Rex & Kay are members together with our daughters, sons-in-law & grandchildren, of a family farming business situated at Avenue Range in the South East of South Australia. Our nearest major business centre is Naracoorte.
The business is involved in wool, prime lamb & hay. The family has been, in the past, successful breeders, trainers & drivers of harness racing horses.
We have always used dogs to assist with the working of our stock. We began our own Washpool Working Kelpie stud in the mid 1990’s. Up until then we purchased bitch pups from studs with the proven genetics that suited our work & trial requirements.
Rex was introduced to Yard Dog trials & he has been successfully competing in all aspects of sheep dog trialling ever since. He has had great success winning many events including the coveted Australian Yard Dog Championship as well as the South Australian Yard Dog Championship.
Kay’s main role is caring for the whelping & lactating bitches & the weaned puppies. She provides their early education & socialisation.
We believe in lifelong education & update our skills by attending stock handling & dog training clinics conducted by well recognised trainers.
Each year we conduct several clinics for learners & more advanced handlers. We offer one on one training assistance to our clients as part of our sales package.
Sheep are the major enterprise in our business therefore we consider our dogs to be an integral part of the work team as they are required to work stock almost every day. As a result we have the opportunity to assess the skills of each dog on a regular basis.
We enjoy meeting and spending time with people who understand & respect the land & who appreciate the valuable contribution the working kelpie has made & makes to the livestock industry.