KELPIE Korner was a hive of activity during the 2019 South East Field Days last week, but it was a four-month-old pup that had tongues and tails wagging.
The black and tan pup, Washpool Tom II, bred by yard dog competition organisers Rex and Kay Hocking is set for an international career, flying out of Adelaide this week to new owners Beate and Georg Mohn.
They run a small sheep flock in the Black Forest region of Germany.
Across the past 30 years, the Hockings have sold dogs across Australia, Canada and the Netherlands, but it was their first sale to Germany.
"It is a real honour for a breeder like us from a little place like Avenue Range to sell dogs overseas," Mr Hocking said.
"It is one of the nicest farm pups we have bred for conformation and intelligence and at only four months it was above expectation in its progress when we did the final run in the yards."
It is a real honour for a breeder like us from a little place like Avenue Range to sell dogs overseas.
- REX HOCKING
The Mohns found the Hockings online and Mrs Hocking said the Mohns appreciated the stud's breeding philosophy.
They recently visited SA to meet their new working dog.
Mr Hocking said the kelpie breed's versatility in the paddock and yards made them a popular choice across the globe.
"Our dogs are very much people dogs too," he said.
Tom II was one of 10 pups in the litter born to Washpool Genie and sired by Vic-bred dog Broken River Hutch, owned by Lucindale farmer Wendy James-Ross.
Related reading: Working kelpie sold for $25,000 at Jerilderie
Field Days secretary Lyn Crosby lauded the 41st annual field days a great success, with 560 exhibitors from across Australia. She said they were "happy to very happy" with sales.
"We were down about 40 exhibitors this year with most reasons being drought-related," she said.
Mrs Crosby said the crowd was up 2000 on last year, with 10,000 adults through the gates on Friday, plus nine busloads of students, and another 14,000 patrons on Saturday.
"We profit from the fact that we are a very diverse area with a bit of everything; forestry, viticulture, livestock and cropping," she said.
