Why bloodline depth makes Capree genetics an industry benchmark
A breeding lineage that stretches back six decades is delivering consistently high returns, as shown during the Capree Invitational Working Dog Sale on Thursday, October 15.
The stud at Newbridge, via Blayney, set a world record for a working Kelpie in 2022 and it didn't disappoint at its annual invitational sale.
Working Kelpies with proven bloodlines and drive to perform sold to a top of $36,000 to average $12,875 for all 20 lots offered.
Principal vendor and breeder Chris Stapleton, Capree Working Dogs, sold six lots to average $19,750 with his prized bitch Capree Sleet, mother of champion dog Capree Trigger, responsible for many of the top sales.
Top-priced lot, the red-and-tan Capree Sophie VI went to fledgling working dog stud Powrunna Kelpies, St George, Qld, through Angus Stokes and his partner Kate Loughlin.
"She's a nice type of dog and she'll work-in well with our current team," said Mr Stokes, who breeds sheep and goats and trades cattle when the season is appropriate.
"I liked her major bloodlines and her working style in the yards and in the paddock."
Bidding rose dramatically at the finish of the auction.
"I was keen to get her," Mr Stokes said.
"She is quality and at the end of the day you have to pay."
An artificial insemination pregnancy, the 16-month-old Sophie VI was sired by Capree Pride III from Capree Sleet.
Both parents share the same grandmother in Sophie V, which goes back to Capree Poppy and beyond to Capree Red, a foundation sire who featured in most of Thursday's top lots.
The sale delivered working dogs to four states, with Jono Pillow, Springfield via Port Vincent, SA, paying $33,000 for Capree Skye by Capree Trigger.
Mr Pillow will run his dogs with sheep, but his main passion in retirement is trialling.
He described Skye's ability to head cattle as particularly appealing.
"I liked her work, the way she covers and holds and her calmness and ability to respond," he said.
"Chris Stapleton would have to be one of the most influential breeders of Kelpies in Australia.
"He's got a depth of dogs and he can choose what he wants."
Mr Pillow also paid $20,000 for a son of Capree Red in Rumaninga Tucker, bred by Aaron Booth and trained by respected young handler Sam Cook from CooknCo stud at Newbridge.
The pair of line-bred dogs, with Skye's mother a sister to Tucker, will be used to progress the Capree line.
Mr Cook sold four working dogs to average $20,750 and top at $26,000 for the hard-working 16-month-old CooknCo Grace, with a double cross of Capree Sophie V in her lineage.
In the ram portion of the auction, Capree sold 24 of 35 lots to average $1927 and top at $4500 twice.
The $4500 top included the 87-kilogram, tag number 250001 by Capree 23444 from a stud ewe by Kneely, presenting with perfect comfort factor score of 100 per cent in 17.2-micron wool with a standard deviation of 2.8 and a coefficient of variation of 16.3.
He was sold to repeat commercial clients the Pearce family, Cow Flat via Bathurst, who took home six rams to average $3330.
"Dogs are my income and sheep are my hobby and I love Merinos," Mr Stapleton said.
"I look for wool with a long staple and low micron.
"I'm a firm believer that a sheep needs to cut wool. They need to have a heavy fleece with follicle density and a lustrous low micron.
"Put that on a good body and you can sell wether lambs too."
The sale was hosted by Elders Mudgee with AuctionsPlus handling the online traffic.
