AUSTRALIA’S TOP WORKING CATTLE DOG NAMED AT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN CASINO

Luke Aisthorpe and his dog Eva have claimed the $11,000 top prize at the Australian Working Cattle Dog Championships, taking home national glory after a standout performance in Casino, New South Wales.

The five-day event brought together 80 handlers and 180 dogs, who competed in more than 400 runs for a coveted spot in the national finals. The competition tests a handler’s ability to direct their dog as it moves a mob of cattle through a series of obstacles on a timed course.

For Aisthorpe, who traveled more than eight hours from Queensland with a team of dogs, the win made every kilometre worth it.

“I definitely can’t complain—it was absolutely worth the drive down,” the 25-year-old said. “There are a lot of big names already on that shield, so it’s pretty cool to be up there with them.”

Eva, bred by Aisthorpe’s father, wasn’t always easy to train—but she came into her own at just the right time.

“She’s matured a bit now, and she’s a really solid, practical working dog,” Aisthorpe said. “Things just happened to go her way this weekend.”

It wasn’t just Eva making waves. Aisthorpe’s dog Jaffa—Eva’s sire—won the “sire shootout” and also played a key role in Queensland’s convincing win over New South Wales in the state of origin showdown.

“I had six dogs entered in the open, seven in the novice, and four in the maiden,” Aisthorpe said. “So, it was a pretty full weekend.”

Championship organizer Jessica Gall said the level of competition in the open finals was fierce.

“We narrowed it down to the top 30 for the second round, then trimmed that to 15 for the final—and even then, we needed a run-off to decide first place,” she explained. “It was neck and neck the whole way. But the cream always rises to the top, and the winner should be very proud.”

Gall added that the cattle draw can make or break a run.

“If you get a good mob and your dog’s on point, there were definitely big scores to be had,” she said.

As for her own run with her dog Ace, Gall was proud, despite some tough luck.

“Unfortunately, I drew a tricky beast in the final, so I lost a few points between obstacles—that’s just how it goes sometimes,” she said. “But Ace did really well, and I’m proud of his performance. I’m walking away happy.”

Double title for dog Duke

While Queensland claimed the lion’s share of wins at this year’s championships, New South Wales wasn’t left out of the spotlight—thanks to Clint Austin from the Upper Hunter.

The Cassilis farmer secured victories in both the maiden and novice divisions with his eight-year-old border collie, Duke.

“I’ve only been trialling him for about two years, so I’m really happy with how he went,” Austin said.

Back home, Austin’s dogs are far from part-time workers. The three he brought to the competition all play a vital role on his property.

“We’ve got a block down there where we run breeders and finish off our weaners, so there’s always something happening,” he explained. “The dogs get plenty of use—they’re a big part of the operation.”

TV canine star steals the show

Queenslanders Steven Elliott and his dog Indi—fan favorites from Season 2 of ABC’s Muster Dogs—were crowd favorites at the event, happily signing “pawtographs” for excited fans.

“Indi loves the attention, especially from the little kids,” Elliott said. “And that’s what it’s all about—they all had a great time.”

After leading the pack in the first round of the open, Indi earned a wild card spot on the Queensland state of origin team and went on to compete in the open finals.

“We were lucky enough to beat NSW by 61 points,” Elliott said.

“She was brilliant, scoring around 85 in the finals. Indi really enjoyed the experience.

“We’re pretty proud of how far she’s come—she’s improved a lot.”

Mr. Elliott also had dogs competing in the “sire shootout,” as well as the maiden and novice finals.

When asked about the secret to training some of the country’s best working dogs, he said, “There’s no magic formula. It’s all about timing, hard work, and maintaining a calm, steady mindset.”