Campdrafting Heading to the USA

From the August Issue of Local Horse Magazine

Campdrafting remains the sport representing the tradition of Australian horsemen. It tests the ability of the man to select and judge cattle and the ability of the horse to control that beast around a predetermined course.  It has grown from an outback station entertainment activity to a highly successful national sport involving thousands of competitors, both professional and non professional.

The pinnacle of the sport remains the Warwick Gold Cup, an event established in 1929. It attracts over 700 competitors annually from every state in Australia, and is run over 3 rounds. The competition runs for a week during the last week in October. The winner’s trophy, a single Gold Cup, represents supremacy in this highly competitive industry.

Closely following is the newly established Paradise Lagoons Campdraft. Now in its 11th year, this week-long campdraft program is run at the purpose-built campdraft centre on Graeme and Jenny Acton’s property, “Paradise Lagoons”, Rockhampton, Queensland. This venue is responsible for taking the sport to a new level, where competitors enjoy state of the art facilities attracting international respect and following.

Australian Campdrafting is pleased that two of its senior competitors and leading personalities are heading to America to provide the instruction and advice for their first campdraft. Steve Hart and Pete Comiskey will travel to the US in August at the invitation of the newly formed United States Campdraft Association to conduct a Campdraft Clinic and seminar and then to assist run the first ever Campdraft competition in the States.

They are excellent ambassadors for our sport. What Pete Comiskey and Steve Hart have achieved is admired by everyone in Australia and through their excellent school formats they will be able to advance your understanding and enthusiasm for our great sport.

As Australia’s premier Campdraft competitor, Pete Comiskey continues to reach new heights within his industry. Changes to technology, travel, prize money, and horses have seen the industry develop and expand. With a large percentage of competitors being weekend participants and a further big percentage being full time professional horse trainers, the industry now envelops a totally diverse spectrum of people. These changes have enabled Pete to develop his own profile and the profile of the sport to new levels. It is these changes that excite Pete Comiskey.

Pete was born in Rockhampton and spent his childhood in the idyllic settings of the Comiskey family property, “Lyra Park”, Capella. He was always a farm kid and his focus has always revolved around his family, his property, his horses and campdrafting. In his teens he took several jobs contract mustering and general station work which were invaluable in expanding his knowledge base, but his love of campdrafting always brought him home and back to the circuit. He has campdrafted consistently since the age of 8, where he had a first start win. He soon stepped up the competition level and won the A.C.A. Juvenile Title in 1985, ‘86 & ‘87. His first Open Rider Title came in 1991 and then in 1995 his extraordinary run of continual Open Rider Titles started. The only year missing is 2000 when he was out with a broken leg. This is an extraordinary record, as the Open Rider Title is an extremely coveted award. Every year, several aspiring contenders commence the year with the secret ambition to put everything into their year and hopefully take out the Open Rider Award, but every year Pete gets better and better, reaching new heights to maintain his unbeaten record.

Competition and good people drive Pete to continue in the sport of Camprafting. He loves competing and never tires of the continual slog of the travel. Pete’s involvement in the sport has now become an industry. He has commitments with several businesses including Prydes and Ariat. He runs Campdraft schools on a regular basis; markets promotional videos and DVDs as well as promoting horses and products for various people. His life is very busy and that’s the way he likes it. Pete derives a great deal of satisfaction from dealing with people and from helping people and enjoys promoting products that he believes in.

Steven Hart is a man with his eyes firmly on the future. In a world full of opportunities from ever- changing technology, he is adamant that to be at the top every competitor needs to be up-to-date with the changes, and how they can and will affect their performances. Steven is excited by this and he intends to surround himself with those people who are leaders in their equine field. He recommends all competitors do the same.

Steven Hart has been riding horses for more than forty years. His childhood recreation turned into a passion for training horses after spending endless hours watching his father break-in horses on their cattle station in the Northern Territory. It was during this time Steven made a commitment to learn everything he could from the best equestrian men and women he could find. He has refined his training methodology and has continued to develop communication and education techniques that have provided him with results. His holistic approach to developing the performance horse has seen Steven work closely with veterinarians, dieticians, equine soft tissue specialists and farriers to ensure his own horses, as well as his clients’ horses, are given every opportunity to succeed. Steven has implemented a system of training where he lays down a solid foundation on which he can then build. Getting that foundation nice and strong enables the horse to go on and accept discipline training for any horse sport the owner wishes. Steven’s system also develops a crucial link between rider and horse, one that ensures safety and understanding.

In between a hectic summer Campdrafting schedule where he campaigns his own horses and his clients’ horses, Steven operates a full time performance horse training and education centre in Googong NSW, only 10 minutes from the outskirts of Canberra, the capital of Australia. During the off-season – the Australian winter – Steven can be found across the country sharing his knowledge and teaching others his style of horsemanship in two and three day clinics.

Horsezone is pleased to be working with Local Horse Magazine and welcomes their contributions. For more great articles like this one go to www.localhorsemagazine.com.au

 

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