Bombala working dog could be nation’s best

■ Renee and Bat ready to win 2023 Cobber Challenge

By NATHAN THOMPSON

BOMBALA’s Renee Hayter believes her much-loved kelpie, Bat, could be Australia’s hardest working dog.

With an appetite for farm work and obedient nature, Bat could soon be crowned the best working dog in Australia and New Zealand.

Renee and Bat have become an inseparable pair in the six months they have been working together at a Bendoc Hereford stud, and now, the dynamic duo is ready to win the Cobber Challenge.

Renee said her best mate has a good chance of winning the Cobber Challenge with the competition the perfect setting to show what a dedicated dog Bat is.

“I’m pretty excited we were selected to take part in the challenge. Bat has a strong chance of taking it out, he just loves to work,” Renee said.

“Bat loves to run and he covers a lot of miles each day. He’s a great dog, he does everything you ask of him.“

The 2023 Cobber Challenge recognises the unsung heroes who keep Australia and New Zealand’s multi-billion dollar agricultural sector moving.

Twelve working dogs across both nations are currently battling it out for the Cobber Challenge title.

Now in its eighth year, the current instalment of the challenge is expected to be the best yet with a new format set to produce record-breaking scores for each contestant.

Renee is confident the altered format will give Bat a better chance of winning.

“This time the challenge is run over 12 weeks. The dogs are measured for how fast they run and how much distance they cover,” Renee said.

HARD WORKER: Renee and Bat form a formidable duo.

The 12 canine competitors will wear a GPS tracker to record their distance, speed and duration each work day, with points accumulated based on performance. For the first time in the Challenge’s history, the data will be collected over three months, with the three busiest weeks on farm counting towards each dog’s final score. Renee has worked at the Bendoc stud for seven months. The committed farm hand loves working on the property that boasts 3000 head of sheep and 300 cattle.