IT takes a big heart to run a marathon for three days straight but that is what it took for Flow to take out the 2017 Cobber Challenge.<\/p>\n
Calling a sheep and beef property in the picturesque hills of Tasmania home, Flow is a six-year-old Kelpie.<\/p>\n
During the three-week competition that tracked two dogs from each state as they went about their daily work, she clocked up a total of 716 kilometres, that\u2019s 37.7 kilometres every day.<\/p>\n
In the final week of the contest she ran 54.1 kilometres, 57.8 kilometres and 50.8 kilometres in three consecutive days, astounding even her owner, Fingal\u2019s Brad McDonald.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a bit of an eye-opener, it was pretty crazy seeing her complete three back-to-back marathons,\u201d says proud owner Brad McDonald.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t come into the competition wanting to win, but the best bit has really been seeing Flow give 100 per cent every day, she\u2019s a little dog with a big heart and she doesn\u2019t want to let anyone down.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over the course of the competition, Flow\u2019s GPS collar reported an average of 37.7 kilometres each day.<\/p>\n
Flow looked like a strong contender early on in the competition said Cobber Brand Manager Marika O\u2019Leary.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs distance travelled, duration and average speed was uploaded daily from each of the 12 dogs in the competition, it became apparent early on Flow was going to be a strong competitor.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was the first time we had Tassie dogs in the competition, and they sure put their best foot forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth Flow, and our other Tasmanian competitor Angel, really showed just how much effort the unsung heroes of Australian agriculture put in,\u201d Ms O\u2019Leary said.<\/p>\n
When the competition concluded, and the GPS collars were turned off each dog Sunday night, Angel was sitting in third place on the leader board.<\/p>\n
Owner Alex Gregory bred and trained Angel, and says seeing her develop into such a skilled dog that plays such a big part on the farm is hugely satisfying.<\/p>\n
Second to Flow was Riley, from Kyogle in far north New South Wales with owner Bec Sneath admitting it wasn\u2019t often New South Wales was pipped by Tasmania.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I\u2019m proud of Riley, I\u2019m a bit shocked with how much he does.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter this competition, we will appreciate them so much more now knowing how hard they work.<\/p>\n
\u201cA few people have spoken to us and were amazed at how many kilometres Riley was doing, he\u2019s worth his weight in gold.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a common theme from this year\u2019s competitors, a newfound appreciation for the working dogs that play such a major role in every livestock farm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
IT takes a big heart to run a marathon for three days straight but that is what it took for Flow to take out the 2017 Cobber Challenge. Calling a sheep and beef property in the picturesque hills of Tasmania home, Flow is a six-year-old Kelpie. During the three-week competition that tracked two dogs from […]<\/p>\n