KARRAWARRA WORKING KELPIES.Tony Parsons and his Working Kelpies(16)

Tony Parsons would be one of the best known Kelpie breeders in Australia today. His Karrawarra Working Kelpie Stud is situated not far from the rural city of Toowoomba in Queensland. The Karrawarra Kelpies have had an enormous impact on todays Kelpie and there would only be a handful of pedigrees that didn't feature the Karrawarra name somewhere.

Is is quite obvious as soon as you meet him, that Tony Parsons is a man who loves his dogs and cares passionately for the Kelpie breed.

" I have lost interest in trying to produce Kelpies en masse and I have concentrated on breeding dogs for my own purposes and for a small group of long time clients of above-average handling ability, as well as for a small number of young men who show promise of going places with dogs. ... The treatment of stock dogs is often poor and sometimes horrifically so - many potentially promising dogs are ruined by both poor treatment and poor handling" - Tony Parsons (Training the Working Kelpie - 1990)

As a young boy Tony Parsons was always fascinated with Kelpies. One of the things that really inspired him was as a young boy, seeing the famous Jack Goodfellow working his Currawang Kelpies at the Sydney Showground. He started to study Kelpies and pedigrees at a very young age and began writing articles about them for newspapers while he was still in his teens. It wasn't long before he set out to try to breed the best Kelpies in Australia. He was especially interested in preserving some of the good old strains that seemed to be fading away. He was also one of the first handlers to have Kelpies on television when he demonstrated Magraths Judy and Woombi Mist.

In the late 1940's he set about visiting many of the old Kelpie breeders and handlers. He asked for advice and bought a lot of first class dogs. Great handlers like Jack Goodfellow, Jim Moore, Tom Magrath, Frank Scanlon, Herb Morrice, Athol Butler etc. all helped with advice and dogs. The late Athol Butler thought so much of him that he left the Kanimbla Kelpies in his will to Tony Parsons. Over the years Tony Parsons spent a lot of money setting up his Karrawarra Stud and maintaining it. Many times he paid record prices for dogs. Along with the books and articles he has written, he has helped to promote the Kelpie probably more than any other single person.

He supplied Tim Austin of Elfinvale in the 1960's with a number of Karrawarra Kelpies. The Karrawarra Stud was also instrumental in helping to establish dozens of other Studs including Glenlogie, Glenville, Boolimba, Spinifex, Doonans, Liscannor, Riana, Boanong, Redstead and many others. He supplied twenty Karrawarra Kelpies to the Redstead Stud over the years and six or seven Karrawarra Kelpies to Jack Body for his Glenlogie Kelpie Stud.

Tony Parsons was friends with many of the older handlers since the 1940's including the late Frank Scanlon who he first met in 1948 and spent a lot of time with on his property near Quirindi NSW. In fact Tony worked as a woolclasser for Frank Scanlon and saw Frank break in and train a number of Kelpies. Tony was treated as a guest in the Scanlon home and learned much about training and breeding Kelpies. From 1949 up until the early 1970's, Tony saw most of the Kelpies that Frank owned. They even made trips together trying to get back some of the old strains of Kelpies. Over the years, Tony wrote a number of articles about Frank Scanlon in dozens of newspapers and magazine in Australia and overseas. He also helped to advertise and sell a number of the Scanlon Kelpies. Tony once stated that Frank taught him more about Kelpies than all the other Kelpie men put together.

Tony also at one time teamed up with Ab Martin and they bought and sold dogs together under the partnership of Karrawarra - Woodville Studs. Old Tom Magrath offered them Woombi Mist and Magraths Judy to be mated to Woombi Silver. Judy had won a number of sheepdog trials including; the prestigious Queensland Championship, St. George South West Championship and the North West Championship. One of the first dogs the partnership bought together was Woombi Silver in 1953 for the price of 190 Guineas and not long afterwards, Porters Don for £300.

The partnership came to an end towards the end of the 1950's when Mr. Parsons moved to a new property near Tamworth. Ab Martin continued to breed a few Kelpies on his own after the partnership ceased. Ab Martin died on the 5th Feb 1983 after a severe asthma attack brought on a fatal heart attack.

Tony was awarded the Order of Australian Medal by the Australian Government for his contribution to the rural industry. He has written a number of detailed books on Kelpies with information on training, breeding, bloodlines etc. A number of these books went into 2nd print runs. He has recently had his fist novel published by Penguin Publishing Australia. Within a very short time it was on the top ten list of books in the country - up against many international heavyweights. The book is called 'The Call of the High Country' and is the story of a struggling family in the high country that rely on their horses and their sheepdogs. Within a few months it was already in its third reprint.

Over the years Tony Parsons has done numerous interviews, newspaper and magazine articles etc. and always tried to promote the Kelpie to the general public. He was a founding member of the Working Kelpie Council and helped put many of the ideas that today we take for granted such as a National Kelpie Trial into place. He also wanted to have a big Kelpie conference to be held every three or four years. Another of his ideas was to have a public relations person to continually promote the Working Kelpie through the media to the general public.

These days Tony has distanced himself from the Kelpie Council and along with a number of other breeders, he no longer registers his Stud of Kelpies with them. Tony and the Kelpie Council both have strong personalities and it is a great pity for the Kelpie as a breed that they could not work together. Much of this feud between them is documented in his book, The Australian Kelpie (Viking O'Neill 1986 - reprinted 1992)

Tony Parsons has always been keen to help new handlers and breeders of the Kelpie. Anyone who has met him comment on his hospitality. He has helped and given advice to thousands of people over the years that have just dropped in. His family have fed hundreds of people over the years and Tony has always made himself available even though he made no money for all the hours he put in.

Some of the better known Karrawarra Kelpies include Karrawarra Caesar, Karrawarra Sergeant, Karrawarra Punch, Karrawarra Gyp, Karrawarra Bronze, Karrawarra Sybil III, Karrawarra Clem and many more.

Karrawarra Gyp was sold to Tim Austin of the Elfinvale Kelpie Stud in Victoria and was later featured in TV advertisements for Biff dog food.

Karrawarra Flipper was owned by the Avenpart Kelpie Stud and won or placed a number of trials including the Novice Nathalia 1974 and Deniliquin Improvers in 1975 .

Karrawarra Caesar was sold to Dr. Woolsey in the USA. He was the sire of Karrawarra (USA) Rex, the first Kelpie to win a sheepdog trial in the USA .

Karrawarra Punch was a foundation Stud bitch for the Glenlogie Stud run by the late Jack Body near Holbrook NSW.

Tony did not do a lot of trialling preferring to concentrate on breeding. However he ran second to the brilliant Border Collie, Kynton Kenny at Orange with a score of 95 on both runs. Tony was working Woombi Silver at the time and they finished the trial with the car headlights on so they could see. Tony also won the Southern Tableands and another trial at Yass. However other handlers that owned Karrawarra Kelpies did well with them in sheepdog trials. In fact, the Karrawarra stud has bred over 200 individual kelpies that went on to be trial winning dogs including at least four in the past year (1998). Tony bred his first trial winner way back in 1954 and so Karrawarra kelpies have been winning sheepdog trials for a period of 44 years.

The sire was owned by Frank Scanlon and the dam was bred by him. Tony Parsons bought Loo from Frank when she was about 7 months old for 25 Pound. Tony thought that Scanlons Tippy was one of the best casting bitches in rough country that he'd seen. Her sire, Ned was also a good casting Kelpie and a very strong dog as well.

Loo was an easy bitch to control. She was also used as one of his main exhibition bitches. A son and daughter of Loo won Sheepdog Trials at Boorowa and Cootamundra in NSW. There was another son in the maiden finals at the Sydney Trials in the 1960's. Tony was once offered $800 for her from the USA. When she was 8 years old she was accidently poisoned.

Tony has often said that Shanahans Loo was one of his favourite Kelpies and was a pleasure to handle. Her blood can still be seen in many of the Karrawarra Kelpies today. Karrawarra Sergeant was one of her better known sons.

Darby was bred by Althol butler and was left in Mr. Butler's will to Tony Parsons. Darby was a good casting dog on three sheep and would not run one step more than he had to. He was also a good holding dog with strong walk-up strength on sheep. Darby sired very good pups to all the bitches he was mated with. Karrawarra Zoe was one of his best daughters. Darby was also the sire of Karrawarra Seargeant.

Woombi Zinc was a fawn Kelpie bred by Paddy Noakes (Woombi Stud) and sold to Athol Butler for 250 pound. Zinc won the Sydney Maiden and the Queensland Maiden Championships. Zinc also sired Woombi Ring who was also purchased by Butler for 300 pound. Darbys dam, Kanimbla Betty was an attractive red Kelpie. She won the Sydney trial. She was sired by Porters Don. She went to Kevin Woodcroft of Cudgeewang Kelpie Stud not long before Mr Butler died.

Darby was only ever worked in two trials. One at Cootamundra and then at Sydney in 1956 which he won. Mr. T. McGorien at the Sydney trials described Darby as the best type working Kelpie he had ever seen at the trials. Darby produced two trial winners in Karrawarra Sergeant and Karrawarra Lindy who won a novice at Boorowa at her first run.

"This was one of the most naturally talented dogs I had through my hands in late years. At four and a half months when I took him down to Jack Body to handle for me, Rebel was simply fantastic. He had absolutely natural sherpherding ability and a perfect way of balancing sheep. Jack wheeled him around a few sheep and told me he was a broken in dog at four and a half months. I knew that or I wouldn't have taken him down to Holbrook.

Later, when I got him back, Peter Austin (Kircaldy Kelpie Stud) told me that Karrawarra Rebel and Riana Kim were the two best male Kelpies he had seen in Australia. Rebel was a brilliant holding dog and Americans told me he was the closest to a Quarter Horse in a dog they had seen.

He developed Heartworm in NSW and was never the same dog. We saved him but his wind was affected. He sired some brilliant dogs and I have semen stored by him. As I remember, the top priced Kelpie at one of the Charleville Kelpie sales was by Karrawarra Rebel ($2200). I had a lovely son of Rebel, Karrawarra Rolf and still have this blood strong in my dogs today."

Abernant Jim came from Jim Kennedy's Kelpie Stud in Tasmania. Jim Kennedy had Karrawarra Kelpies as far back as 1950 and did a deal with Tony of swapping Abernant Jim and his litter sister for one Karrawarra dog. Abernant Jim was used as one of the main sires in the Karrawarra Stud during the 1980's. His sire, Le Cliff Roy was also a very good dog and placed in a number of Sheepdog Trials including a place in the National Kelpie Trial. Abernant Jim's breeding traces back to 40 Kelpies used or bred by the Karrawarra Stud, going back to the 1940's.

"Jim's a pretty strong dog. He'll stand there and take a bashing and he'll go back at them. .. I got Jim to soften the dogs and improve calmness and coolness and in that respect Jim has done a terrific job.His pups are beautiful to handle. I wanted the double cross of Pace for influence. Jim's best ones are very good, lovely natures, good with whip and not early starters which I like. Some don't work until eight months but you can break them in a week."- Tony Parsons 1988

Vern Thorp (Windrush Kelpie Stud -USA). - "Jim has the smoothest cast of all the dogs I've watched [at Karrawarra]. It was only as big as Tony's place but was still nice. He was slow, determined and confident, showing excellent eye and power and when asked a bit of bite."

Tony Parsons (From 'Training the Working Kelpie 1990) - "Moreover, nearly every Kelpie of note working in Arena and Field Trials would trace to Karrawarra dogs or to dogs aquired by me over the years. Abernant Jim is a good example of this statement. This dog, which has done so much for temperament in my dogs, traces to about forty dogs bred or owned by me."

In the 1980's Karrawarra Sybil was one of the most impressive Kelpies in the Karrawarra Stud. Many breeders and handlers offered to buy her. She had particually good footwork and cover and was a pretty thing to watch and a classy worker.

"Sybil was Karrawarra Rebel's most noted daughter. When I had Rebel and Sybil as young dogs I was living on the Central Coast (NSW) and we only had an acre and a half of land and the use of some acres next door. I had some sheep but little time to do anything with dogs as I was heavily involved with marketing and away a lot. Sybil was never broken in. She was a completely natural dog...never had to be taught to cast. I have a system for grading dogs according to their inherited natural ability. I gave Rebel and Sybil nine and a half out of ten. I have never given any dog more than that.

Sybil was one of the smartest bitches I ever owned in that she knew just about everything. She could scale anything and jump anything. She was the last Kelpie I have seen that had that old time Kelpie hold and drive style. Gordon McMaster saw her working a fowl and said " that's (Rockybar) Bassey all over again". Bassey was a pretty good bitch so that will tell you what sort of bitch she was. She also bred some of the best Kelpies I have seen in late years. The Vets made a mess of a broken back leg and she literally worked on three legs for years. Alex Pyott has a terrific dog from Sybil and there is another good male with Jim Faught in Texas USA. I have two daughters and a son of Sybil.

A Victorian Kelpie enthusiast came here to get a dog from me and bought with him a Victorian Border Collie man who had just run third in the National Trials. He told me that Karrawarra Sybil was the best Kelpie bitch he had ever seen by a country mile. This was before Sybil broke her leg.

I worked Vowles Grizzly for these two men because I mated Griz to Sybil twice. The Collie man said Griz was the best male Kelpie he had seen and described him as 'an old marvel'. He was so strong and so cool and he was the only Rockybar strain dog I had through my hands that would really stand up to sheep. He had a strain of Karrawarra in him through Scanlons Butch (ex Karrawarra Zoe) and whether this helped or not I don't know but he was a strong dog. I have semen put away by Grizzly.

"I saw Karrawarra Sybil III work a couple of times at the Karrawarra property in Queensland. She was a very impressive Kelpie and really stood out. She was tall and nicely marked but the feature that really caught my eye was her footwork and cover. If the sheep moved an inch, she was there instantly blocking. Theses days there are very few kelpies that can demonstrate that sort of footwork." - Stephen Bilson (Noonbarra Stud)

I had a brilliant bitch by Grizzly from Karrawarra Sybil III. I lost her eventually with peritonitis but she was the most naturally talented bitch I bred in Queensland. If you were bringing sheep to a gate she would stand back naturally and let them draw through. Nobody taught her that, she just did it. We called her Special Girl and she was pretty special. We were offered a lot of money for her but I wouldn't let her go.

I leased a son of this bitch to Pat Murphy of Thallon and he has won four Utility Trials in a row with him. He also has a brilliant young dog by this dog - Karrawarra Rip III. Special Girl or Spec had perfect balance like her grandsire Karrawarra Rebel. he had it from the first day she worked sheep and from a liitle pup she would get through a fence to get to the head of the sheep and balance them to you." - Tony Parsons

Flipper was an early sire used by the Avenpart Kelpie Stud. There was a small write-up in one of their Stud catalogues: " This dog was an outstanding sire with very wide cast, medium eye. Would bark and back on command in shed and yard. Would work cattle. Easy to control."

*1974*	*1st*	*Novice*	*Nathalia*
*1975*	*1st*	*Improvers*	*Deniliquin*
*1975*	*5th*	*Open*	*Deniliquin*
*1977*	*2nd*	*Local*	*Moulamein*
*1977*	*5th*	*Open*	*Cootamundra*

"Zoe was the last of the litter left and we were going to keep her and Frank (Scanlon) had been up the previous day with Bert (Bromham) when they bought Karrawarra Sergeant. He came back at dawn the next morning and asked what I was doing with Zoe and I said, I'm keeping her. He said he fancied her.

She was a sort of light tan and I said, Oh well, if you want her that much you can have her but let me have something back from her. Now, she had the most concentrated blood of (Scanlons) Dell and the old Quinn dogs in Australia. Because of Newton Gem, the bitch I bought from Jim Moore. One of my foundation bitches, she was very inbred to Dell and Flash and those old dogs.

Zoe would have all the guts. In fact old Frank (Scanlon) reckoned that she was the best I'd ever bred, up to that time. That would have been the mid sixties. Evidently Frank was very impressed with her. He used her and worked her for a fair while and bred from her and he wouldn't have done that unless he thought she was alright. She had a lot of work in her. I never saw her work from that time on. I only know what Frank told me. Old Frank wouldn't keep a dog that wasn't right so she must have been good in the yard, cast and everything. Zoe was the dam of (Scanlons) Butch and put a lot of strength in the lines." - Tony Parsons 1988

Karrawarra Sergeant was the best known of Shanahans Loo's sons. He was a big red and tan Kelpie that was bought by Mr. Bert Bromham of the Glenville Stud in NSW. He won a lot of sheepdog trials and helped to keep the Kelpie prominent in a period where only a handful of Kelpies stood out on the trial field. He missed the final of the Canberra Nationals by just one point in 1970.

Karrawarra Sergeant was a bit touchy and a little nervy as a young dog but Frank [Scanlon] got him going very well and told me I could advertise him for sale. I did and Bert [Bromham] rang me and asked about him." - Tony Parsons.

Karrawarra Sergeant was the top scoring Kelpie at the 1970 National Centenary Trials. He was also 1st at Gundagai in 1968 on 87 points. A article on the trial said: "Sergeant put up a very good run at 87 in the heats and although allowed to take things fairly easily in the finals went on to win with a margin of 10 points."

1966	2nd	Karrawarra Sergeant	Bert Bronham	Open	Riverina	80/80
1966	1st	Karrawarra Sergeant	Bert Bronham	Maiden	Ampol Cootamundra	84
1966	4th	Karrawarra Sergeant	Bert Bromham	Open	Coolamon	136
1966	4th	karrawarra Sergeant	Bert Bromham	Novice	Sydney Trials	54/R
1967	2nd	Karrawarra Sergeant	Bert Bromham	Open	Gundagai	84/95
1967	2nd	Karrawarra Sergeant	Bert Bromham	Open	Boorowa	97/90
1967	4th	Karrawarra Sergeant	Bert Bromham	Open	Cootamundra	84/74
1967	2nd	Karrawarra Sergeant	Bert Bromham	Open	Tumbarumba	81/86
1967	3rd	Karrawarra Sergeant	Bert Bromham	Open	Wagga	82/LS
1968	1st	Karrawarra Sergeant	Bert Bromham	Open	Gundagai Arena Trial
1969	1st	Karrawarra Sergeant	Bert Bromham	Open	Tumbarumba Arena Trial	176
1970	4th	Karrawarra Sergeant	Bert Bromham	Open	Gundagai Arena Trial
1970	4th	Karrawarra Sergeant	Bert Bromham	Open	Taralga Arena	88/X
1970	1st	Karrawarra Sergeant	Bert Bromham	Open	Cootamundra Arena	79/88
1971	4th	Karrawarra Sergeant	Bert Bromham	Open	Riverina Trials - Cootamundra	75/74
1971	2nd	Karrawarra Sergeant	Bert Bromham	Open	Wagga Arena Trial	74/64

"I intended sending this dog to Barry Madden but John Fitzell said he had run out of Karrawarra dogs and needed one badly. Subsequently I let Barry have Karrawarra Shadow and Karrawarra Regent, both of which have won Yard Trials. Karrawarra Nick was one of the best all round dogs in Australia. Mated with a great variety of bitches, some not worth the hair on his tail, he bred good dog to every one. I think he sired over 400 pups. He was a great looking black and tan do who could do anything.

John had a small property at Armidale and was also a livestock carrier. He never put a hand on a sheep in the yard. Nick would do the lot. He could handle three sheep with a lot of class. John took him to a Yard Championship Trial at Armidale for the first time and Nick won, as I remember, two trials and ran a 90 in the Open. Boanong Oscar, a well known sire for James Dudley, is a son of (Karrawarra) Nick and his blood is in Clovaville dogs and also in Brennan's Tiger. An outstanding dog.

I tried on two occasions to get (Karrawarra) Nick to Karrawarra Sybil III but was thwarted both times. I also tried to get him to secure semen but I didn't succeed there either." - Tony Parsons

Karrawarra Bronze was one of the top early sires in the Elfinvale Kelpie Stud. He was purchased by Tim Austin from Mr. O. C. Varley in March 1963. He was written up in an early Stud brochure for Elfinvale Kelpies as follows:

"Bronze is a lithe, extremely active red coloured dog pocessing tremendous vitality. His sharp invariable pricked ears combine with a very dark brown eye to give him that striking impression that most people like to see in a sire.

Other points of valuable significance when working are: his deep chest, deep rather than barrel chested, his strong arched toes and deep pads, making a compact foot and a good tail, carried low when working.

A forceful type of trial worker with a considerable amount of 'eye'. Bronze has a fairly wide cast, watches sheep well and has a strong lift. Good with ewes and lambs, if they look like breaking, he covers them well. An extremely bold temperament, friendly to people, with an indomitable love of working sheep or cattle. He is not whip shy and will suffer abuse and punishment without sulking.

As a sire he passes on that essential keeness to work. His success as a sire is confirmed by the many written reports on pup working ability and the experience gained by the breeder in training a dozen or more of his progeny. Many of his daughters are already highly successful brood bitches within this Stud. Main comments on the Bronze pups are:-Biddable, very keen to work at an early age, good barkers, more gentle in the paddock than pure barking strain pups, and good balance when handling a mob." - Tim Austin (Elfinvale Kelpie Stud)

Karrawarra Trimmer was an older brother to Karrawarra Don, owned by Malcolm Rose of Dungowan. He was another Karrawarra Kelpie by the good sire Abernant Jim. Tony has stored semen from this good sire for future generations.

"Trimmer was a beautiful natured young dog and a chap who had my dogs said he would give him some flock work for me if that would help. When I got the dog back I didn't recognise him as the same dog. He was in very poor condition, was jittery and would turn tail. I couldn't believe anyone could bring about such a change in a dog.

I was determined to get this dog right and put twelve months on him. More work than I have done on any other dog since I came to Queensland. I eventually got Trimmer right and he became my right hand 'man'. He was a lovely dog and a lovely casting dog. He would run right around this place and I could move sheep at night with him. You could put a day old chick in his kennel and he wouldn't touch it.

John Vowles saw him at his top and reckoned he was one of the best Kelpies he had seen. I could have got a lot of money for him but money wouldn't buy him and I still miss him. I have three bitches by him and they are lovely things. I could drench and catch sheep in a corner with Trimmer. He was a lovely holding dog and a strong dog with no dirt in him. As a dog he was in my opinion, twice as handy as Abernant Jim who was a bit of a heavy going fellow. Trimmer would go over barbed wire to the last months of his life. I have had a lot of dogs that could work three sheep a lot better than Trimmer but to go and do a job he was indispensible. A really nice dog." - Tony Parsons

*1969*	*7th*	*Karrawarra Sergeant*	*(Owned & worked by Bert Bromham)*
*1975*	*4th*	*Karrawarra Punch*	*(Owned & worked by Jack Body)*
*1978*	*2nd*	*Karrawarra Punch*	*(Owned & worked by Jack Body)*

From Les Tarrant (Rockybar Kelpie Stud). " The best Karrawarra bitch I ever saw working was Karrawara Tessa, owned by George Mellington of Moree, NSW. She could work a trial or block up four thousand wethers or 400 bullocks. Really top dog and she was by Cudgee Nap. She was a black and tan bitch. She is not in the Stud book, perhaps had another name. But George told me she was by Cudgee Nap for sure. Very kind bitch but work all day and do it right."

Tim Austin of Elfinvale Stud, bought Karrawarra Gyp in the early 1960's, when he was travelling on his honeymoon, from Tony Parsons. It seems Tim spent a lot of his honeymoon visiting Kelpie Studs. Karrawarra Gyp was later used in a advertisement for Biff dog food. She was described by Tim Austin as one of his top stud bitches. "she has very strong eye, covers her sheep well. Will go over backs in shed or yards. Dark red & light tan. works cattle too."

Tom Doonan of Doonans Stud in Queensland had at least three Karrawarra Kelpies. Tom had trialled Kelpies since the Second World War. All these three Kelpies were placed in sheepdog trials.

Mrs. Erin Caterson of the Spinifex Stud in NSW bought Karrawarra Nap, Karrawarra Patch and Karrawarra Lisa. Karrawarra Nap was one of her foundation sires. She also thought very highly of Shanahans Loo.

D. Rowntree. Cresent Vale Kelpie Stud. St. George. Qld. - "We have used Karrawarra stock in our breeding program with the utmost success, particularly for all round ability and intelligence. "

Bert Bromham of the well known Glenville Stud used a number of Karrawarra Kelpies including the following: Karrawarra Sergeant, Karrawarra Coil, Karrawarra Lena. All won or placed in trials. Karrawarra Coil was was rated one of the top sires at Bromhams Kelpie Stud (before the name of Glenville). Karrawarra Sargeant was one of the best trial Kelpies of his time. Karrawarra Lottie II was another good Kelpie in the Glenville Stud. The Glenville Stud also at one time had Karrawarra Tammy and Karrawarra Patti.

Boolimba Stud used Karrawarra Kim as their top sire (Cudgee Nap x Shanahans Loo). "In our Stud, care has been taken to establish and breed keen stock of good type and sound constitution, with a high degree of natural ability. These qualities have all been maintained in the Karrawarra bloodlines, on which this Stud has been successfully founded."

The Karrawarra Stud also sold the foundation Kelpies to the Riana Kelpie Stud.

"We still have the Kelpies. I have bred around the old dogs we bought from you. The only other dog we have used was a black and tan dog called Boolimba Chum (Karrawarra Kim X Scanlons Jill). .. Karrawarra Tammy 2nd was a litter sister to (Karrawarra Zoe). Tammy 2nd was the third dog we got off you. She was a good working bitch and has bred on extra well.." - Arthur Hazlett 1981

Karrawarra Punch was used as a foundation sire for the well known Glenlogie Stud run by the late Jack Body at Holbrook in NSW. The Glenlogie Kelpie Stud had six or seven Karrawarra Kelpies in their foundation stock.

"Probably the best collection of Karrawarra strain dogs are those owned by Alex Pyott of Ayr in Queensland. Alex has a nice Stud of about 32 dogs in beautiful conditions and hardly sells a dog and is very fussy about where they go. He is handicapped by not having sheep, only goats and cattle but has some nice dogs and under great control. Arthur Trewin went up to Ayr and gave a school. When he returned to Dalby he rang me up and told me he had just seen the best lot of Kelpies he had ever seen. Why, he asked aren't those dogs being worked where people can see them ?" - Tony Parsons 1998

" Well, I first got involved with the Kelpies in 1970. Again, working with Dr. Woolsey who imported one of the first Kelpies into the United States, a Karrawarra Caesar dog. I was fortunate enough to get one of these pups out of Caesar in 1972. This was Karrawarra Rex.

Rex was the Kelpie dog I took on and started in the sheep dog trials and ended up winning a pretty big sheep dog trial here in California. He was one of the first Kelpie dogs to come to the front and win a sheep dog trial.

I then acquired 3 females from Dr. Woolsey. One was Karrawarra Ruby which is out of Arlington Ace dog. Alington Ace was an imported dog which I had also acquired in 1970. He was a very good all round dog as far as for working sheep and cattle. Karrawarra Ruby dog, born in 1972, she was a dog that I worked a lot on sheep and cattle and then she was one of my main breeding females.

I had a dog Karrawarra Dutch, a female that came along a little later that I trialled a lot and she had some things that I really liked and looked for in the Kelpies at that time. I don't think they had as much bite to them as the dogs we've tried to produce in the years, but they had a lot of style that really controlled stock naturally. We wanted to get them as quiet as we could, but it seemed like all these dogs had a lot of style to them." Al Vieira USA ( Interview with American Stockdog News)

Karrawarra Patch won the South-West Queensland Championship and three times won the Ipswitch Trials.

Kanimbla Betty was 1st in the 1954 Queensland Championships and also won the Maiden at Sydney.

" I have never claimed that all the dogs I breed are good, nor can anyone make such a claim. No matter how carefully you select your animals you will always breed some culls, as well as some dogs that might be workers but not of sufficient class to warrant selection as breeding stock." Tony Parsons (Training the Working Kelpie 1990)