Families love it – Pittsworth Campdraft 2013

Families love it – Pittsworth Campdraft 2013

Carmel and Sally Hintz

I enjoyed a fun few hours on Saturday when I attended the Pittsworth Campdraft. The Pittsworth and District Campdraft Association Inc is to be congratulated on a fantastic event.

Madison Boyce 8 years old on Mickey with Paula White and holding her Junior Draft encouragement award.

For the second year in a row it was my pleasure to donate some of my books as encouragement awards. Last year, Paula White a member of the hard working Pittsworth committee won a copy of Tails Carried High and I was so excited to hear how much she loved the story.

As I walked around talking to people I was amazed at the happy, smiling faces, there seemed to be no unpleasant tension, no scowling or deadly serious expressions. Competitors were lined up chatting to each other or just watching the proceedings but the most obvious fact that hit me was that Campdrafting is a family sport. No wonder it’s so popular. Mum, dad and all the kids, of every age, plus grandad and grandma compete.

All lined up waiting their turn …

The horses were laid back, tied to floats and trucks or standing in tape yards all content and incredibly well mannered.

Cool, calm and collected, ready for action …

For those who don’t know Campdrafting is described at Australia’s own horse sport. It’s origins firmly established since the early days of the Australian stockman. When Drovers needed to select individual cattle from a mob the stockman would ‘cut out’ a beast from the mob. This was achieved through the skills of the horse and rider blocking all attempts of the beast to return to the mob.

Sally Hinze and her copy of Tails Carried High

The sport today is conducted in a set of yards attached to an arena and requires the competitor to cut out a beast from the yard and follow it out through the open gate and guide the beast around a course of a right and left hand turns before guiding it through a gate, all in a few short minutes. (See diagram below) Points are scored by horse and rider for the cut out, the horse work and course completion from a total of 100 points.