(This article was originally published in The Under Age on 6 August 2014)
The crowd falls silent as the competitor begins his run, his legs surging him onwards towards his goal. He picks up speed as his obstacle rises above him: a wall of wooden planks over two metres high. He leaps, slicing through the air like a loosened arrow. He glides up to the top of the planks, grabbing hold of the uppermost one. He pulls himself up and over, his tail wagging as the crowd cheers his success. Moe the Kelpie has just won the Kelpie high jump.
The Kelpie Muster is an annual dog show that takes places in the small, western Victorian town of Casterton every Queens Birthday long weekend. Drawing huge crowds from all over Australia, the event focuses around the Australian stockman’s best friend, the kelpie, widely considered to be the most intelligent and fit working dog available.
Casterton is known as the birthplace of the Kelpie, with the first Kelpie said to have been bred by George Robertson in 1872 on Warrock Station near Casterton.
Almost 20 years ago, Ian O’Connell, a member of the Casterton Apex club, had the idea for a Kelpie-focused event. Looking for an event to promote Casterton’s 150th anniversary, the idea for a working dog auction was decided upon, and Ian O’Connell and fellow Apex member Steve Crossley were given the responsibility of its organisation.
From its humble beginnings as an auction in 1997, the event has grown in to a fully-fledged show, shutting down the main street as kelpie fervour sweeps the town. The key event of the show is the Kelpie triathlon, which comprises of the Kelpie dash, the Kelpie high jump, and the Kelpie hill climb, each designed to demonstrate the Kelpie breed’s skills.
In the Kelpie dash, the four-legged competitors sprint 50 metres into their owner’s arms, with their master using everything from a high-pitched whistle to a chew toy to hasten the dog.
The Kelpie high jump tasks the dogs with jumping over an increasingly high wall of planks. As the event progresses, the weaker Kelpies are filtered out, leaving only the best jumpers in the competition, which makes for an amazing spectacle. With a record jump of 2.91 metres, watching the Kelpies jump is truly a phenomenal sight. Most comically, the smartest of the Kelpies often consider the sheer-faced jump as a waste of time, and simply look for another way around the bothersome planks.
Against the backdrop of the setting sun, the Kelpie hill climb is the final of the day’s events. The Kelpies sprint up Toorak Hill, overlooking the town, in the shortest time possible. In a test of obedience and navigation, the dogs scour the hill for the best path up to their cheering and screaming owner on the summit of the hill. However, not all climb attempts are successful, with more than a few dogs simply giving up mid-climb and running back down the hill.
The triathlon is the main tourist draw but the working dog auction is the all-important business side of the festival. Purebred kelpies, both adults and pups, are sold to the highest bidder, each buyer eager to add a fine canine to his working team. The top-priced seller this year was Bagalla Coke, who was bought for a hefty $10,000.
What to eat
Being on the main street, many Casterton cafes and bakeries are right in the centre of the action. Herbert’s Bakery-Café has a large range of baked goods, including cakes, tarts and naturally leavened sourdough bread. Traditional festival food such as hot chips and lollies can be bought at one of the many stalls along the main street.
Where to stay
Establishments such as the Albion Hotel Motel, Casterton Hotel and the Glenelg Inn Hotel Motel, all located on the main street of Casteron, provide a roof in the heart of the show.
How to get there
Casterton is four and a half hours from Melbourne, via Glenelg Highway. Flights are also available from Melbourne to Mount Gambier.