Previous competitor from NSW, Rip, four-legged friend of Ben Coster.
Cobber is calling on Australia’s toughest, stock-chasing, hard-running working dogs to battle it out for the title of the hardest working dog.
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Nominations are now open for the 2025 Cobber Challenge, which is back for its milestone tenth edition.
The challenge is an annual showdown where the country’s best working dogs go paw-to-paw in a tribute to the unsung heroes of our farms, the four-legged legends behind Australia’s billion-dollar agriculture industry.
Over the last decade, Cobber Challenge competitors have clocked up enough distance to lap Australia two and a half times, moving at a pace that would take a human nearly half a year to keep up with.
Victorian past competitor Beau working hard during her time in the competition.
Not bad for a pack that still finds time to herd livestock and chase the odd ball.
To celebrate its 10-year anniversary, the challenge is turning up the heat, introducing video submissions for four-legged legends for the first time ever.
“Each year we’ve had a highly competitive field, and we’re anticipating the same for our tenth year,” Cobber marketing manager Kellie Savage said.
“We’re calling on Australia’s hardest working dogs to enter the field to make the 2025 Cobber Challenge to be our best yet.
“I’m excited to see these working dogs and their farmers’ relationships blossom in the 2025 Cobber Challenge.”
Every year, Australia’s working dogs put in a massive 232 million hours on the job. Now it’s time to see which one really puts in the hard yards.
If selected as a competitor in the challenge, each dog will be fitted with a GPS tracker to log how far, how fast, and how long they work each day over a three-week period.
Points are scored based on distance, speed and duration. It’s three weeks of grit, grind, and good old-fashioned Aussie hustle.
Farmer Tom Perkins and his kelpie, Bear, who have won a national working dog competition, at Dirranbandi, Queensland. Photo: AAP/Cobber Challenge.
At the end of the competition, one top dog will rise above the rest to claim bragging rights, $3000 cash, the legendary Cobber Challenge trophy, and a year’s supply of Cobber Working Dog feed.
It’s not just the winner walking away wagging, second and third place also score cash prizes and feed.
Australian farmer Daniel Pumpa and his four-legged teammate, Ripper, are veterans of the Cobber Challenge, and know what it takes to compete among the very best.
“We’re proud to have competed over the years in the Cobber Challenge, not only with Ripper, but his dad Turbo,” Mr Pumpa said.
“For any farmer who is considering entering their working dog in this year’s competition, I can’t speak highly enough about the fantastic experience we’ve had, and the great recognition that Ripper and Turbo have received for all of the thankless work they do, day after day.
“We’re looking forward to seeing the field for this year’s competition and seeing who takes home the crown of top dog for 2025.”
Nominations are now open via the Cobber website until Sunday, June 22.
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