Hugh Miles Takes Out Cloncurry Stockman's Challenge for Second Consecutive Year

The Cloncurry Stockman's Challenge has been run and won with heaps of fantastic working horses thrilling the spectators at this prestigious event!

The 2012 Cloncurry Stockman's Challenge and Reg Brown Memorial Cup was won by Hugh Miles riding Woolerina Rythem, with a score of 339. This is the second year in a row that Hugh has won this event, no easy task considering the huge number of entries and high quality of the horses and riders competing. Congratulations!

In addition to the Stockman's Challenge there were several Campdrafts held over the weekend with good numbers in all events. Horsezone was proud to be a sponsor and our in-demand red jackets were presented to winners of the Highest Cut Out for the Maiden and Novice Campdrafts.

The Cloncurry Stockman's Challenge certainly made excellent use of Facebook during their event, with regular updates, photos and links to results. The fans showed their appreciation when the page went from around 200 likes to 500 likes in a couple of days! Campdraftcentral.com.au, the online scoring website, offered a "Spinners Are Grinners" incentive for those competing in the Challenge - anyone with a score of 9 or above (judged out of 10) for the spin step in the First Round of the Dry Work, went into a draw to win cash equivalent to the number of 'Likes' on the Stockman's Challenge Facebook page. The winner, Charlie Barker on Peptos Starlight, was drawn at random by president Vince Wall from the 11 competitors who scored 9. Charlie, who travelled all the way from Victoria for the Challenge, ended up with $500 cash from Campdraft Central!

Congratulations to the committee on another great event and we look forward to being part of it all again next year.

Committee report:

Winner, Hugh Miles collecting the winning trophy from Ernest Henry Mine Manager, Myles Johnson

The weather over the 4 day event was nothing short of miraculous after some very unseasonal rain on the Monday and Tuesday prior had put a dampener on hopes of there even being a Cloncurry Stockman’s Challenge! Thankfully, the sun came out and warmed Cloncurry, offering the crowd of spectators an exceptionally pleasant and warm arena to enjoy the show of horsemanship offered by the best talent, both horse and rider, in the country. 

Seventy-two horses were started in this year’s sought after Cloncurry Stockman’s Challenge but ultimately there could only be one winner of the prestigious prize and title of Stockman’s Challenge Champion. Despite having to scratch what he considered his best chance, Hugh Miles still managed to come out victorious on 4 year old mare, Woolerina Rhythm. Hugh is now back to back Champion after winning the coveted trophy last year, riding Millionnic Chic, making him the first back to back winner in Cloncurry Stockman’s Challenge history.

The afternoon of the final started with the Sponsors and competitors luncheon offering all an opportunity to watch the kids at work in the Mini draft. After the Grand Parade introduced the finalist to the crowd of spectators, a beautiful rendition of the Australian National Anthem sung by Khearna Mumme set the seen for the final to begin. It was a photo finish, with runner-up, Mark Buttsworth riding Almora Peppy’s Style, narrowly missing out on taking home his 4^th Quart-pot, finishing with a 335.75 point total score, just 3.25 points behind Mr Miles who finished with 339 points over the 2 rounds.

Heading into the final, an amazing 5.25 points was all that separated 1^st from 13^th place, making it an evenly spread affair that anyone could have taken out.

It was Michael Wilson’s Final Dry work exhibition on Willdraft Just Smart that really got the crowd buzzing, with one of the fastest and most energetic Dry Work runs ever seen in any Stockman’s Challenge final.

Crowd favourite and the only female Finalist, Jaye Hall, finished an extremely respectable equal 6^th riding her horse Halls Eltorrio on 329.75 points. Jaye’s father, Noel Daley, was the winner of the very first Cloncurry Stockman’s Challenge back in 1984, proving not only that the event attracts some of the best horse men and women in the country, but also shows the rich history that such an event holds.

It was the AJ McDonald finalists that had the locals interested with home town hopeful’s Doug Waddell from Fort Constantine Station and Georgie Keats of Gleeson Station fighting it out against Leah Read and Richard Cuffe for the prize dedicated to the top scoring non professional competitor under 30 years of age. It was Leah Read who eventually took out the win on CJ’s Fancy followed by Georgie Keats in second place riding Budgerroo Kate.

It was not only the Challenge that attracted competitors, with a full program of Campdrafting completed over the four days. Hugh Miles continued a stellar weekend taking out first and second place in the McCormick Equine Maiden Draft on Corvet & Spark, the Landmark Novice Draft, and picking up second place in the Jim Telford Memorial Open Draft riding Acres Of Oak just behind winner Phillip Curr onboard McLaren.

It was fierce competition in the Elanco Best of the Best Restricted Open, eventually being won by Daniel Cheers in a Run Off with Michael Wilson after both scoring 91’s in the shoot out held under lights on Saturday night.

The Crowd continued to be entertained by Double Dan Horsemanship and Rodeo action on Friday and Saturday nights before Kickass entertainment took over, taking festivities well on into the night.

With the addition of a few technological advances, the event’s committee are looking to further the event and bring it to the forefront of Australian horsemanship competition. The committee will start work this week on planning next year’s event and look forward to seeing another exceptional competition ensue between Australia’s finest horses and riders in 2013.

Quick Link

• View full results at www.campdraftcentral.com.au
• Find out more about the Cloncurry Stockman's Challenge
• Visit the Cloncurry Stockman's Challenge Facebook page for more photos