A first-time chance entry for St Leonards farmer Pip Flower blitzing most of the competition in a national working dog competition.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Miss Flower and Hurricane were the runner-up in the national Cobber Challenge competition, second only to a returning champion.
This year's Cobber Challenge was an all-stars versus contenders competition, with returning winners taking on new faces.
Miss Flower said she didn't believe just how much Hurricane ran.
In other news:
"It was fascinating to see how many kilometres Hurricane does," she said.
Sixteen-month-old Hurricane was beaten by New South Wales all-star team Glenda Rogan and Buddy.
The competition was launched in July and run through to September, with GPS trackers fitted to the dogs, logging their kilometres each day.
Only 67 kilometres were separating the top three in the final week of the competition - but Buddy and Glenda took the win at the final moment.
Hurricane and Miss Flower narrowly beat Western Australia's Harrison Scott and his kelpie Elise, who came in third place.
Previously I've estimated it based on the odomoter on the motorbike but that doesn't catch him going back and forwards. He did double what I was expecting - he's a ripper of a dog.
- Farmer Pip Flower
Miss Flower said Hurricane did double the kilometres she expected.
"Previously I've estimated it based on the odometer on the motorbike, but that doesn't catch him going back and forwards. He did double what I was expecting - he's a ripper of a dog," she said.
The winning team set a new Cobber Challenge record, by doing 835 kilometres over the three-week competition.
"We love the Cobber Challenge because it brings attention to the invaluable contribution that working farms make on Australian farms every day," competition organiser Kellie Savage said.
"Our farmers tell us that a good dog is worth five workers. They don't just provide a safer, more efficient work environment, but there is incredible mateship between farmers and their dogs."