SOME of the best working sheepdogs in Australia will be in action at Victoria Park in Koroit next week.
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The 2018 Koroit Sheepdog Trials will begin on Tuesday and run through until Saturday.
This will be the seventh staging of the annual event with sheepdog workers from Victoria and interstate journeying to Koroit for the week of competition.
The event is again being ran by its founder, champion sheepdog worker Barry Paton, in partnership with the Koroit Cricket Club.
Contacts built up from years competing in trials across the country has given Mr Paton a wide network of contacts which he can use to entice workers to Koroit.
This year’s trial will include 190 dogs in the open category and 70 in the novice.
The novice section will be judged by Joy Williams from Queensland while Paul Eillott from Dubbo will judge the open section.
Mr Paton said he is looking forward to another successful event.
“We always get really good feedback from people about how much they love coming to Koroit,” Mr Paton.
“We get some really good workers for the trial so the standard of competition is always high.
“The town gets behind it, support from businesses has been great and we get a lot of people dropping in and having a look during the week it’s on.”
Moyne Shire councillor Jill Parker paid tribute to the work done by Mr Paton and others involved in bringing the event to life.
She said the value of such community events to council can not be underestimated.
“Events like the Koroit Sheepdogs Trials provide a great economic boost to towns in our shire,” CR Parker said.
We always get really good feedback from people about how much they love coming to Koroit.
- Barry Paton
“They bring people into our towns from all over and it is a great chance to show off what we have.
“I have a lot of respect for the people in our community that give so much of their time to make things happen for their towns.
“They have a great passion for the community and for the events they run.”