Things change and so has the role of working dog. Out Pooncarie way, where pastoral country straddles the Darling River, dogs are used to round up a very different animal: rangeland goats.

So it would have to follow that at the biannual Pooncarie field day there is a competition for dogs yarding fairly pesky goats. Also given this is traditional merino wool growing country a surprise is that there is a competition for a pen of three prime dorper lambs. How times change as we adapt to market signals.

Good rural journalism allows farmers in particular to sort the hay and chaff. A recent story struggled to reach any lofty heights.

It was claimed the miniature hereford breed was set to boom. The article went on and on with a breeder who owns four females and a bull. Great cute looking cattle, but not one calf on the ground for this owner. Give me a break.