri Sheep Dog Trial Club auction held on a rural property near Whangaehu which featured more than 60 dogs up for sale.
Inclement weather on the day did little to slow the bidding.
Fierce competition pushed heading dog Trix to the top price of $12,200, bettering last year’s best by nearly $3000.
Jonathan Smailes shows his 11-month-old Wedge to the crowd at the Parapara-Makirikiri Sheep Dog Trial Club auction. She sold for $9800. supplied
The top huntaway Mufasa from Taihape’s Peter Wilson sold for $10,500 – with the young farmer selling three more prized working dogs Spud, Shaggy and Queen. This topped last year’s top huntaway of $9800.
And in a strong run of prices, seven huntaways and two heading dogs sold for at least $9000 on Saturday.
Club spokesperson Brenda O’Leary said the scale of the prices had taken organisers by surprise.
“People can’t believe how much money we have turned over at the sale,” she said.
“There’s a shortage of quality farm dogs.”
O’Leary attributed some of the success of the sale to farmers having less time to break dogs in.
And top-priced Twix certainly fitted the bill.
Taihape farmer Peter Wilson said it’s hard to let your best friends go to another home. supplied
She was described in the run down as “honest, good natured, easy to work and have around”.
Mufasa meanwhile was also fully broken in and “a nice powerful dog”.
Wilson conceded it could be hard to let dogs go to a new owner.
The sun came out only briefly on the day of the sale. supplied
“I’m pretty adamant that these dogs have to go to a good home. At the end of the day they’re good mates of mine,” Wilson said.
“They do a lot for you. But when someone’s paying top dollar like they have been, they’ve got to look after them.”
On average huntaways fetched higher prices with an average of $6500.
That pipped the heading dogs average of $4700.
The event is run as a fundraiser for the Parapara-Makirikiri Sheep Dog Trial Club. O’Leary said the auction entry fee of $150 per dog will now help with the club’s running costs. She said most of the funds will be used to host their annual hill country trial held at Parikino which includes the cost of getting sheep to the trial.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
