In the 1960's and the 1970's Jack Mills showed just how good a Kelpie could be on the trial field. He was able to beat some of the very best sheepdogs in this country whether they were Kelpies or Border Collies.

Between 1969 and 1973 he won two National Kelpie Utility Trial Championships with his top dog, Waringa Mulga and placed an unbelivable 12 Times with his other dogs. In 1970 he took 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th place. In 1969 two more placing were by Kelpies of his breeding.

In 1963 the young Waringa Mulga was in three finals at the Nyngan Championships. In her heyday, Rockybar Gypsy had the best trial record of any sheepdog in Australia at the time. In his trialling career Jack Mills won or placed in well over 100 Sheepdog Trials.

Waringa Tammy won or placed in 21 trials. Waringa Mulga won or placed in a massive 34 Trials. Rockybar Gypsy won or placed in 31 Trials, Waringa June won or placed in 20 Trials. Bogandilla Busy won or placed at least nine times.

It was the famous Jack Goodfellow working Quinns Boy Blue at the Sydney Showgrounds that really got Jack Mills interested in trying sheepdog trials.

"I never saw a trial for some years after until I went to the Sydney Show and saw an exhibition by Jack Goodfellow, working a dog called 'Boy Blue'. A beautiful blue Kelpie and that left an impression on me. I think in those days that the winner of the NSW Championship trial, had to give an exhibition at the Royal Show. A pretty hard job to do according to Clair Butt. The people would clap and it would sound like thunder. The dogs and the man would jump"

Yes, to see that dog work at night in front of a crowd, with people clapping each time he got an obstacle. Later on I went down and realised what the sound must have been like in that ring. When they used to hold the NSW championships there, they used to refer to it as the black hole of Culcutta. Your voice re-echoed all around the thing, the dog was hearing thirty or forty different fellows talking at the one time. I was working Tammy there one time and I said something to her and she turned around and looked the other way because the voice was coming from there. The echo came from another direction.

I got my first Kelpie About 1948. When I'd gone to Guyra. A pure red from my brother at Tottenham. She was a beauty. He had started breeding the odd litter but he had a beautiful red bitch and a fellow had a good red dog there. They were a real good line of Kelpies. I still like red Kelpies today. Well, I think that's what it is. They were my first love.

I first started breeding about 1950. That's when I got my first litter from her. Some people told me about a good red dog a drover had, so I mated her to him. But I didn't keep any of the litter myself, I sold them all for 3 gns. Later on a fellow said to me, put them up to 7 gns. and you'll sell more. So that's what I did and the next lot sold like hot cakes. Most of the fellows had plenty of work for them and were happy with them. I eventually bred a litter from her by Karrawarra Bronze. I bred my first trial bitch. A fellow called Oliver Varley, lives in Guyra had him as a pup.

He was only nine or ten months old and I borrowed him and bred him. Oliver said to give him some work and teach him to cast. Most of my country had been ring-barked, so there were plenty of sticks about. Oliver bought Tony Parsons out and that's when I first met Tony. He was a younger man than I thought, I got a hell of a shock when he arrived. ....But he said there were six pups, he said just put your hand in the kennel and take any one , there isn't any difference. Six weeks old and they were all as prick-eared as anything. I kept a bitch. I decided I would have a go at trials. I registered the prefix (Waringa) with the NSW Sheepworkers Association in about 1957." - Jack Mills interviewed by Stephen Bilson

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SHEEPDOG TRIALS

"Early on, the trials were dominated by Kelpies for years and then the Collies came in after the war. The Collies were starting to get about. I remember before I started, a fellow called Eric Wickam at Guyra was trialling but he had Border Collies and he was out at home one day and I showed him Busy work and he said she was good but if you are going into trials you want to get rid of your Kelpies and get the Border Collies. So that was a challenge to me. I'll stick with my Kelpies, I know what they can do."

I was given Border Collie pups after I started trialling but I could never get along with them. I worked one in a trial once. You can go crook on the Kelpies but you can't go crook on the Border Collies. To me, they seemed too sensitive. I suppose they were more biddable but I got used to working Kelpies."

WARINGA GYPSY I

"Waringa Gypsy was a terrific station worker. One time I was taking all the sheep into the saleyards, about twelve miles into town. I'd been mustering them all for a couple of days, I was getting rid of all the ewes and lambs and getting a mob of wethers. In the morning I'd taken them half way on the TSR (Travelling Stock Route) and had breakfast and I looked at Gypsy and she could hardly walk.

She could hardly follow me but as soon as she was on the sheep she just went and worked like anything. The closer we got to the saleyards the harder she worked. She could hear the dogs barking and the harder she went. She forgot all about the soreness. When she was let off earlier she was stiff and cold but she was one of those dogs, she would work herself into the ground. She was a good dog. I had a fellow come up one time and said if you have one good dog in a lifetime you are lucky."

ROCKYBAR GYPSY

Sire:	Kalari Joker
Dam:	Rockybar Banner
Born:	20th April 1960
Colour:	Red & Tan.

Les Tarrant - "At Inverell we were at trials in about 1960 or 1961, I forget now. Jack went home from the trials to Guyra and got all his dogs poisoned. Shocking thing to happen. While he was away someone went to his house at Guyra and laid poison, so all his dogs would get poisoned. When he came back they had all died. Jack said he couldn't live there anymore, not while someone like that lived near him. Someone that hated dogs that much. Really shocking thing to happen. He ended up selling and moving to Orange.

He said he would never work another trial. I got onto him and said "Jack, I'm going to send a red & tan bitch pup to you that will win you trials for sure. I give it to you for nothing. You must make a comeback." ... Well, he got (Rockybar) Gypsy, and she was a bottler. I knew she was a good pup. Jack had her for years. I was pleased I got him back into trials."

Five times Rockybar Gypsy won the award for best Kelpie working in trials. Gypsy won 16 trials, had 6 seconds, 6 thirds and a 4th, 5th & 6th to her credit. Gypsy produced 'Waringa Mulga' by Wheelers Nap in her only litter.

 --------------------

"Over the years I have read with amusment, books or articles written by self appointed authorities on sheepdog trials etc, in which they have named what they considered to be top trial dogs, but Rockybar Gypsy has never been mentioned. Maybe she didn't have the right bloodlines. Rockybar Gypsy won sixteen trials, was placed second in six, third in six and fourth once, apart from contesting several other finals.

She once scored 99 points, losing that one point because I stopped her and allowed the sheep to drift several yards into position on my right hand side at the casting peg. A handling mistake with that judge.

She was once denied top score in the first run at Canberra, because the judge considered one sheep had got out of the pen, because its head had come out over the line, whilst I had left the ring to close the gate, even though Gypsy moved and blocked it. A ruling I will never understand.

When Gypsy was working in trials, she nearly always was in competition with George Cover's team of dogs, when George was at his top. Anyone who knew George then would know how strong that competition was.

I only bred one litter from Gypsy, which produced Waringa Mulga, who doesn't need a write up here, and Waringa Maid, who bred many good pups by different sires for my good friend at Guyra, the late John Clark.

Mulgas's record as a trial dog was well known, and he sired many good sheepdogs. Two of his daughters, Bogandilla Busy and Waringa June were trial winners, and together they won a silver tray, which has pride of place in our loungeroom, on which is engraved 'Commonwealth Centenary Sheep Dog Trial Championship, Canberra 1970. Kings Kelpie Trophy - donated by A.D. Parsons." - Jack Mills 1989

ROCKYBAR GYPSY'S TRIAL RESULTS

1961	1st (Equal)	Guyra Novice
1961	2nd	Inverell Open
1962	3rd	Inverell Open
1963	1st	Inverell Open
1964	3rd	Trundle Open
1964	1st (equal)	Parkes Open
1964	1st	Grenfell Open
1965	4th	Wellington Open
1965	1st	Gulgong Open
1965	1st	Manildra Open (93 + 99)
1965	3rd	Parkes Open
1966	1st	Pyramul Open
1966	1st	Lithgow Open
1966	1st	Narramine Open
1966	2nd	Parkes Open
1966	3rd	Parkes Show - Open 81 points
1967	1st	Rylstone Open
1967	1st	Mudgee Open
1967	3rd	Parkes Open
1967	2nd	Manildra Open
1968	1st	Glen Alice Open
1968	1st	Pyramul Open
1968	1st	Gulgong Open
1968	2nd (equal)	Boorowa Open
1969	1st	Pyramul Sweepstakes
1969	1st	Lithgow Open
1969	5th	Nat. Kelpie Trial. (1st - Waringa Mulga, Gypsy's son)
1970	2nd	Glen Alice Open
1970	3rd	Gulgong Open
1970	6th	Nat. Kelpie Trial. (Waringa Kelpies also took 2nd, 3rd,& 4th place
1970	3rd	Taralga Open

Rockybar Gypsy was retired in 1970 at ten years of age. She died at 13 years.

WARINGA GYPSY IV

In the 1980's Jack named another of his Kelpies Gypsy. This was at least his fifth Gypsy and the fourth under his Waringa prefix. He worked her at a number of exhibitions in the Orange district as well as a few local trials. He also took her to Queensland and for a short period she was also handled in trials by Les Tarrant of the Rockybar Stud. She placed in a number of Sheepdog Trials.

WARINGA TAMMY

Sire:	Craigburn Willie
Dam:	Claremont Mitzi
Born:	3rd June 1960

Tammy was a according to Jack Mills a very good all round sheepdog but spoilt many chances in Sheepdog Trials by being over-keen. He said she always seemed to be after the 'fastest time' trophy. Waringa Tammy lived to over 12 years and died of a heart attack on 21st Sept. 1972.

WARINGA MULGA

Sire:	Wheelers Nap
Dam:	Rockybar Gypsy
Born:	16th Jan. 1962
Colour:	Red and tan.

Jack Mills talking about Waringa Mulga in 1986.

"I think, Possibly my best dog for all round work would have been Mulga if he didn't have his shoulder broken early in life. He was a hell of a good dog. He had everything. He showed a lot of brains in the paddock as well. He had a lot of natural ability. Eric Wickam saw him in the first trial I ran him in at Inverell. He said to me after, If you think you have a good dog in Gypsy you have a better one there.

I was offered big money for him when I went to Nyngan. I had him in the three finals that time and after the first run, Ted Milliton, came and offered me four hundred pounds. Tom Tichurst was present of Nyngan said to Ted to keep his eye out for a good young dog for him. He offered me the money on behalf of Tom and at the end of the trial I came back and picked up Pam and Thel and told them I was offered the money for him.

He was in three finals at the Australian Championship in one go. He got two runs of 84 I think it was. In the Maiden he was beaten by two points and it was my fault. .. He just had the right amount of eye. Also he was biddable, I could stand him back if the sheep were a bit touchy. He would work well in the yards, work like hell. He was a good all rounder. He had a broken shoulder too. ..  A car hit him. But after that he would still go until he dropped at station work.  He won a hell of a lot of trials. I've seen a picture of Currawang Nap in Kelly's book and you would think it was Mulga lying there.

One of Mulga's litter (out of Powters Jill) went to Les Tarrant but he didn't make a trial dog. Another bitch went to a fellow in victoria and he sold her as a station bitch. She didn't have quite enough eye for him. He had Border Collies. A bloke called Jack Clark had 'Maid'. Well, Jack only had a few sheep. She was a good bitch and she was a good breeder. Ross Cox got some of her breeding and bred some pups on that line.

When Mulga won the first Bob Martin Trial, (National Kelpie Trial) held at Manildra, apart from his mother, there were five of his daughters from five different bitches plus a grandson competing. The two daughters I worked were Waringa June from a station bred bitch and Bogandilla Busy from Orara Penny. "

1963	3rd	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Nyngan Maiden (At 16 mths.)
1963	1st	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Nyngan Improvers.
1963	2nd	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Nyngan Open.
1964	2nd	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Lithgow Open.
1964	2nd	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Trundle Open.
1965	2nd	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Mudgee Open.
1965	2nd	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Gulgong Open.
1965	1st	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Rylstone Open.
1965	3rd	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Manildra Open.
1966	2nd	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Pyramul Open.
1966	3rd	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Parkes Open.
1966	3rd	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Lithgow Open.
1966	1st	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Rylstone Open.
1966	1st	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Boorowa Open. (Equal first)
1966	2nd	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Molong Open.
1966	2nd	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Manildra Open.
1967	3rd	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Manildra Open.
1967	2nd	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Pyramul Open 92 points
1968	2nd	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Gulgong Open.
1968	2nd	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Glen Alice. ( 1st Rockybar Gypsy)
1969	4th	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Cootamundra Open.
1969	3rd	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Manildra Open.
1969	1st	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	National Kelpie Trial. Manildra.NSW.
1970	3rd	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Central Tablelands Championships.
1970	3rd	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Glen Alice Open.
1970	3rd	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Mudgee Open.
1970	6th	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Australian Championships - Nyngan Open.
1970	2nd	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	National Kelpie Trial. Nyngan NSW.
1971	4th	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Lithgow Open.
1971	4th	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Mudgee Open. 89/69
1971	1st	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Taralga Open.
1972	2nd	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Mudgee Open. 81/75
1972	1st	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	Rylstone Open.
1973	1st	Waringa Mulga	Jack Mills	National Kelpie Trial. Windsor. NSW.

Waringa Mulga died at 13 years of age. He was still keen to work but his hearing and sight were affected.

"His greatest success perhaps was the 1963 Nyngan trials but I think my proudest moments where when the late Harry Harris of New Zealand came down out of the grandstand crowd and congratulated me on him. Mulga has now gone to where good dogs go, but I still have my memories." J. Mills

WARINGA GEM

Waringa Gem was owned and worked by the late Mack Attenborough of Manildra, west of Orange NSW. She is just one of many other Waringa Kelpies that won or placed in Sheepdog Trials.

1971	2nd	Waringa Gem	Mack Attenborough	Improver	Parkes Arena	61
1971	1st	Waringa Gem	Mack Attenborough	Open	Parkes Night Trial	78
1966	2nd	Waringa Gem	Mack Attenborough	Open	Manildra Show	92/75
1966	2nd	Waringa Gem	Mack Attenborough	Novice	Manildra Show	79
1973	2nd	Waringa Gem	Mack Attenborough	Open	Manildra	76/82

Other Waringa Kelpies that did well on the Trial ground were Waringa Gidgee, Waringa Margaret, Waringa Gypsy IV, Waringa Mallee, Waringa Tottenham and many others.

Sire:	Waringa Mulga
Dam:	Powters Jill
Born:	10th Nov. 1967

Waringa June's Sheepdog Trial Results

1969	2nd	Waringa June	Jack Mills	Holbrook Novice
1969	1st	Waringa June	Jack Mills	Taralga Invitation Novice
1969	1st	Waringa June	Jack Mills	Taralga Invitation Open
1970	won	Waringa June	Jack Mills	Kelpie Trophy, Taralga
1970	1st	Waringa June	Jack Mills	Taralga Invitation Novice
1970	1st	Waringa June	Jack Mills	Taralga Invitation Open
1971	2nd	Waringa June	Jack Mills	Nat. Kelpie Trial.85/72
1971	2nd (equal)	Waringa June	Jack Mills	Mudgee Novice
1971	3rd	Waringa June	Jack Mills	Trundle Open
1971	3rd	Waringa June	Jack Mills	Parkes Novice
1971	1st (equal)	Waringa June	Jack Mills	Forbes Novice
1971	3rd	Waringa June	Jack Mills	Parkes Night Trial.
1972	5th	Waringa June	Jack Mills	National Kelpie Trial - 57/74
1972	2nd	Waringa June	Jack Mills	Dunedoo Open (also highest scoring Novice dog)
1972	3rd	Waringa June	Jack Mills	Trundle Novice 74
1972	2nd	Waringa June	Jack Mills	Working Kelpie Council Field Day.
1972	1st	Waringa June	Jack Mills	Central Tablelands Championship.
1973	1st	Waringa June	Jack Mills	Lithgow Open
1973	4th	Waringa June	Jack Mills	Nat. Kelpie Trial.
1974	1st	Waringa June	Jack Mills	Lithgow Open
1974	2nd	Waringa June	Jack Mills	Forbes Open
1974	3rd	Waringa June	Jack Mills	Goulburn Open Arena Trial

Sire:	Waringa Mulga
Dam:	Orara Penny
Born:	12th Dec. 1967

Jack said that Bogandilla Busy was a pleasure to handle and was a bitch with a wonderful temperament . He was asked by a number of people to sell her but always refused. She only ever had two litters. The first was by Waringa Mulga, Jack's top all round Kelpie and there were four pups in the litter. Unfortunately they had to be delivered by a caesarian operation.

There were four pups in the litter and Jack kept two good bitch pups, Mallee and Myall. Myall went on to become one of Jack's top Kelpies and breeding bitches. Malle was only ever put into one trial at Forbes where she came third. Her dam, Busy won that trial and that was the last trial she ever attended.

Bogandilla Busy only ever had one other litter and this also had to be delivered by caesarian section. There was only one pup in this litter and Jack called him Caesar. He was a good yard worker for Jack and he often used him for shed work and exhibitions.

Bogandilla Busy's Sheepdog Trial Results

1970	Won	Bogandilla Busy	Jack Mills	Trophy for highest scoring Novice. Rylstone.
1970	3rd	Bogandilla Busy	Jack Mills	Nat. Kelpie Trial.
1970	1st	Bogandilla Busy	Jack Mills	Wellington Novice
1970	6th	Bogandilla Busy	Jack Mills	Tumbarumba Trials	89/57
1970	Won	Bogandilla Busy	Jack Mills	King's Kelpie Trophy. Canberra National.
1970	1st	Bogandilla Busy	Jack Mills	Manildra Open
1972	1st	Bogandilla Busy	Jack Mills	Taralga Open
1972	1st	Bogandilla Busy	Jack Mills	Working Kelpie Council Field Day.
1973	3rd equal	Bogandilla Busy	Jack Mills	Nat. Kelpie Trial. 56/86 (with Glenville Tex)
1973	Finalist	Bogandilla Busy	Jack Mills	Mudgee Arena Trial	89/52
1975	1st	Bogandilla Busy	Jack Mills	Forbes Open 88/81
1972	Finalist	Bogandilla Busy	Jack Mills	Australian Championship - Nyngan Open	96/4379

In the 1980's Jack run a few good Kelpies including Waringa Wren and Waringa Wanda. He had very little chance to run at NSW trials as he was not a member of the NSW Sheepworkers Association. Every few years he would take a holiday to Queensland. He often stayed with his good friend Les Tarrant and along with their wives, Mary and Thelma they would do a group of Trials up there.

It was unfortunate that by the 1980's many of the new sheepdog handlers coming onto the trial scene had not even heard of Jack Mills.

I was with Jack Mills one day at a small trial at Sofala near Mudgee. Jack put down his few dollars to have a run but as he was unrecognised by the steward she carefully explained to him how to work the trial. Jack just quietly listened and nodded as I stood next to him, amazed. The new generation of handlers didn't know who he was.

I saw Jack put up some lovely runs over more than 10 years and helped him with some exhibitions in Orange. It was incredible that he was able to work at all as he had a number of serious medical operations that would have retired most men including major operations on both knees, heart surgery and a hip replacement. Most of these medical problems were caused by a car accident he had some years before. - Stephen Bilson

Max and Perina Giles of the Meson Kelpie Stud set up a Trial Ground not far from Orange and named it the 'Jack Mills Trial Ground' in his honour. In the early 1990's he had many enjoyable days running his team of dogs on this ground. Mrs. Giles also had Waringa Tottenham, bred by Jack.

 

WARINGA WANDA

Sire: Port Patrick Boss

Dam: Waringa Myall II

Born: 8th March 1981

Wanda was another Kelpie that Jack Mills used a lot during the 1980's. She was a red Kelpie which was always the favourite colour of Jack's.

1985	4th	Waringa Wanda	Jack Mills	Open	Roma arena Qld.	67/36
1985	2nd	Waringa Wanda	Jack Mills	Novice	Augathella	76/73
1985	4th	Waringa Wanda	Jack Mills	Novice	Charleville Qld.	77/X
1985	2nd	Waringa Wanda	Jack Mills	Novice	Roma Arena Trial	65
1987	3rd	Waringa Wanda	Jack Mills	Invitation	Cumnock NSW	78
1989	3rd	Waringa Wanda	Jack Mills	Open	Sofala Show	47

WARINGA WREN

Sire: Port Patrick Boss

Dam: Waringa Myall II

Born: 8th March 1981

Wren was a full sister to Waringa Wanda. She damaged her eye and was blind on one side for most of her life but it didn't stop her from working and putting up some excellent performances on the Trial ground. Surprisingly she was a dog that cast well and off a fence or out of a corner. In fact as far as we're aware she never crossed in any trial.

Karrawarra Bronze over Busy II

Creaburn Willie over Claremont Mitzi in 1960 ( produced Waringa Tammy)

Waringa Mulga over Waringa Tammy in 1964

Waringa Mulga over Waringa Merle in 1965

Wheelers Nap over Rockybar Gypsy in 1967

Waringa Mulga over Waringa Wanda in 1967

Waringa Mulga over Cudgee Tuppence in 1968

Waringa Mulga over Orara Cindy in 1968

Waringa Mulga over Waringa Myall in 1968

Liscannor Marco over Bogandilla Busy in 1969

Waringa Mulga over Cudgee Lyn in 1970

Waringa Barney over Waringa Sue in 1971

Waringa Mulga over Warruth Opal in 1973

Waringa Mulga over Glenlogie Gifted in 1973

Waringa Mulga over Bogandilla Busy in 1974

Whites Hogan in 1975 over Waringa Myall II

Whites Jacko over Waringa Mallee in 1976

Scanlon Chips over Waringa Maid (produced Waringa Busy) in 1977?

Bogan Joe (By Marco) over Waringa Myall II in 1978

Port Patrick Boss in 1979 over Waringa Myall II

Dandy Dusty over Waringa Myall II in 1983

Kircaldy Vain over Waringa Wren in 1985

Rockybar Smart in 1986 over Waringa Wren

Rockybar Joe over Waringa Wanda II in 1990

May 1999 -