Les Tarrant started life on a big western property. A well used stock route went past his family's property and every day he listened to tall tales from Drovers, who he later said were probably the greatest liars on Earth and he couldn't wait to grow up and join them in their adventures. By the time he was a teenager he was doing droving jobs and stockwork on neighbouring properties.

In 1934, Les began working on 'Thurlagoona' in the Yetman area of northern NSW. He was just 15 years of age. He loved dogs and he loved the life of a Stockman. In the early days he had a number of good sheepdogs, some were kelpies and some just dogs rejected by other drovers. He didn't care all that much about pedigrees in those early days. He did however have a few good Working Kelpies.

"I spent my life handling stock. Generally on my own with only Kelpies to help me. There is nothing like a good sheepdog on the job with the sheep when you are on your pat malone. Bloke has to depend on them over and over, day after day. It's awful without them."

In the late 1940's he became more interested in trying to breed top quality Kelpies. In 1946 he met Lance Gover who was also very interested in sheepdogs. There was a big shortage of good working dogs after the war and they decided to become partners and breed Kelpies. They worked together for a number of years and although the partnership officially ended in the 1950's they continued to swap Kelpies and use each others sires until Lance died in 1969.

Les got really serious in 1950 when he set up his own Kelpie Stud and called it Rockybar. Between that period and today he has bred, trained and trialled some of the best Kelpies in this country. He has also bred a large number of Kelpies and the Rockybar name is seen in most modern pedigrees of the Kelpie today.

In the 1960's he was a foundation member of the newly formed Working Kelpie Council of Australia and served on the board of directors. For many years he was vice-president of the association and helped a lot of new breeders and trainers to learn about the Working Kelpie.

Some of his well known dogs have been Rockybar Judyrose, (who won the 1964 Qld Championships), Rockybar Bassey, Rockybar Buff, Rockybar Gypsy, Rockybar Cleo, Rockybar Lassie, Rockybar Smart, Rockybar Sailor, Rockybar Blueboy, Rockybar Jessie, Rockybar Kate, Rockybar Joe, Kalari Basil and Kalari Joker. The last two dogs were bred by Frank Harris but Les trained and promoted them and used their breeding extensively through his lines. He also used other top Kelpies such as Chondo Doll, Wallangra Pride and Wyalong Jim. In the 1980's he bought in a number of sires from other Studs including Darien, and Glendon. Glendon Claude was his main sire through the 1980's and he is found in most Rockybar Kelpies of recent years.

A lot of the early Rockybar breeding was done with the help of Lance Govers who bred under the prefix of Elgovers. In the early days Les Tarrant and Lance Govers bred and worked sheepdogs in a partnership. Lance like many of the good dog men in yesteryear was a superb horseman and was also quick to assess a horse's good and bad points. He spent many year buying and selling horses after he had broken them in. He was a foundation member of the Working Kelpie Council of Australia.

He was born at Inverell and tried his hand at most forms of bush work; tin mining, horse breaking, droving, shearing etc. He was taken prisoner in the second world war by the Japanese and spent much of his life after the war in and out of hospitals. He died at Goondiwindi on 16th June 1969, aged 64.

Three other smaller Kelpie Studs were important to the Rockybar breeding. They were the Kalari Stud, run by Frank Harris near Junee, NSW, the Glendon Stud, run by Karl Hinselwood of Queensland and the Chondo Stud run by Mick Doughty in Queensland.

Elgovers Trim - (Butlers Johnny X Elgovers Lass (By Fishers Copper) Born: 1950's

Trim was bred in partnership with the late Mr. Lance Govers. She produced a number of above average Kelpies. Twenty Three of her offspring went on to win at Sheepdog Trials. Some were sold for as much as £250. This was Rockybar's top brood bitch of the time and is still featured in the majority of the Rockybar pedigrees right up to this day. The partnership with Mr. Govers ended in 1957 but they continued to swap dogs for many years after that.

Article by Les Tarrant 1977: " Trim was a great dog. Rather a bit too casual sometimes but could be sent anywhere and nut things out by herself and cast and take her time to make bad sheep or cattle good. She was a lovely, easy bitch to work. She was the dam of 23 trial winners..."

Kalari Basil - (Stiers Sandy X Meadow Nell) Born: 19th April 1959. Colour: Tan with Black Saddle

Les Tarrant has always said that Kalari Basil was his favourite Kelpie of all time. Basil was bred by Frank Harris of Junee. Les bought a number of Kalari Kelpies including Kalari Joker, Kalari Dusty and of course, Kalari Basil.

"Kalari Basil was one of the best all round dogs I have ever owned in my life and I have worked Kelpies since 1936. I had a bitch, Bell, born about 1938 and she was a fantastic worker, clever and hardy. However for thinking power Basil would leave her and any other dog for dead. He often gave me the creeps, because he knew everything that had to be done and knew it on the spur of the moment, even if it was something he was not used to doing. He was as close to being human as any dog could be."

"He was a natural backing dog in the yards. Completely silent in his work. He only barked if he wanted my attention about something. All the barking dogs in Australia are not as effective as a dog that runs over their backs and can start sheep going and then come back over their backs and keep moving like this. Now often I have a young dog working with him, mainly bitches and his own pups. When the race is full, I stop the pup or dog and make it sit until I finish the race of sheep. If the pup won't stop after a few times I yell at it, Basil gets himself up, climbs over the sheep and belts the pup up. Then he climbs back as if it is all part f a days work. He gives me a satisfied look in these cases, as if to say "You go and finish the sheep, I will educate this pup."

" Basil takes no notice of anything going on around him, he just keeps working. He completely ignores everything except the work to be done. Regarding a bitch on heat to be mated to him, he never spends any time chasing after them. If they are right on heat, he mates and forgets them. If they are not on heat he forgets them and goes on with his work."

He never panicked and was always calm about everything. He could work longer hours than any dog I have ever seen in my life on sheep and cattle properties, droving or shed work. Never in my life have I seen a dog like him. For reasons I can't explain, he is different to any other sheepdog I have ever known.

"Something almost human in Basil. He is the greatest dog I have ever worked in my life on a property and I started working dogs in 1936. He has the brains of a human being. More brains than a lot of people for sure. It's really fantastic to just watch him."

"I found out that the best bitches to cross with Basil was a bitch that had good holding ability, were rather fiery, but intelligent, of course and light runners like Basil. Bitches that had no trace of shyness in them whatsoever. Bitches like Rockybar Gem and Elgovers Sue. Some of the best Kelpies, some of the very best Kelpies for all round work came from these two bitches sired by Basil."

Basil's last pup was Rockybar Goolagong. Born 18th November 1971. She was the only pup in the litter. Her dam was Wyreema Trisha.

ROCKYBAR BUFF

Sire: Elgovers Boss / Dam: Chondo Doll

Born: 22nd April 1968

Colour: Saddled Black and Tan

Rockybar Buff had a huge impact on the Kelpies used from the late 1970's right up to the present day. He was not owned by Les Tarrant, he was sold as a young pup to Pat McCormack in Victoria. Rockybar Buff was the sire of a large number of top class Kelpies including two that became quite famous, Liscannor Pace and Liscannor Kay.

Liscannor Kay in turn was the mother of one of the best all-round Kelpies in the 1980's, Barambogie Mack. Barambogie Mack was three times winner of the prestigious National Kelpie Utility Trial and breeder of a great many top all-round type dogs.

Pat McCormack was quoted in the Victorian Weekly Times as saying "Buff first gained his reputation through his progeny, yet he was the brainiest dog I've ever known. He had more brains in his tail than most dogs have in their heads...under pressure with Buff, you just shut your mouth. He would sort things out!".

John Gedye of the Scoriochre Kelpie Stud once described him as the best Kelpie Sire in Australia! Buff mated very well with Liscannor Emma. This mating produced Pace, Kay, Flint, Fern and many other first rate dogs. Emma was also a full sister to Liscannor Marco and Liscannor Stamp (cattle trial winner).

Les Tarrant wrote (1987): "Rockybar Buff was a pup from a trial mating of a very good bitch in Doll, to a very stylish, clever dog, Elgovers Boss (Elgovers Casey X Kellets Flare). Now Casey was a very clever dog for sure and ran to 97 points."

Rockybar Buff was not really used as a trial dog but he did win an Encourage Trial and place in a Novice. His fame is as a an outstanding sire.

with 2 other crosses of Rockybar Buff on the other side.

Chondo Doll was bred by Mick Doughty of the Chondo Stud. She was by the top Rockybar Sire, Kalari Basil. Chondo Doll was also the dam of Rockybar Buff, one of the leading sires in the Liscannor Stud and a dog that bred an amazing number of above average Kelpies. Pat McCormack, the Stud master of Liscannor, once said that Rockybar Buff was the brainiest dog he'd ever known. He said that buff had more brains in his tail than most dogs have in their heads. Not too surprising when Chondo Doll was by Kalari Basil.

Chondo Doll won the 'Stanley McMaster' trophy at the Queensland Championships. She scored 81 in the Novice, 83 in the Open and then 91 in a run off for the trophy against Cudgee Jan.

In a letter to Stephen Bilson from Les Tarrant. May 1988: " Chondo Doll the bitch that won me more trophies than any dog I have owned and only for rain would have won the Novice at Canberra in 1968. 3 inches of rain fell in 35 minutes. and I was in 13 minutes of it and walked off with water flowing over the top of my rubber boots and Doll swimming.."

" Dogs working in the yards get their feet trod on all the time. Basil never had a broken toe, but old Chondo Doll, his daughter and a great bitch in the yard, had most of her toes bent and broken."

 Rockybar Judyrose - ( Kalari Basil X Rockybar Gem) Born: 2nd Oct 1961

"The good calm dog, Kalari Basil lacked what Gem and Wyalong Jim had, in blocking up and holding. However, they lacked what he had too. I could see that if only I could get the good points of these dogs and put them together I could make a Champion dog. Well I mated Gem to Basil and got a litter of pups but Roundworm killed them all but one bitch pup. I was away at the time and it does not take these killers long once they get into pups. The bitch pup was medium sized, the colour of Basil. I called her Judyrose. She was the best trial bitch I ever owned. She was just what I wanted. She had all of Basil's good points and a lovely quick blockup. Yet no pressure at all unless it was wanted. She could block a bad break and completely relax again and so that let the sheep calm down and in no time she had them as quiet as pet lambs."

She won the 1964 Queensland Championships, with two runs of 93. Beating the great Yarramine whisky and the Geoff Jolly bitch, Glanburvie Sue (Both Border Collies). After that the great drought of 1965-1966 put paid to any more starts in trials. I was battling to keep my head above water or lack of water, feed sheep for two years and then wool fell and we found out it would have been a lot cheaper if we'd let them die. The greatest laugh was that the ratbag government decided to give £1500 to the people who had lost their flocks in the drought. So the sheepmen that let all their stocks die got enough money to buy again but the person who spent his last cent on them and saved them, got nothing.

Well Judyrose never got the chance to start again in a trial. She got poisoned by Aerial spraying in 1967, just after the drought broke.

Article by Les Tarrant. May 1980: " Judyrose was a second Basil in work, but had better footwork and holding ability and although a rather calm bitch she was a natural backing dog like Basil in the yards. But where Basil was a silent dog, Judyrose barked. Of course, like all good all-round Kelpies she was dead silent on three sheep. She had a lot more holding ability on three sheep than Basil."

Rockybar Bassey - (Kalari Basil X Elgovers Sue) Born: 1966

Article by Les Tarrant. May 1980: " I then bought 'Sue' from Lance Govers and the next mating produced two Championship Trial winners in Rockybar Snow and Rockybar Bassey. 'Snow' was featured in all the newspapers in Western Australia after winning the Perth Royal Show Trials and then shortly afterwards running a close second in the Western Australian Championships. The next year he repeated these two performances. 1st at the Royal and 2nd in the WA Championships.

Article by Les Tarrant May 1980: "Bassey was perhaps one of the greatest bitches ever worked anywhere. She won the Queensland State Championship Novice Trial and then the Riverina Championship in NSW". There was a protest at this trial by some of the competitors who said she crossed at the bridge. The judge said she didn't. However her owner was upset at the attacks from the other placegetters and gave up trials for good. "A most unfortunate thing to happen, as this bitch would have won many more good trials. She was all class and one of the best of paddock dogs and perhaps the greatest of yard dogs. Back and bark."

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Rockybar Ripper - ( Whites Badge X Friesmead Trixie) Born: 1969

Rockybar Ripper was the sire of Cudgee Jeff. Jeff mated to Tinagrro Lady produced Glendon Claude. Whites Badge, the sire of Rockybar Ripper was by Chondo Chance.

"After working trials well in Queensland he was sold to Bill Carr in Victoria who did well with him and won the Open Championship at Kerang. He was sold to the Kirkcaldy Kelpie Stud and was considered one of the Stud's most successful sires." - Les Tarrant

Ripper was used as a sire in the Kirkcaldy Kelpie Stud. In their catalogue of 1984 they wrote: " Although Ripper died in 1981, his influence is very dominant and will remain so for a long time to come through his progeny who are working and breeding in all states of Australia. We will continue to use his progeny in the Stud for their high quality standard of attributes. They are producing good allrounders, showing eye, with barking and backing ability.

Rockybar Blueboy - (Rockybar Sailor X Koran Bonny) Born: 20th Sept. 1966

Rockybar Blueboy was a dark blue and tan male. Blueboy was a full brother to Wallangra Pride and Wallangra Nap. Sailor the sire of Blueboy was a big black and tan and rather long in his coat, like his dam Wyalong Jazz

Letter from Les Tarrant. March 1981-After the death of Blueboy.

"There was never anything beautiful about old 'Bluey'. He put me in mind of another dark blue Kelpie of long ago, who was also no beauty, and that was the very good Kelpie dog, McMasters Ned. Blueboy was not as ugly as Ned but he did have that heavy great head on him that Ned had!

In fact he had a very nice head on him but that's as far as I will go in praising his looks. He had the same bad coat that McMasters Ned had, something like a worn out mat. There is the same blood in both these Kelpies away back generations but of course one died some 20 years before the other.

Blueboy was a great cast and pick-up dog. In trials he won 'Best Cast, lift and draw' several times and in fact always did this better than just 'good'. He was a great casting dog and could get control of the very wildest Merinos ever worked by any dog. He lost an eye working in thick Mulga country as a young dog of about 20 months of age. He never missed it because nothing ever escaped his one big, bright brown eye. When he died at 16 years of age his one good eye still had good sight in it.

1977	2nd	Novice	Beenleigh Qld. 62 points.
	2nd	Brisbane Show Novice	(worked by Les Tarrant)
	'Highest Scoring Kelpie	Brisbane Show Novice	(worked by Les Tarrant)
	2nd	Novice Longreach	(Worked by George Mellington)

Rockybar Smart - (Rockybar Peter II X Wyreema Trisha). Born: 28th Feb 1978

Rockybar Smart was a full brother to Rockybar Spice, one of Les Tarrant's top stud bitches in the 1980's. He was also a full brother to Rockybar Gold Coin, a Stud sire for Jim Faught's Stud in the USA. He was a black & tan male with a lot of tan and masked face. Smart was a very strong Kelpie and was good at working sheep or cattle. He was originally sold as a pup for working cattle with a contractor and came back to the Rockybar Stud when his owner moved into town. He was used as a sire at Rockybar for a number of years and then in late 1984 he was sold to the Noonbarra Working Kelpie Stud. While there he bred a number of litters and was used as a sire by the Waringa and Meson Studs. He died in June 1988.

Some of the good Kelpies sired by him were Rockybar Cherry Cheer, Rockybar Bright Dot, Waringa Margaret, Noonbarra Tina, Noonbarra Shane, Rockybar Needle, Meson Minder, Meson Milly, Rockybar Nero and many others. He usually threw at least one masked Kelpie pup in each litter. He went back on bloodlines to the great old Kelpie, Kalari Basil.

Glendon Claude - (Cudgee Jeff X Tinagroo Lady II). Born: 1980

Glendon Claude was originally owned by Mike Lennon of Brigalow Kelpie Stud. He was the top sire in the Rockybar Stud in the 1980's. His biggest trial win was the Brisbane Show Open in 1986. Claude bred a lot of pups for the Rockybar Stud and these days is featured in nearly all Rockybar Kelpies. In 1985 Glenden Claude was also a member of the Australian Trial team against a team from New Zealand. Les gave Glendon Claude to Kelpie breeder, John Donaldson of Toowoomba in 1990.

Some of Glendon Claude's Trial Placing.

1983	1st	Brisbane	Novice
1983	3rd	Tara	Championship
1984	1st	Dalby	Improvers.
1984	1st	Beenleigh	Open
1985	2nd	Kalbar	Open
1986	1st	Qld. Royal	Open
1987	4th	Brisbane	Open

He knows me backwards now. I know him too. He seems to think we can solve anything now. I do awful things with him on the bridge with sheep and make it impossible for him - but he solves it every time. I am always sure of him at most things all the way around the trial ground." ... " ..He is a very easy dog to take sheep away from me as well as bring to me. I can take them away or left or right of me and put them anywhere and British sheep or Corriedales what have we there will suit him." - Les Tarrant 1986

Some Breeding Notes from Les Tarrant in 1988 - " A tall active big strong Kelpie with a relationship of blood in both sides of his pedigree to Rockybar dogs. Claude is a very successful trial worker and bred for quiet strength and is a very good bridge dog with some nose bite only. His best wins were at Brisbane Show, three years a winner there. He was the top scoring dog in the International Trial held there in 1985. Five of New Zealand's best trial winners competed there that year. Claude won it by 6 points. It was a great win.

He has been a great sire for the Rockybar Stud and his best pups have been from Rockybar bitches with the blood of Rockybar Smart in them. They are very good paddock dogs and the ones given the chance have won good trials and scored to 97 points.

He is now 8 years old (written in 1988). His grandsire Rockybar Ripper needs no introduction as after working trials well in Queensland he was sold to Bill Carr in Victoria who did well with him and won the Open Championship at Kerang. He was sold to the Kirkcaldy Kelpie Stud and was considered one of the Stud's most successful sires.

Looking further into Claude's pedigree were some very successful Trial dogs and very good matings. Cudgee Jan was a very good bitch winning some very good trials including the Brisbane Open with two scores of 92 and 94. Her sire (Cudgee Shandy) also won amongst other good wins for his owner, Jack Smith, the Brisbane Open Trial.

Rockybar Joe

(Glendon Claude X Rockybar Cherry Cheer)

Born: 11th August 1988

Rockybar Joe was the top sire used by Mrs. Perina Giles in the Meson Working Kelpie Stud in NSW. She put a order in to Les Tarrant for a good sire to blend with her own Meson bloodlines. Mrs. Giles has been a friend of Les Tarrant's since the early 1960's and was helped a lot in her early breeding and training programs by him. It took nearly two years before Les had a male he thought would be suitable but he certainly picked a good one.

Rockybar Joe made a noticeable improvement in the Meson Stud and was highly sought after as a sire by other breeders and studs including, Webbs Kelpie Stud, O'Gradys Kelpie Stud, Clovaville Kelpie Stud, Potters Kelpie Stud, Joes Kelpie Stud, Spinifex Kelpie Stud, Croakes Kelpie Stud, and a number of others.

Joe was never trialled very much but in the few outings he had he placed in Yard and Arena sheepdog trials and was a reliable performer. Some of the good Kelpies in the Meson Stud by Joe include, Clovaville Boska, Potters Deb and Joes Emma.

ROCKYBAR AND NATIONAL KELPIE TRIAL PLACINGS

It is interesting to note that all these awards are won by other handlers using the Rockybar Kelpies. Glendon Claude did run at the 1986 Trial handled by Les Tarrant but failed to place.

The Rockybar Kelpies were well known for doing well in Arena Sheepdog Trials (Usually known as Three-Sheep Trials) and many other handlers had success with them in this area. Most went to far western properties in Australia's outback country and were not often seen by others. Les sold many hundreds of Kelpies all over Australia as well as overseas and certainly helped to keep the Kelpie name prominent.

Mary and Stephen Bilson Noonbarra Kelpie Stud