‘A bit of a weapon’ … Thomas Woolford and his dog Ringers Mac took out the Murray Valley yard dog open championships at the 2026 Henty Machinery Field Days. Photo: Andy Rogers.
Thomas Woolford’s love for working dogs began on a modest 20-acre block watching his Pop work a dog that “was not very good”.
“But I loved it anyway,” he said.
That childhood memory drove him to take up the sport of yard dog trialling six years ago and culminated in Thomas and his own kelpie, Ringers Mac, taking out the Murray Valley open championships at Henty during the week.
In stark contrast to his Pop’s working dog, four-year-old Mac is “a bit of a weapon”, according to Thomas.
He’d set himself a goal to win the open event at Henty on his first attempt with the black and tan dog he bought as a 12-week-old puppy.
Incredibly, Mac is the first dog Thomas has trained.
He uses him as his main working dog on a mere 19,000 sheep and 1500 cattle at Bobbara Station, near Galong NSW.
“He has been going really well,” Thomas said. “He is just so calm outside, he doesn’t upset his stock and puts just enough pressure in there.
“He will muster in the rough country and then on the flat on his own. He’s got a bit of power behind him when you need it.”
Thomas had been busy lamb marking and sent his entry in for Henty two days before the cut-off date, hoping he would make it.
He said he was thrilled to win the trophy which carries the hallowed name of two-time winner and mentor Dean Incher:
“I’ve always wanted to do it so got into the sport six years ago and haven’t looked back.”
Thomas, who is actually a qualified builder, made the move to agriculture to follow his passion.
He has a team of six working dogs and several seven-month-old pups.
“I don’t work a day in my life I reckon – that’s how much I love it,” he said.
“Mac will go home now, be back at work on Monday, and then get ready for the Australian championships next year.
“He’s worth his weight in gold – if someone offered me $100,000, I wouldn’t sell him!”
Mac has already proven his immense value on the national stage, having won the 2026 Australian Yard Dog Championships in South Australia, followed by a second-place finish in the NSW State Championships.
In a tightly contested eight-dog final at Henty, Thomas claimed victory on 192 points under Gundagai judge Chris Sellars, just edging past runner-up Emelia Stockhill and her dog Nala on 189 points.
The prestigious event drew entries from across NSW and Victoria to compete in maiden, novice, improver, and open classes.
For those who couldn’t make it to the dusty edge of the arena, the action was livestreamed from Henty, giving viewers from around Australia and the world the opportunity to watch stockmanship skills in real time.
Commentator and fellow trialler Michael Clark noted that competitors were able to use the digital coverage to study runs and pick up pointers.
“The working dog industry is in a growth phase at the moment with dogs shown all over the world,” he said.
Trial co-ordinator Barrick Parker, from Cootamundra, said the prize pool and in-kind sponsorships amounted to $10,000 for the competition, which runs under the umbrella of the NSW Yard Dog Association.
At the finals presentation, Marcus Campbell received the open championship stockmanship award after successfully qualifying three dogs for the grand final, while Emelia Stockhill was recognised as both the high-point and highest-placed female handler.
As for his winning Henty debut, Thomas said he relished the opportunity to compete against the cream of the crop.
“Everyone talks about how good Henty is and that’s why I wanted to come and give it a crack,” Thomas said. “The best handlers in the country are here and to take it out is pretty special.”
