The battle to crown Australia and New Zealand's hardest working farm dog is on again.
The 12 finalists have been picked in this year's Cobber Challenge which is now in its eighth year.
Selected dogs wear a GPS collar, to track how far, how fast and for how long they work.
This year the data will be collected over three months, with the three busiest weeks on farm counting towards each dog's final score in October.
Previous competitions have uncovered some staggering results.
Winners were found to have travelled an amazing 700km in two weeks of previous competitions.
This year's competitors are:
Alex Johns of Fingal in Tasmania with Kelpie, Earl.
Ashton Clements of Te Wharau in New Zealand with Heading Dog, Fern.
Cloe Latty of Willaura in Victoria with Kelpie, Jazz.
Dan McInnes of Acheron in Victoria with Kelpie, Jack.
Dean Gardiner of Amberley in New Zealand with Heading Dog, Dot.
Declan Martin of Conmurra in South Australia with Koolie, Pip.
Demi Riordan of Esperance in Western Australia with Kelpie, Garry.
Holly Jessen of Woodhill in Queensland with German Shorthaired Pointer cross Kelpie, Dallas.
Renee Hayter of Bombala in NSW with Kelpie, Bat.
Kelsie Meads of Lake Coleridge in New Zealand with Heading Dog, Sass.
Katie Williams of Uralla in NSW with Border Collie, Scooter.
Jackson Clifford of Mataranka in the Northern Territory with Kelpie, Rose.
Come October, the dog that clocks up the most points will take home honour, glory and a cash prize, while each participant will receive a year's supply of Cobber products.
Cobber marketing manager Kellie Savage said the new format of the challenge aims to level the playing field for all Kelpies, Collies, Crosses and Heading Dogs.
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"We know that a cattle station in the Territory operates very differently to a sheep farm in Queenstown, so we've taken on board feedback from past competitors and extended the competition to ensure we capture every farm's busiest period," Ms Savage said.
"Selecting this year's finalists was an incredibly difficult task as we had the most farmers ever across Australia and New Zealand nominate their best mates and most valuable employees."
She said the final dozen picked represented a variety of breeds and experiences.
"There's Gary the Kelpie from Esperance who herds cattle and sheep, Dot the Heading Dog from Canterbury in New Zealand who isn't afraid to put in the hard yards, and Earl the partially-blind but tenacious Kelpie from Tassie who's been working on farm since he was a pup.
"We're so excited to see just what these finalists can do and we're confident that multiple records will be smashed by the 2023 cohort."
Chris McLennan
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
