After nearly 20 years of competing in yard dog trials, western Vic livestock overseer Josh Latty achieved a long-held dream of winning his first state championship.
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It was a four-year old dog he had bred himself, Kamarooka Jack, that took out the 2023 Coprice SA Yard Dog Championship at Lucindale on the weekend after also winning both the novice championship challenge and open sections.
Mr Latty said it was "pretty special" to clinch the shield, especially in such a top field of dogs and in SA where he had competed so many times.
"It is something that I have always had on my mind to do especially being around the sport so long," he said.
He said it was Jack's consistent performance in the two runs that saw him a clear winner on 175.5 points , nearly 10 points ahead of runner-up Lee Mickan, Loxton and his dog Kelvale Gus.
"The sheep suited his work style, he had plenty of power to move them through the yards," Mr Latty said.
"At home I only use him when I need to to prolong his life, he goes pretty hard."
Mr Latty's dogs get plenty of yard and paddock work on the property at Willaura where he works which runs 25,000 Merinos and 2000 Angus breeders.
"I love the fact that you can use a tool of your trade as a hobby as well and get an extra personal bond working with them on the weekend and during the week," he said.
Just half a point separated second to sixth placings- with Victorian triallers making up five of these.
Lucindale trial convenor Darren Jenke said the timing of the trial a week after the national yard dog championships in Mansfield, Vic, had added to the high standard.
There were nearly 40 competitors competing across the seven sections, including several WA entrants on their way home.
Mr Jenke said the trials again drew a big crowd during the South East Field Days with spectators watching more than 250 runs across three days.
"The field days are an agricultural event so you get a lot of people involved in agriculture keen to watch the dogs work," he said.
"Even the people that don't have dogs can appreciate the skill of the dogs and the control the handler has on that dog to place him in the precise position at the exact time he needs to be there.
"The natural instinct of the dog comes into it but the combination of the two working together is great to watch."
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