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Out of the sports which have originated in Australia, Campdrafting must be one of the most exciting. It is believed to have it's origins in the early days of the Australian stockman, and began to evolve in rural Queensland in the nineteenth century.
Due to the competitive nature of the Australian Stockmen, it was only a matter of time before friendly rivaly as to who had the best horse and who was the better rider, evolved into a more regimented format. The sport as we know it today is growing in popularity in Australia every year, and is well known as highly competitive, well represented, and producing high class horses and riders.
A competitors round is broken into two parts, the cutout and the course.
The Cutout
In Campdrafting there is a mob of cattle, usually around 8-10, which are kept in a yard or "camp", there a competitor will select an animal from the mob, which regardless of gender is called "a beast". The competitor will then remove the beast from the herd quickly and cleanly and move it towards the closed gates to the larger arena. He or she will have to keep the beast divided from the mob, any time the beast moved back towards the mob, the competitor will loose points. At the riders signal, the gates are opened to the larger arena. The judge will mark the horse and rider on the skill and precision shown in this section and mark accordingly.
The Course
Once the competitor and beast enter the larger arena, they must negotiate three challanges, made up of four pegs. There are two pegs and a gate, which the competitor must move the beast around. A missed peg can be negotiated, but a peg missed twice means the competitor is disqualified and will receive no score. The skill lies in guiding the beast around the pegs as tightly as possible - the faster the time, the higher points awarded to the horse and rider.
The best combination of control of the beast, riding skills, completion of course and speed will score the highest points. This amazing show of horsemanship and equine ability make this fantastic sport for both the competitors and spectators alike.
Contact:
Southern Campdrafting Association Limited
P.O. Box 266, Cootamundra, NSW, 2590
Ph: (02) 6386 6204
Email:
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Website: www.campdraft.org.au
For an entry form for the EQUITANA Australian Open - Campdrafting Championships please click here
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