Media celebrity has not gone to Quirindi High School Principal Ian Worley’s head after a successful fourth season of the ABC hit show Muster Dogs. But it’s another story for his furry charge Buruma.
The red-and-tan Kelpie has been lapping up all the attention he’s attracted since the series aired, including numerous school visits and a guest appearance at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. And the enthusiastic hound is now pursuing fresh opportunities.
“Buruma has quite a few followers and fans; I’m basically his chauffeur and personal assistant,” says Ian, a UNE alumnus.
Over the course of a year, Ian was one of six rookie dog trainers mentored by experts as their dogs vied for the crown of champion Muster Dog and handler. An “exuberant” Buruma (who took his name from the Kamilaroi word meaning ‘tame dog’) had to grow into his moniker, says Ian.
“I needed a new working dog, and I needed some solid skills in dog training. Buruma is full of beans, so we worked to harness and channel that energy into the right spaces. It was a great learning experience for us both.
“It was so different to my day job and good fun to step into that world for a time. But working full-time and training a dog on a very finite timeline was challenging, especially knowing that you were being critiqued by 3 million people across Australia.
“I learnt a lot about patience and controlling your emotions – you can’t fake it around animals – and it was revitalising to be doing something new.”
The duo had a ready-made cheer squad in the 400 or so students of Quirindi High.
“Many come from rural backgrounds and have their own working dogs, so they were interested in the training and followed our progress. Buruma came with me to school several times to meet them.”
Ian grew up on the Nundle property he and his wife Nicola (nee Wiley) now run. He attended Tamworth High before enrolling in a Bachelor of Economics at UNE and met Nicola while the pair were living in Earle Page College.
“It was one of the greatest times in my life and I recommend college living to anyone heading off to university,” he says.
The couple got together in their final year at UNE (1994) and were married in 2006 in the Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas– and, yes, Elvis was in the building. They enjoyed teaching positions throughout rural NSW before Ian became principal at Quirindi High 10 years ago. Strong HSC results in recent years reflect the school’s efforts to tailor education to individual student needs and a commitment to the values of respect, curiosity and teamwork.
“It’s a great school, with great kids, great staff and a great community, and we are all working well together,” says Ian, who has used his new-found platform to promote life in rural Australia.
“It is such a fantastic lifestyle, and we need to be attracting more professionals – more teachers, doctors, nurses, police and accountants – out past the Great Divide. Housing is a lot cheaper and you can really become part of a community.”
That community watched on during the thrilling final episode of Muster Dogs as Buruma taught Ian a few new tricks.
“I don’t think I did too badly for an old bloke. We certainly did not disgrace ourselves and I showed that the most important thing in anything in life is to have a go.”
And although Buruma is afforded few celebrity luxuries back on the farm, Ian says he’s worth his weight in gold.
“I like to keep him grounded, especially around our other two working dogs, but he’s an absolutely fantastic dog and I wouldn’t be without him.”
As for those “fresh opportunities”, Ian has begun teaching Buruma whistle commands with a view to competing in sheep trialling. “But we’ll make our first outing a quiet affair, in case it all goes pear-shaped,” he says.
