Cattle Dog Muster moved to 2021
BY ALEX TIGANI
Muswellbrook Chamber of Commerce and Industry member services manager Wayne Toms admits he had hoped the Great Cattle Dog Muster could still take place in 2020.
Originally scheduled for September 11, the inaugural three-day event was expected to add to the region’s economy with a high number of tourists from around the globe.
The event has now been moved to September 10 next year following lengthy consultation with the Cattle Dog Society of NSW.
“Obviously with Covid-19 we were hoping that we wouldn’t have to postpone the event in case restrictions were going to be raised by September,” Mr Toms explained.
“It would have been a nice morale booster for the economy.
“We had to move the event to 2021 to allow our many overseas visitors to come while the Cattle Dog society’s events would have also been back logged.
Event organisers have confirmed that all the venues and sponsorship locked in for September are still in play for next year’s event.
“The Australian Cattle Dog Society of NSW initially approached us to see if we would be interested to help them promote an exhibition in Muswellbrook,” he explained.
“We saw the opportunity to expand and see it as a big event which would then turn into a big three-day community event with a public open day.”
This year marked the 150th anniversary of the death of Thomas Hall, the man who selectively crossed the offspring of Border Collies with the progeny of dingoes that he had tamed in the Upper Hunter at his Dartbrook Station.
“I didn’t realise until we got involved that cattle dogs are very popular around the world from America to Europe,” he concluded.
“We were conscious not be too grandiose in the first year and potentially it could turn into a week-long event.
“But we’re still proud to bring the world cattle dog community back to Muswellbrook where it all began.”