It was a day of bucking action at the showgrounds today with campdraft competitors and enthusiasts enjoying some fierce competition.
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The following drafts took place today.
- The Maiden Draft was open to all horses who have never won a maiden or higher draft
- The Encouragement Draft open to riders 17-years-and-older who have not won an encouragement or an Open Age Draft or placed 3 times in an open age draft.
- Jackaroo and Jillaroo Draft open to maiden horse and encouragement rider who have never placed in a draft. The winning horse attains the status of a maiden horse.
- Juvenile Draft - 13 to 17 years-old.
- Junior Workout - 8 to 13 years-old.
- Mini Workout - under 8 years.
Competition will continue tomorrow and the Novice, Maiden and Open finals will be held on Friday.
Katherine Show Society executive officer Sue Sinclair said the campdraft would draw a huge crowd.
“Be sure to catch the Team Draft on Thursday night, where teams of three will compete against each other in their most creative and coordinated apparel, where a special prize will be awarded to the team that has the best collaborative outfit,” Ms Sinclair said.
“This is sure to be a crowd favourite event.”
Ms Sinclair said “if you haven’t seen a campdraft before, this is one you won’t want to miss”.
“We will also show some of the best drafters ride on horseback to ‘cut’ one beast from a mob of cattle within the “camp” and show their best abilities in being able to block and turn the beast at least two or three times to display their control.
“In addition to the entertainment, we are welcoming back a community group that will be providing breakfast, lunch and dinner at affordable prices,” she said.
“Don’t be daft by missing out on this year’s campdraft.”
What is campdrafting?
Campdrafting started in Australia in the late 1800s.
The very basic rules of campdrafting is when a rider moves into a small yard, called a ‘camp’, and selects one cow (beast) from a small group of cattle.
He or she then has to move the beast towards the camp opening – which is blocked by or two gates with people holding them closed.
The mounted rider turns and blocks the beast across the face of the camp to show the horse’s ability to hold the beast clear of the other cattle, then calls for the gates to be opened.
The rider then drives the beast out into a larger are to complete a course. The course consist of two pegs set apart, one on the left and one on the right, directly out from the front of the camp.
The competitor must maneuver the beast around the pegs and push it through a gate at the end of the course in 40 seconds.
Each competitor is allowed the same time in which to attempt to complete his/her run. The scoring is out of 100 points. The camp section carries a maximum of 26 points, the course, a maximum of 4 points and a further 70 points can be allocated for horsework. The competitor with the highest score wins the contest.
