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ABC News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Muster Dogs trainer Frank Finger rebuilds life after family heartbreak
Sitting down for a morning cuppa next to the resting place of his "lovely dog", Frank Finger is slowly adjusting to a new way of life on his central Queensland cattle property. Nearly two months since the death of his beloved wife, Cathy, and champion kelpie, Annie, the adored Muster Dogs TV personality is remembering the pair with the support of an entire nation. "I'm a bit like the rhinestone cowboy getting cards and letters from people I don't know." He said he received a letter from an 88-year-old lady in central Western Australia. "She said she wrote it at four o'clock in the morning and she just had to get up and write a letter," he said. "I'm trying to answer them all and if I live long enough, I might get through them." A true community stalwart of the small town of Clermont, four hours north-west of Rockhampton, Catherine Finger died on June 25. Just two days later, Annie died suddenly at the age of five from a brain aneurysm. "It has been [a blur] and my biggest regret is not keeping a diary of all the people who came to visit and brought food and brought things [including] the rose tree here," Mr Finger said. "The generosity has just been unbelievable." That rose tree has been placed where Annie was laid to rest, near the back patio overlooking the sprawling hills of grazing land at the family's Hillview cattle operation. Mr Finger said Cathy, his wife of 47 years, was farewelled by hundreds in town before she was laid to rest at the Clermont Cemetery. He said roses were Cathy's favourite flower. "It was just an array of flowers and roses." Mr Finger, a third-generation cattle farmer, was given Annie as a puppy for season one of Muster Dogs. After winning the television show, Annie became Mr Finger's prized dog on his Clermont property, working on mobs of cattle daily and demonstrating at working dog schools hosted by the family on weekends. "I just had a good connection with her right from the very beginning and everywhere I went, she came with me." The first working dog school since the family's heartbreak was held in Clermont at the weekend. It was a tribute to Annie's brilliance and Mrs Finger's unwavering support of her family and the industry. "Cathy's probably most noted for a love for the grandchildren and our own children, of course, but the grandchildren they're the ones that are missing her very much." Mr Finger recalled a trip to Tasmania where he, Cathy and Annie were invited to make a guest appearance at an agricultural show just outside of Hobart. "The organisers said they had about 5,000 people come, and I said to Cathy, 'Well, that's a lot, we'll have to do a good demo' and we drew 11,500 people on the day," he said. Clermont residents have rallied behind the Finger family, with the outpouring of support evident throughout the close-knit community of about 3,000 people. Grazier and lifelong friend, Shane Benney, said Cathy was not one for the spotlight but she was always there for her rural community. "She was a great supporter of the community always and a great supporter of Frank, very big supporter," he said. "It's still hard to believe." Long-time resident Prue Lonergan said the Finger family was well-respected not only in Clermont but in all walks of farming life. "The Muster Dogs program only showed the world I suppose what their family is about. "They're going to be missing Cath's dampers and everything she did behind the scenes was quite significant." Back on the farm, Mr Finger's new kelpie pup, Jonty, is learning the ropes to join his other Muster Dog favourites, Lucifer and Lucky, mustering cattle. Ironically, the three-month-old brown pup has similar markings to Annie and hopefully one day her brilliance. Together, Mr Finger and Jonty represent the heart and future of Australia's working dog community. "We'll still have our working dog and stock handling schools, probably not as many, but I think it'll do us good to get back into it again."
ABC News
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Muster Dogs icon Frank Finger mourns death of wife Cathy and dog Annie
It was a bond that captured the hearts of Australians. Frank Finger and his champion muster dog Annie proved a gentle hand could be one of the most effective training tools when they were crowned champions of season one of the ABC's Muster Dogs series in 2022. But within the space of two days, Mr Finger has lost both his beloved wife Catherine and his "lovely dog" Annie. He said he had been overwhelmed with the outpouring of support. "I think part of [Annie's] death was brought on by my wife Cathy [who] died last week, and she hasn't been the same since," Mr Finger said. "Since Cathy died, she's just lived in [her crate] with the door open and doesn't come to meet anyone. "She wouldn't understand what had happened, but she could feel that we were unsettled and unhappy … and she was fretting." A true community stalwart of Clermont in Central Queensland, Catherine Finger died on June 25. Sharing the news, Mr Finger said "a life so beautifully lived deserves to be beautifully remembered". Annie died suddenly on June 27 at the age of five from a brain aneurysm. She was laid to rest at a family gathering on Sunday. "She's a classic example of what you can get from a dog if you treat them with kindness," Mr Finger said. "All I can do now is be thankful for the time I had her and if she had to go, it must have meant to be. "I've come to work out that 'Annies' are born and not bred. You can't set out to breed a dog like her, they just turn up, one in the litter now and again and I was just very fortunate." Mr Finger, a third-generation cattle farmer, was given Annie as a puppy for season one of Muster Dogs. The five grazier contestants from across Australia were given an Australian kelpie puppy from the same litter to train into a working muster dog in 12 months. She was given the name of Annie by Mr Finger, in honour of his late mother who he was close with and who was known for always having a beautiful vegetable garden. "I knew if I called her that I would have a bond just the same as I had with my mother," Mr Finger said. "You can be the best trainer in the world but unless you care for that particular animal and have that bond you won't get what we had." Mr Finger said choosing a meaningful name was a bonding secret and it needed to be something that is special to you, creating a special tone in your voice for the dog to pick up. Throughout the show, Annie gained the nickname of "princess" and Mr Finger would often refer to her as a "lovely dog" in filming. After winning the television show, the pair went on to become celebrities, travelling across the nation to compete in muster dog trials and appear as guest stars in agricultural shows and events. When they weren't out on the road, Annie was in the paddocks at the Clermont property, working on mobs of cattle up to 350 head, or demonstrating in working dog schools hosted on the property. Annie and her brother Lucifer, who also starred on the television show, were also popular guests during their regular visits to the aged care facility in Clermont, Montcler Nursing Home. The residents loved having the canine visitors, providing uplifting pet therapy and companionship. Mr and Mrs Finger had been married for 47 years and together have four children, three sons and a daughter, and 12 grandchildren. Not one for the spotlight, Mrs Finger was happy to leave the television fame to her husband but was a quiet unwavering support for him. Mr Finger said his family and the Clermont community had rallied behind him. "I'm overwhelmed by the support," he said. "What will happen now, I will probably wait and get another pup and I'll call it Annie and will go again."
