Halls head interstate for yard dog championship

For the first time two brothers will be the Tasmanian representatives at the 2026 CopRice Australian Yard Dog Championship next week.

Michael and Tim Hall, from Cressy, are about to head off with 11 kelpies between them to try their luck against the country’s best across several categories.

Pictured here with their Open Championship hopefuls, Michael with Findale Jock (left) and Tim with Jindi Spade (right), the pair reckon the competition will be just like another day at work on the farm.

The Hall brothers their days on some of the northern midlands’ biggest mixed livestock operations, with just their dogs for company.

Five or six kelpies follow them like paparazzi on the back of their utes, waiting patiently for their reward – a chance to round up some sheep or cattle.

The dogs eagerly spring into action and react to simple, gruff commands and the odd whistle, but it’s the body language between dog and owner that curates their movements and the reaction of the livestock that simultaneously adjusts when, where and how hard they push.

Drafting sheep, putting them through a dip, loading them onto a truck – these everyday jobs and more will be simulated at the National Yard Dog Trials, held from March 18th–21st at the South East Field Days, 'Yakka Park', in Lucindale, South Australia. 

The event, hosted by the SA Yard Dog Association, has attracted more than 100 dogs in every class and will be live-streamed on YouTube for the world to watch.

It will be held on the back of the National Kelpie Field Trial from March 12th–15th March 2026 at the Kalangadoo War Memorial Oval.

For Michael it will be his first national event, having won the Tasmanian State Championship in October last year with a dog bred by the Halls, Findale Jock.

Jock was actually sold as a pup, but was later returned because he “was no good” and “wouldn’t work”.

As it turned out it was Michael the kelpie clicked with, and ever since the pair have been on a trajectory, not just working well together for Woodside Pastoral, but in the local trials, winning the novice in his first year of competition, improver the next and the open last year.

“He’s six now, and I have him with me every day,” Michael said.

“Some people just have a better connection with a dog than others and for me he just keeps getting better and better.”

With 5000 breeding ewes and around 6000 store lambs to move around, Jock and the rest of Michael’s team are never short of work.

Tim is the more seasoned national competitor and due to the second placegetter at the State Champs, Dennis Kline, deciding not to go to the mainland, as third placegetter Tim was happy to step up and join his brother.

Seven-year-old Jindi Spade will represent Tasmania for the fourth time, Tim for the ninth, with the combination proving they’re one of the best teams in the country making it to third place on the podium at the Nationals in 2023.

For a long time they’ve been a familiar sight at Connorville Station, which currently stocks around 4500 sheep and 2000 cattle. 

“I’m lucky to get to go away - you’re challenging yourself against the best of the best,” Tim said.

“Our dogs are doing work Monday to Friday, they’re not trial dogs, there’re farm dogs first and foremost and the trial is the cream on top.

“They’ve got to pull their weight on the farm while some competitors have dogs reserved just for trials.

“We just fine tune them a bit and take them on a holiday!”

Also heading to South Australia is a relatively new sheep dog trial competitor in Ben Lane, who works for Woodbourn at Cressy and will be looking to gain some experience with three or four dogs.

Adrian Carpenter has the honour of being selected as one of the judges.