BINGARA’S Marlene Brewer and her border collie, Hudson – well-known across Australia for starring in much-loved ABC series Muster Dogs – will be special guests at the 2026 Moree Show.
Marlene, a Bingara farmer for 40 years, trained Hudson to become a champion working dog and together, they’ll demonstrate their craft at the Moree Show on Saturday, April 11.
In season three of Muster Dogs last year, which focused on collie and kelpie breeds, Marlene and Hudson showcased female leadership in agriculture and the incredible bonds that form between working dogs and their owners.
“I honestly feel the bond is imperative to a successful working relationship with your dog,” Marlene said.
“It’s the foundation for building trust and communication. Understanding the bond is equally important. It’s not about pampering and petting them all the time – that isn’t high on the dog’s priority list, only yours.
“For the dog, what builds the bond is security, leadership, boundaries and consistency,” she said.
Marlene describes Hudson, bred for Muster Dogs by Mick and Carolyn Hudson at Dubbo, as an ‘over-achiever’.
“I love him for it,” Marlene said.
“He has this extraordinary ability to learn whatever I throw at him, and he tries his best to deliver. “His first love is doing things he feels meets his mental and physical needs working stock, he loves it.
“I’m tied in pretty close to that as I provide him with his mental stimulation of learning.
“On another note, he’s done so much for me. He’s allowed me to grow in my belief about myself and my capabilities. He’s allowed me to believe I am enough, just as I am.
“How? He puts his trust in me to do right by him and the results show in the amazing dog that he is,” Marlene said.
Season three of Muster Dogs put three border collies and three kelpies to the test to determine the best muster dog.
Owners had 12 months to transform their puppies into efficient working dogs.
“Hudson is bred to work, and was challenged through Muster Dogs, where he met every milestone with no fails to reach muster dog status in 12 months,” Marlene said.
“He was the only dog to achieve a clean score. We hoped it was enough to declare him champion muster dog of the show, but sadly it wasn’t.
“However, his ability has continued to develop to become a real muster dog on my farm, and that says he’s a champion in my book,” she smiled.
“As a working dog, Hudson has certainly made his place in my A-team. He confidently handles a job from one ewe and lamb to a mob of weaner cattle or feral goats.”
Hudson, now aged two-and-a-half, knows his craft.
“He casts for kilometres and never leaves an animal behind. He’s the pick-up man and rates the stock to make sure the tail never gets left behind,” Marlene said.
She said every working dog is different.
“Knowing that, you have to train the dog you have in front of you,” Marlene said.
“It’s up to us to work out their strengths and weaknesses and evolve them into the amazing working assets they become.”
Marlene’s Bingara family is big – and getting bigger.
“I have four border collies at the moment, including my retiree and a little, three-month-old female,” she said.
“I’m a little heavy on the kelpie side, with a litter of nine puppies and seven adults aged between one and five.
“Plus there’s my retiree, Tiny, who’s 16,” she smiled.
“I have a very strong team of kelpies, but I’d never be without border collies to balance my team.”
Marlene has farmed at Bingara for 40 years. Cattle, cows and calves are mainly the mainstay of the business, with sheep in various numbers, depending on the season.
“I began with merinos because I started out as a wool classer, but the numbers were just too hard to manage such super-fine sheep when I was doing it mostly by myself,” Marlene said.
“Chasing fly and worms was never-ending and when wool slumped and the flock was worth nothing, I got out of sheep.
“Cattle are easier for me to manage, doing the work solo.
“On top of our breeders, we also carry about 100 dry cattle to trade or process through our paddock-to-plate business.
“Feral goats got me through the 2017-2019 drought and that’s when I knew I had some handy dogs in my very hilly, difficult country,” she said.
Marlene hopes to breed from Hudson when the time comes.
“I’ve bred all my border collies, except Miley, the three-month old female who came from breeder Barry Knight in Queensland. I love how she’s shaping up, and hopefully she’ll be a close friend to Hudson in the future,” she smiled.
Hudson and Marlene at Moree Show
When: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Where: Moree Showground main ring
Time: 12.30pm
Afterwards, Marlene and Hudson will be available for meet-and-greets, and photo opportunities with the public, at the Moree Show office in the south-eastern corner of the showground before they join the grand parade at 3pm.
