George Broughton pats heading dog Boss after selling him for $5000 at the Gore Dog Sale last year. PHOTO: SRL FILES
At the sale last year, you went up against your daughter Martha, and she sold a heading dog for the top price of $8000. Are you two going head-to-head again this year?
Martha is going to miss the sale because she’ll be overseas. I’m entering a nice-natured heading bitch named Sky and a huntaway named Sub, who will climb on the back of sheep in the yards.
Where do you train your two dogs?
At home on my sheep and cattle farm in Scott’s Gap, near Otautau, and I do a bit of casual shepherding, so they get a run on other people’s farms as well.
Do you expect demand to be as strong as at past dog sales?
You’d hope so, there’s fewer people preparing dogs for sale and there’s always a demand for dogs to handle livestock, so I hope so.
Do you feel any pressure demonstrating your dogs on a flock of sheep in front of a big crowd on sale day?
Yes, definitely. You go out into the arena and hopefully things go right for you, but a dog can have an off day and so can a man or a woman. If a dog fails to meet your reserve you can take it home, but I’ve never had to take one home.
What’s your favourite type of working dog?
The one you don’t have to bend over to be able to pat.
