Media Release

The 2026 Ray White Livestock Rockhampton Working Dog Sale & Trial wrapped on Sunday 3rd of May 26 with a 93.8 per cent clearance and $664,500 gross, one of the strongest results the event has recorded and a clear signal that demand for proven working dogs is still climbing.
The four-day program ran from 30 April to 3 May at CQLX, Gracemere, with the trial contested across Thursday, Friday and Saturday before the catalogue went under the hammer on Sunday. Of 97 lots offered, 91 sold. Working dogs averaged $10,547 across 42 head for a $443,000 gross, while 49 pups averaged $4,520 for $221,500.
Online bidding through Stocklive ran alongside the live sale ring on Sunday, drawing remote buyer competition from across the country and supporting strong bidding action throughout the day. One dog was knocked down to an international buyer in Vanuatu.
The record-breaker was Lot 28, Cabra Glebe Barra, knocked down at $41,000 to S & E Galea of Nebo. The 2.5-year-old white Border Collie dog, by Carrdoon Boss out of Shannon Brook Handford’s Goldie, was offered by Joe Leven, who has now topped the Rockhampton sale three years running.
The top-priced pup was Lot 80, S1E Sky, a seven-month-old tri Border Collie female by Mysticview Hopper out of S1E Gem. Handled by Elise Donovan and offered by S1E Livestock and Contracting of Dulacca, she sold online through Stocklive for $31,000 to Dion Farrell of Larrakeyah, Northern Territory – just shy of the event record of $32,000 set by Carrdoon Della.
Ray White Livestock Rockhampton’s Gary Wendt said the result reflected a sale meeting the demands of a fast-changing industry.
“We are very pleased with the excellent clearance rate achieved this year. It indicates to me that as the sale continues to evolve, we are meeting the requirements and expectations of the broader working dog community,” Mr Wendt said.
“It is important to note that those requirements and expectations are themselves evolving at a rapid rate, as the top breeders and trainers in our country continue to push the barriers on quality of breeding and next-level performance.”
Lot 57, Koolwai Dollar, a Border Collie pup donated by Dave and Kelly Steel of Koolwai Working Dogs, sold for $8,500 with 100 per cent of proceeds going to the Joel Weeks Legacy Fund, a result driven as much by the buyer’s generosity as the donation itself.
Based in Biloela, Queensland, the initiative installs and maintains publicly accessible AEDs across the community and is working to bring a helipad closer to the town – practical infrastructure that puts life-saving equipment and emergency response within reach when seconds count.
The 2026 result reaffi rms the Rockhampton sale as a fi xture on the national working dog calendar, and a benchmark for what a well-run sale and trial weekend can deliver for breeders, buyers and the broader community.
Overall Sale Result
• 97 lots offered | 91 lots sold
• Sale Gross: $664,500
• Overall average: $7,302
• Clearance rate: 93.8%Working dogs: 42 sold | grossed $443,000 | Avg $10,547.62Working pups: 49 sold | grossed $221,500 | Avg $4,520.40Stocklive
Results:
• 50 lots sold online
• More than 1,300 views across the sale
• 210 registered buyers from every state and the Northern Territory
• Top-priced pup, Lot 80 S1E Sky, sold online for $31,000 from S1E Livestock and Contracting
About Ray White Livestock Rockhampton: Ray White Livestock Rockhampton, also trading as Ray White Rural Gracemere, is one of the leading livestock and rural property agencies servicing producers across Central Queensland and beyond. The team handles cattle, horse and working dog sales, on-property and store sales, and rural property transactions, backed by the national reach of the Ray White network. The annual Rockhampton Working Dog Sale & Trial is one of the agency’s fl agship events, drawing breeders, buyers and competitors from across Australia.
Contacts:Gary Wendt | 0427 184 875 Netty Wendt | 0421 488 579
Written by: Laura Tacey | Marketing & PR 0402 475 211 | laura@saddleupyoursocials.com

All images contributed by Ray White Livestock Rockhampton, courtesy of JEM Photography.