A plucky four-year-old kelpie from Yass - who works farms near Queanbeyan - is in contention to be named Australia's best working dog.
And he has already proved to be a fighter.
When Rip was born, his mother, suffering a hormone imbalance killed the entire litter, except Rip.
Rescued and raised by a Jack Russell, Rip has developed into a powerhouse of a dog, helping his owner, Ben Coster, who lives near Yass with his family and manages sheep and cattle farms at Carwoola near Queanbeyan, the properties covering 6000ha.
The pair have joined other elite entrants from around Australia to find the fastest, hardest-working and most efficient working dog in the nation.
The Cobber Challenge is an annual contest which sees a selection of working dogs go head-to-head to celebrate their contribution to Australia's agriculture and farming communities.
This year doubles as a masters edition, attracting the best of the best.
A field of eight, A-Class kelpies have been handpicked to contend in the 2024 Cobber Challenge Masters, including Rip.
And Ben, 40, has every faith in him.
"He's got a big heart and drive and he wants to please me," Ben said.
"He looks at me a lot while we're working and you can just see he wants to please."
Each dog will wear a GPS tracker to record its distance, speed and duration, for each day it works, with points accumulated based on performance.
After a period of two weeks, the dog with the most points will take home the honour, glory, a cash prize and the coveted Cobber Challenge trophy. Cash prizes will also be awarded to second and third places.
The competition officially kicks off on October 7, with the winner announced on October 21.
"I think Rip will do really good," Ben said.
Rip just loves rounding 'em up.
"He was rounding up sheep at six weeks, like he knew what to do at six weeks," Ben said. "But if you leave him alone for too long, he gets a bit antsy and he'll go and get the trainer sheep in or something from the paddock across.
"Or you're mustering in a paddock and you send him out and next minute he's jumped the fence and he's in the neighbour's mustering their sheep. It's like, 'What are you doing mate?'."
Kellie Savage, Cobber's marketing manager, says the challenge has been run for nine years and this year's is the most experienced field.
"Each dog is a serious contender," she said. "Every single dog hails from a top pedigree, with a number of this year's competitors having either previously competed in the Cobber Challenge or are relatives of former Cobber Challenge competitors."
Ben moved from Harden to Yass eight years ago, living the good life there with wife Jess and their children Claire, 10; Liam, 7; and Gus, 4.
"I moved for the job, a bit more responsibility, and knowing I could step up into a manager role," he said.
Rip, meanwhile, was named after the character Rip Wheeler in Yellowstone.
"My wife named him," Ben said. Sheepishly.
