Willy, a 2-year-old miniature long-haired dachshund, is the winner of the annual California Farm Bureau Farm Dog of the Year Contest. He was nominated by Bailey Thomas, who shares Willy with her boyfriend, Marshal Hagedorn. Photo courtesy of photographer Frank Rebelo

CALIFORNIA (MPG) – Willy, a miniature long-haired dachshund, has earned the $1,000 Grand Prize in the fifth annual California Farm Bureau Farm Dog of the Year Contest. The award was announced during the 107th California Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Anaheim. 

Open to Farm Bureau members, the competition asked entrants to submit photos and answer brief questions about their dog. 

Marshal Hagedorn, owner of Hagedorn Forestry Management, works as a tree feller in Shasta and Tehama counties and also runs cattle near Montague. He and his girlfriend, Bailey Thomas, adopted Willy in February 2023. Willy quickly became an active member of the ranch, helping control critters like rabbits and ground squirrels. When Hagedorn heads into the woods for logging work, Willy tags along, offering both companionship and moral support. 

“I hike around and cut the oversized trees that the loggers can’t handle with their machines,” Hagedorn said. “He goes with me everywhere every single day.” 

Willy, though not a traditional herding breed, has taken to the job naturally. He’s never been trained to corral livestock, but he uses his bark and energy to move calves and even larger cattle. 

“That’s just it. He’s so small and when he comes out of the grass at full speed, they don’t really know what to think,” Hagedorn said. 

The first runner-up honor, and a $500 prize, went to Jim, a border collie owned by Kelsey Nichols of Solano County. At Nichols’ 3,000-acre Rio Vista Ranch, Jim is known for his loyalty and hard work. After losing a hind leg to infection, Jim is now back to his regular duties. 

Second runner-up, and $250, was awarded to Corduroy, owned by Sam Terpstra of Stanislaus County. The labradoodle enjoys hunting for pests and “earns his keep every day, patrolling for gophers and joining in on daily tasks,” Terpstra said. 

Third runner-up, and $100, went to Sheila, an Australian cattle dog who catches gophers, digs mounds and brings joy to everyone on the vineyard managed by her owners, August D’Amato and Ben Forgeron of Napa County.  

The Farm Dog of the Year Contest is supported by Nationwide. 

California Farm Bureau works to protect family farms and ranches as part of a nationwide network representing more than 5 million Farm Bureau members. Learn more at www.cfbf.com or follow @cafarmbureau on Instagram, LinkedIn, X or Facebook.