Rising Star: Will Cox

RISING STAR

WILL COX

Article and Photos by Lauren Vest

Your best chance of getting a talented pup is to find one with generations of proven workers behind it. If this also holds true in people, then 4th generation dog trialler Will Cox is a name to watch out for. All the way back to his great grandfather on his mothers’ side, the family is full of talented dog handlers and triallers. Nowadays his mother Jenny Rosten, and father Robert Cox are regular faces in finals throughout NSW.

Having just turned 18, Will is currently finishing year 12 while living with his mother at Eugowra in NSW. Coming from a well established dog family it is no surprise that he started young, first stepping into the trial ring at 4 years old. The first dog he owned himself was a Kelpie cross called Bolt, the result of an accidental mating, but the first dog he trialled was Bonnie who was from his father’s breeding (Wheelers Kate X Fivemile Jock). Growing up he trialled all through the central west at places like Eumungerie, Coonabarabran and West Wyalong. Bonnie has since passed away, but she was only the start of Will’s trialling career.

Will mainly competes in yard dog trials as well as a few utility trials. Coming up through the junior and juvenile ranks he was already collecting quite an impressive array of ribbons and trophies, and it seems set to continue, with his recent open win at the Tooraweenah yard trial.

Will has now registered his own prefix (Cox’s) and is starting to breed a few of his own dogs. His main dog is Heritagepark Pod (Karrobar Sargeant X Karrobar Kelly), a black and tan bitch that he has had a lot of success with. She is very handy in the yards but also has nice eye in the paddock. A pup out of Pod is also in Will’s team – Cox’s Maverick (Heartland Spur X Heritagepark Pod). Rounding out his current team is Heartland Casey (Heartland Luke X Heartland Jet). Casey is hopefully going to fill Pod’s boots as she gets closer to retiring. When working he does a lot of yard work, so needs a dog who’s capable in the yards with bark and top knot – however he really likes a dog who shows style and ability in the paddock. Moving big mobs of sheep in the paddock is where it all starts and if you do not have that ability you don’t have much of a dog. The main reason he started utility trialling was to help improve his paddock work.

One of the main advantages of coming from a family of experienced dog handlers is always having someone around to give you advice or support. There has always been a dog for him to work, help if needed, or just someone who understands the ups and downs of the sport and lifestyle. The flipside is that everyone knows you and your family, and it is easy to put a lot of pressure on yourself to live up to people’s expectations! However he has always found dog trialling to be a sport with a great community of people who will always congratulate you on your efforts, which combined with his supportive family mean he is always raring to come back and do better next time even if a run doesn’t go as planned. He is proud to carry on the family legacy and is happy that he has been able to maintain his passion for the sport throughout the pressure of school and life in general. He spent a bit of time away from it while playing footy, and while he enjoyed the break, he was glad to get back into it. It can be healthy to have breaks every now and again to remind you what you love about it.

After he finishes school this year he plans to go and work on a property. He definitely wants to keep working and improving his dogs and continue dog trialling. He enjoys being on farm doing practical work – He’s not interested in going to university but might look into the Agriculture Certificates through TAFE.

Will’s biggest piece of advice to anyone looking to start or improve their handling and trialling is to utilise the people around you. Be like a sponge and soak up as much as you can – a lot of this game is gained through experience and by listening to people with more than you have, you can really gain a lot of knowledge. Every dog is not the same and you have to find the dogs that work well for you, not anyone else. You will know when you find the right dog – you will absolutely love it. There is no point having a dog you don’t get along with.

With such a supportive and knowledgeable family backing him, his passion and dedication to breeding and training his dogs and his open-minded approach to learning, Will is definitely a handler to watch out for. Passionate and innovative young people are the future of both the agricultural industry and the working dog industry, and that future looks to be in good hands.