BRACING the winter cold snap, Charters Towers' Martin Holzwart stepped out beneath the lights at the HM Clarke Saleyards with his dog Kanda Chuck to prove their mettle against nine of the best from the region.
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Mr Holzwart and three-year-old Chuck went into the open finals on June 8 leading the Queensland Working Cattle Dog Trial Championships with top scores across the two days.
It was up to them to back it up against some tough competition and they did not disappoint, claiming their very first open win each.
"It's been a really good two days. There was a lot of very strong competition and it was really humbling to win what is considered to be the...premier [cattle dog] event in Queensland," he said.
Mr Holzwart said he had previously won novice and maiden events, including one at Lake Elphinstone with Chuck last year.
He also won the Dam Duel in Rockhampton last month with Chuck's mother Dee.
"I've been training and breeding dogs as a bit of a hobby, I use them for work too," the Fletcherview JCU research station manager said.
"Eight years ago I got into training purely for a bit of fun and to meet new people and see the different genetics in different dogs. It's sort of taken off from there. I love catching up with my mates and people I know and it's good to bring out a bit of competitive spirit every now and then.
"I do seven or eight a year. There are a lot more in central Queensland than here, so we do a bit of travelling. The closest is four to five hours away.
"I'm heavily involved in running the event here. We put in a bid to run the championship in conjunction with the [Northern Beef Producers] Expo and the [Queensland Cattle Dog] Association gave it to us so we're really happy and pleased."
Mr Holzwart said while there is no guaranteed way to pick a winning dog, he prefers pups with some confidence to compliment his own personality.
"Chuck would be my best dog or right up there anyway. I've bred and trained him and now I'm trialling him...so it's nice to come up with the breeding strategy, raise him and put him through the whole training process. I get a lot of satisfaction out of that," he said.
"It's nice to not only win one but to do it with a dog you've developed and brought through.
"There are 100 strategies in picking pups...but most of them will only work once. It's a lottery.
"But I like my pups to be bold and confident. I'm a loud person so they've got to be really confident to handle me. It means our training journey has been really easy because he's taken to my personality. We get along well.
"[Chuck has] eclipsed his mother here tonight."
Qld Working Cattle Dog Trial Association Dave Steel said the three zones involved in the state championships (southern, central and Northern) take it in turns to run the event.
The cost of living and the rise in fuel prices saw less numbers at this year's championships.
"It was still a good roll out but not as good as other years due to how things are," Mr Steel said.
"We probably saw the 10 best dogs that have come out in the open throughout the weekend. Martin ran three of the highest scores of the weekend. It was a deserved win. It was great to see.
"He dotted his i's and crossed his t's all the way around. He knew what he had to do and to come out with two top scores and come into the final leading and have to back it up, it was a lot of pressure.
"You've got to keep a cool mind and have faith in your dog and hope to get three good cattle."
The championship was held in conjunction with the Northern Beef Producers Expo in Charters Towers at the sale yards' Equestrian Centre arena.
