Karmala Merino and Working Kelpie Studs: Bitches

Riana Delta Dawn 44613 AJH 1G
14/4/2003
Driftwood Clyde X Riana Bula
Blue/Tan

Delta was to have been retained at Riana. I appreciate the opportunity to purchase such a nice bitch. Her pedigree goes back to Karrawarra Tammy II on both sides. Tammy was an outstanding bitch who bred very well and is still considered by Arthur as one of the best he has owned. Arthur says Delta reminds him very much of the way Tammy worked.

It has been interesting to watch Delta’s work develop over the years as she gets more experience on stock. During the winter months I take sheep out grazing on stubbles nearby, and this has given her the opportunity to develop a searching cast. She will now kick herself out wider on her outrun, both on command and on her own judgement. Delta is also an effective worker in the yards without back and bark. I have no trouble drafting with her on my own.

As Delta has aged she has learned to conserve energy and uses minimal effort to move stock, allowing them to drift off her and only correcting their direction when needed. She is a quality bitch with beautiful footwork and anticipation, to watch her work newly shorn lambs is a delight. Her pups have been very useful types, not at all tied up with eye, and most are strong on cattle.

Riana Delta Dawn at 1yo.

Delta at 6yrs after weaning her Glen litter in 2009.

Karmala Swaggy(Karmala SpikeXRiana Delta Dawn) has inherited many of his mother's traits.

Delta bringing them home, 2007

Karrawarra Gift IV A2F 11609 02
4/2002
Karrawarra Rip III X Karrawarra Gemma
Black/light tan

Karrawarra Gift has a great temperament, she is a lovely bitch to handle and a bit of a character…she has the most engaging grin and a habit of ‘talking’ to you, especially around feed time.

Gift’s work is very classy with a great ‘break out’; she has natural strength and walk up combined with a calm temperament. As a pup Gift appeared on Burke’s Back Yard when Don ‘road tested’ the Working Kelpie.

Gift has worked with James Dudley contract mustering. She has an excellent cast and is not tied up with too much eye. Will also work cattle, and barks on command. An easy bitch to work, very natural and correct.

Gift reared a litter of 7 by Karmala Spike in 2006. Bindi has been exported to Patrick Stubbe in Belgium. Gidgee flew to the UK in Jan.08 to Tracy Huxtable in pup to Riana Glide. Both these bitches have developed into useful types.

A litter of 4 by Riana Glide has proven to be well above average and this mating was been repeated(b.2/08) ; the second mating resulted in 7 pups and proved an outstanding litter.

Gift takes after her dam Karrawarra Gemma in appearance, and Glen and Win also show an uncanny resemblance to their grand dam. I had originally picked another pup from the litter when I went to pick up Gift as a 6 week old pup, but Tony Parsons suggested I swap her for Gift. When questioned, he replied that he believed the pup who most resembled her mother would also retain her working traits to the greatest degree…whether that is true or not, these 3 generations have certainly confirmed my belief in the influence of the bitch in breeding.

Gift deals with a stroppy XB ewe with twins using persuasion and bluff. I have never seen her bite a sheep.

Karrawarra Gemma, a lovely old bitch.

Karmala Lily(Riana GlideXKarra.Gift) has mum's undivided attention.

Karrawarra GiftIV with 3 of her daughters by Riana Glide. K. Lily(left), Gift, K.Tilly, K.Win.

Woorivale Spice
9/2001
A3F 11075 01 OZ14E (V-A12)
Woorivale Jim X Karrawarra Sugar

Spice is a neat black and tan combining the bloodlines of some famous old Kelpies. Her mother Karrawarra Sugar is a litter sister to Karrwarra Rip3 has been a good brood bitch; she is the dam of Bellrock Anna(Tool) who died recently(5/07) at Karrawarra. Spice’s sire is Woorivale Jim (Nacooma Jack X Rockybar Betsy) a nice type and a handy all rounder.
In October 2003 Spice ran a 95 in the first round of the Encourage at the Queensland Championships; the points were deducted for her owner’s inexperience. Spice is a clever little bitch with good stock sense and a lot of class. She has developed more strength with experience, and has recently displayed a taste for pushing up in the shed. I moved a mob of sheep with her along a busy roadside and continued another kilometre or so across country in July 08, and hardly had to speak to her.
In 2010 I decided Spice deserved a break from having pups and made a verbal agreement with Kylie McLaughlin re taking Spice. This turned out to be a disaster on all fronts and I heard via the WKC that Spice died this year. Kylie confirmed that she’d taken a bait while mustering. A tragic end to a wonderful little bitch, I will always feel guilty that I let her go.

Woorivale Spice in 2003

....and in 2007, after rearing 30 nice pups.

Spice and K.Clyde hold sheep as they graze a waterway.

Karmala Phoenix(R.RaddleXW.Spice) at 15 mths has matured into a useful member of Simon Hartwich's team.

Peg is the type of bitch I would love to breed exclusively. She has a wonderful temperament, a very loyal nature, is a nice leggy type and her work is also hard to fault. She will cast out well and gather her stock, gives them a bit of room, and will ease off when they settle. She is prepared to come in and bark and push up in the yards and is a very active, agile bitch.
Peg whelped 7 pups to K.Akubra in June 2010 and did a great job for a maiden bitch; the pups have started well and have grown into big, good looking dogs like their sire. She has been down at Walgett working for Rod Weate, who very kindly took her over to Dubbo recently and mated her to Migaloo Maverick(Karmala SpikeXTracker Amber(Riana GlideXKarra.Ruby)).
Maverick is owned by Brad Cavanagh and is building a reputation as a ‘go for’ dog capable of any job. Pups due June 2011.

Karmala Peggysue(Karmala GlenXRiana Delta Dawn)...ticks all the boxes: temperament, type and versatility.

K. Peggysue enjoys her first run after rearing a very even first litter. These pups have her nice easy going nature and are great pups to handle.

'I said sit!' Peg takes after her mother Delta as a strict disciplinarian with her pups! Here she has six of her seven boys well under control. A lovely sensible litter, friendly and calm.

Peg's patient pups waiting for their dinner.

Nessie is a nice leggy young bitch, the second bitch from Spice to be retained at stud.
She went out to Stewart Oates, Jimargil, Menindee, to be broken in.
Due to lack of work here, Ness has gone over to Warner Bros. Paradise Farm on the Gold Coast for some more work experience. This involves small amounts of sheep work and a lot of socialising with the largely Chinese and South Korean audience, which she loves.
I collected Ness recently to bring her home for mating and watched her ‘perform’. She has grown in confidence and enjoyed some real work when back home; the quiet and stroppy old stud ewes had a lot of respect for her.
Ness has been mated to Meson Stig

Karmala Finesse(Riana FinchXW.Spice) has her first look at sheep at 4 mths.

Nessie as a mature bitch when she returned from Menindee where Stewy Oates broke her in.

Tilly is a litter sister to Karmala Glen and spent 8 months with David Hart at Oakwood. She is a classic type of bitch, leggy, classy, great nature.
At a ‘pup day’ at Arthur Crumblin’s at Leyburn Tilly impressed with her sheep work, and Arthur has taken her to train further. Later we will share litters from her.
It is by this exposure to different work environments that I am able to accurately assess a dog’s strengths and weaknesses. Tilly will get valuable mustering experience in the Traprock country, a test for any dog. Arthur likes her temperament very much, and she settled in with him quickly.
A year later, Tilly is mustering confidently for Arthur; unfortunately she has come on heat at shearing and crutching times when he most needs her! Tilly had a litter to Arthur’s good dog Whitehead’s Tracker early 2011.

Karmala Tilly on cattle at Oakwood.

Karmala Tilly, 1 year.

Karmala Tilly(left) and her little sister Lily working Arthur's lambs at Leyburn.

Karmala Lyddy is the same breeding as Karmala Spike but from a later mating. She was returned for some schooling on sheep and started very well, and when Spike died prematurely I bought her back… at that stage(1 year) she hadn’t done any work. Lyddy has a great nature, and is very easy to handle.
David Hart was good enough to start Lyddy on cattle and she was reading her stock well and was prepared to hold calmly when she came home. I have worked Lyddy on some very tough XB ewes and lambs; she works them confidently, and they respect her and move off her well.

Lyddy had a nice litter to Falcon Dart in 2008.
In April 2009, Lyddy whelped 5 pups to Karmala Glen, and reared a nice litter to Milburn King. She whelped to Karmala Glen, Aug.2010. K.Lyndy from the first Glen mating was ‘Dux of the Dogs’ at Longreach Ag. College with Lisha Bennett in 2010. They are now working out at Blackall and Lisha reports that Lyndy is really hitting her straps with real work.

Karmala Lyddy

Karmala Lyddy and Riana Glide

Karmala Lyddy minding the sheep who were grazing stubbles last winter.

Karmala Dell(Falcon DartXKarmala Lyddy) working ducks in Nth Q'land last summer when it was perfect weather for them!

K.Dell preparing to block. One of these photos could turn up in Tony Parson's new Kelpie book next year.

KARMALA SCOUT (Riana FinchXPaddy’s Elkie) Reg WKC 53328JK18C(V-56)
DOB 3-9-2009

Right from when she was a puppy, she has had so much natural instinct that she hasn’t required any training to perform her stockwork, she is always in the right spot at the right time.
She is a clever worker and sees the big picture, even the obstacles aproaching and she always knows where I am.
She has more than earnt her keep finding stock for me in the bush, her sense of smell, hearing and direction is a big assett. When mustering she swims out in the water to get the stock up off the outcrops on the banks, very clever.
Our cows aren’t broken in, aren’t handled often, there is not enough of them to form a nice safe mob and they always have calves on them, so generally it can be dangerous to work them. Scout’s style is very effective on them, she keeps off at a good distance and applies the right amount of pressure so they don’t feel threatened enough to turn and fight her or flee, she just gets them all walking along nicely, no stress, no fuss.
I like how she is patient with her stock, she doesn’t get hot headed and rush in and make a mess of things and she gets things done quicker, calmer and safer because of it. Scout does not like to have excited or fast moving stock and controls the head/leaders and settles everything down nicely, so wonderful to watch her do it.
She is very willing to please and takes directions well, which is why I hope we can finally start trialling next season.
Not many dogs could live her ‘pet’ life, be a nice calm family dog to live with and still stick at it in really difficult work situations, she keeps going and going until the job is done, even in some of the worst hail storms where she has needed stitches on her head and hips.
Scout would have been an amazing drover’s dog, she would have held the mob together and minded them all night in any weather.

Karmala Scout, calm and clever.

A very relaxed first time mum.

Lily is the second daughter of Gift to be retained in the stud. She spent a year with Grant Hutchins at Tenterfield where she has had the opportunity to work sheep and cattle.
Lil is a little stronger than her sister Tilly; she came on heat soon after getting home and was mated to Whitehead’s Tracker owned by Arthur Crumblin. He is a versatile, useful dog with a very calm nature and good strength on cattle.
Lily is the image of her mother Karrawarra Gift IV but her work is even better; she is a very classy young bitch. Her second litter by Migaloo Maverick is working well, two of the pups went to Sweden.

Karmala Lily at 18 months....all class.

Karmala Lily working cattle for Grant at Tenterfield in June, 2010

K. Lily's litter by Whitehead's Tracker.

Grant Hutchins' Karmala Neon( Whitehead's TrackerxKarmala Lily) showing exceptional patience and calm for a young kelpie.

Karmala Moolah(Jen) in Sweden with her owner Asa Wallstrom.

Sire: “GLENDON BENNY”(Koomalah’s Ted X Grawoodglen Jemma)
Dam: Woorivale Spice

Brandy is one of Spice’s best daughters and considered an exceptional young bitch by such Kelpie legends as Tony Parsons and Arthur Crumblin. She is a very well made red/tan and looks and moves a lot like her sire, Glendon Benny. Brandy is very clever and also level headed, a rather unusual combination in Kelpies. She is naturally a very correct worker and has plenty of strength as well as class.
We consider her too valuable as a brood bitch to risk her going out to work.

Karmala Brandy (Glendon BennyXWoorivale Spice) works sheep for the first time at 9 months.