Couple breeds man’s best working friends
Kelpie stud breeds good-natured workers
KARL and Cate Hinshelwood have been running Glendon Kelpies for more than 40 years.
National Dog Day was on Sunday, August 26, and the
Rural Weekly caught up with Cate Hinshelwood to talk about their hardworking dogs, which have been sold internationally.
The Hinshelwoods have approximately 20 kelpies on their Clifton property, where they also run 150 merino cross sheep.
“My husband bought the stud off a gentleman called Don Jewell, who started the stud in the ’60s,” Mrs Hinshelwood said.
“He was a neighbour of my husband’s at the time. He passed away and his wife didn’t want to break the dogs up.
“So she asked Karl if he would like to buy the dogs and he bought the stud.”
Mrs Hinshelwood said Glendon kelpies have been sold all over Australia and as far away as Europe.
“We’ve just recently had a dog that’s gone to Darwin,” she said.
“We’ve sold overseas to Germany and Norway. We had Germans who were neighbours of my husband and had a property over here at Cecil Plains, and he took eight dogs back to Germany.
“Then one dog went to Norway. The fellow came looking for a dog when he was staying with people here in Queensland and he took a dog back with him to herd reindeer.”
Mrs Hinshelwood said Glendon kelpies would work just about anything.
“We breed our dogs to work cattle, sheep, goats and even ducks,” she said.
A good nature and intelligence are just some of the characteristics the Hinshelwoods like most about kelpies.
“They’re a very clever kind of dog. We try to keep their natural working ability in them.
“We sell to people on the land not to triallers. So we try to keep that natural ability in them where they work well with livestock.
“We try to breed a calm nature in them. They’re very friendly dogs, they want to be your mate.
“They’re very versatile. We had one that worked in the paddock, in the yard and could load the truck.”
Glendon kelpies have some very old bloodlines according to Mrs Hinshelwood.
“Rockybar stud is very old stud owned by Les Tarrant,” she said. “He was friends with my husband. My husband would mate dogs with the Rockybar and he would mate some of his with the Glendon dogs.”
Mrs Hinshelwood said they don’t like interbreeding and introduce outside bloodlines.
Prices for working dogs can vary, according to Mrs Hinshelwood, with the price for a pup starting at $500.
“In Queensland people don’t seem to pay a lot for working dogs,” she said.
“Down in Victoria they have a big kelpie auction and festival in Casterton. And a kelpie down there sold for $22,500.
“In Queensland you’re probably selling for $3000–$4000.”