Inspired by the idea of working a pure-bred kelpie she approached Guy Mitchell, a man who worked for many years as a shepherd in Australia before returning to this country with his wife and two loyal companions - his working kelpies. ***see note

The two dogs Guy brought home with him were Elfinvale Milton and Elfinvale Judy (solid red bitch) and he later imported Coleslea Tip (sister of Coleslea Sandy) from James Dudley's Boanong stud, who produced a litter in
quarantine (any further details on this litter would be welcome).Tip's second mating was to Elfinvale Milton and it was from the ensuing litter that Tracy picked a red and tan dog puppy - Winesland Rex (Aussie).The Tip x Milton mating was a classic bit of kelpie breeding as Tip was a paddock dog with eye and style and Milton a powerful yard dog.

Aussie is obviously Tracy's pride and joy. She describes him as 'soft as a pudding' off the sheep, but totally focused and fearless when on the sheep, with great presence. Aussie has one unusual trait in that he wags his tail continuously when working and when not working will lie at the side of the field, still watching and still wagging.Tracy says Aussie is brilliant in the yards and backs sheep naturally and will also jump across the sheep in a loosely-packed yard. She also says he's invaluable in general farm work, remembering where all the gaps in the hedges are and holding back at gates to let the sheep pass through steadily. On ewes and lambs he's also a master, never showing aggression to a sheep unless required and will catch and gently hold a single lamb by the skin of its neck, never drawing blood.

Tracy soon considered the idea of importing a kelpie - this time a bitch with some eye and style to mate with Aussie.She turned to James Dudley at the Boanong Stud and with James' help she selected Boanong Trixie, by Boanong Oscar (Karrawarra Nick x Karrawarra Megs) to Boanong Jessica (Davis Buck x Wyreema Jessica V).At 17 months Trixie was mated to Boanong Sam (Pomanda George x Bellrock Anna), a dog with a good outrun, excellent holding ability and plenty of eye.Trixie was imported into this country when five weeks pregnant and produced a healthy litter of nine pups.From this litter Tracy selected a black and tan dog, Devonairs Jet and a red and tan bitch, Devonairs Buffy. These two dogs are still in training, proving to be far more paddock-type dogs than Aussie with a good distance off the sheep and some eye.Tracy has recently added Izzie to her stud, a pup from Mark and Marie Douglas' Stars of Mars stud sired by Tracy's Aussie. Izzie is very much a chip off the old block with all the keenness and toughness of her dad.

At the moment, Tracy is widening her dog-training experience by trying her hand at agility with Jet and
Buffy so with three youngsters in training on sheep and jumps she has a full-time job, but her enthusiasm
for kelpies is undiminished. She finds them less highly-strung and temperamental than many collies and appreciates their good workmanlike looks and kind nature.

Tracy would be the first to admit that training a kelpie on sheep is not the easiest task - especially when your first dog is a supercharged powerhouse like Aussie, however she has plenty of plans for the stud, including the possibility of bringing in another import at some time in the future.

*** Unfortunately Guy has since passed away and his wife has returned to Australia, but I had one memorableconversation with Guy on the phone several years back when he spoke for a long time about
his passion for his kelpies and told me many stories about the wonderful work his dogs could do with the sheep, their intelligence and their resourcefulness.