Around 1900, the Partnership of Alec McLeod and Charles Beechworth King of Carcoar (originally of Hanging Rock, near Wagga) was formed. This Charles King is a cousin of Charles T.W. King that originally owned Kings Kelpie out at Humbug Creek between Ungarie and Condobolin. Although it was Alec McLeod who did most of the upfront work in the partnership, his association with the King family allowed him to promote his Kelpies much better. Alec McLeod often referred to the partnership as the originator of the Kelpie breed due to his association with Mr. C.B. King. Walter King of Hanging Rock, (a brother of Charles and Jack King) also did some breeding with the King and McLeod Stud.

Alec McLeod did an amazing job of promoting the Kelpies right across Australia as well as overseas, especially New Zealand. He grabbed every opportunity to promote and sell his dogs. The King & McLeod Kelpies were highly sought after.

Alec McLeod lived on Canonbar Station at Hermidale near Nyngan in western NSW. He worked here as manager. The property ran approximately 75,000 sheep. McLeod also bred his Kelpies on another property in the same general area called, 'Wilga Downs'.

The King & McLeod Kelpies were easily recognised because when McLeod was on Canonbar Station he fire-branded each Kelpie he sold with a small C on their nose. Many of them also had an ear punch. A lot of the King & McLeod Kelpies were broken-in and trained by Mr. Alf O'Brien, who also trialled some of them.

 The King & McLeod partnership dominated the sheepdog world from 1900 to about 1930 or thereabouts. Alec McLeod was a very aggressive promoter of sheepdogs and seized every opportunity to show his dog's ability before the public. The King and McLeod Stud became well known for their gimmick of getting a dog to work a chicken into a jam tin. A photo of their famous Kelpie, Biddy doing this demonstration was often used for publicity purposes. McLeod even performed the exhibition with the chicken for the Prince of Wales. So business like was their approach to breeding sheepdogs that they approached the major jam company in Australia (IXL) and asked for payment if they used their jam tins with the name prominently displayed.

The King & McLeod advertising was bold and very attention getting. No one had ever sold working dogs like this before. One of their advertising flyers stated that the King & McLeod Stud could get a Kelpie to any port in the world. Another stated that the Stud had bred or purchased every sheepdog to win a major trial in Australia over a period of twenty five years.

A fact that is little known about the Stud is that they did not only promote Kelpies but later when Border Collies became available imported and sold these as well. They imported the very first Border Collie, Hindhope Jed in 1901.

The King & McLeod Stud is still well remembered today and some breeders even advertise their breeding as going back to pure King & McLeod stock. However, few breeders (if any) are alive today that had original King & McLeod Kelpies.