Top Campdrafting and Huge Crowds for Black Toyota Warwick Gold Cup

Three time winner, Ben Hall with the Black Toyota Warwick Gold Cup
Photograph: courtesy of Gerard Walsh [URL="http://www.warwickdailynews.com.au"]www.warwickdailynews.com.au[/URL]

In the last week of October each year, campdrafting competitors and fans from across the country travel to Warwick, in South East Queensland for the famous Rodeo and Campdraft. Now in its 81^st year, this iconic event just keeps on growing and becoming more popular with competitors and spectators alike and 2010 was no exception – if possible, even more people and horses than ever before inundated the legendary showgrounds.

This year, an added element of entertainment was provided with the very popular addition of a big screen, with cameras placed in the yard and around the main arena, spectators were able to watch all the campdrafting and rodeo action without missing a moment. To top of the success of the week, except for a storm on the Sunday night before events commenced, Queensland put on her best weather and by the time the finals were being run, things were heating up inside and outside the arena!

Competitors travelled to Queensland from as far away as Western Australia, Northern Territory and Victoria to show their horse’s skill in the yard and on course, in one or more of the five different campdrafts held at Warwick each year. Competitions included the most prestigious and well known campdraft in the country, The Black Toyota Warwick Gold Cup, Supafloats Canning Downs Campdraft, Frasers Livestock Transport Stallion Campdraft, CG Welding Ladies Silver Cup Campdraft and the Champion of Champions Draft, which is only open to horses that have won three open drafts previously.

Events kicked off at 12 noon on Monday 25 October with round 1 of the CG Welding Ladies Sliver Cup Draft, which received 213 nominations from the best lady drafters in the country. There were 690 entries in the Black Toyota Gold Cup and 677 in the Supafloats Canning Downs Campdraft, so with 6.00am starts, from Tuesday to Thursday, competitors were busy battling it out in the rounds for these drafts, to see who would make it to the finals.

Following the final round for the Supafloats Canning Downs Campdraft on Friday, the Champion of Champions Draft was held, which was a competition of the best horses in Australia, with only 50 entries allowed. When all was done, with three top scores very close, the winners were David Gillett and Little Jimmy with a score of 169.5, followed by Ian Atthow and Kirkby Stud Omaha on 168 and Jackie Knudsen and Expected Barrister on 166.

The Final of the CG Welding Ladies Silver Cup Campdraft was also held on Friday and provided plenty of excitement and edge of seat entertainment when two ladies, Jaye Hall and Jackie Knudsen, both finished with a score of 173 and needed to run off for first place. In the run off, Jackie was unlucky and didn’t get a score for the course, whereas Jaye Hall, riding Lex had a great run and scored 83, meaning she was the winner of the 2010 CG Welding Ladies Silver Cup Campdraft. Jackie Knudsen riding Marsha was second and Kay Radke on Wish, with a score of 171 was third.

Friday night in Warwick provided plenty of rodeo action with bull riding, saddle bronc, steer wrestling, stock saddle buckjump, rope and tie and breakaway roping. The big screen was hugely popular with the crowd, who were not only able to watch the rodeo if they couldn’t get close enough to see it live, but also able to view instant replays of all the thrills and spills.

The Frasers Livestock Transport Stallion Campdraft round and final were held on Saturday and with 99 entries and once again there was plenty of riveting action, when the stallions showed their stuff. Jim Daley had a fantastic run on the stallion Westons Yakka for an outstanding score of 181, which made this wonderful combination the winners ahead of Dean Hann on Heatwave with a score of 175 and Barry Johnson riding Soda Thompson, on 174.

More rodeo entertainment was provided on Saturday and Saturday night with bull riding, team roping, saddle bronc, rope and tie, barrel race, breakaway roping, and bareback bronc riding, all of which were once again exceedingly popular with the massive, but very well behaved, considering how many people were propping up the bar, crowd!

Sunday, with a very early start of 5.00am, found more than a few sore heads watching the final round of the Black Toyota Gold Cup. As the morning warmed up, it was time for the final of the Supafloats Canning Downs Campdraft, which once again did not disappoint the crowd with plenty of action and close scores. When the dust had settled, John Hoath, riding Ian Winks’ horse, Docs Legacy, with a score of 263 was the winner of the 2010 Supafloats Canning Downs Campdraft. John was closely followed by, in equal second place – all with a score of 262 – Dick Northcott riding G & L Maynes’, Drumora Radiant; and Nigel Kable on two of his own horses, Sandy and Chevin Ivory.

Following the Supafloats Canning Downs Campdraft, there was more rodeo entertainment, however, by 1.00pm anticipation for the final of the Black Toyota Gold Cup had reached fever pitch and everyone was ready for the ultimate campdrafting showdown. The crowd were not disappointed! Once again there were exhilarating runs and spectators were able to witness great feats of horsemanship, carried out on brilliant horses. However, there was to be only one winner and in 2010 the very deserving victor of the Black Toyota Gold Cup was Ben Hall, from Muttaburra Queensland, on board talented horse, Perfect Son, owned by Ken Frost (also from Muttaburra) with a score of 262. This wasn’t Ben’s first Gold Cup win – he had his first win as a 19-year-old in 1996, then won again in 1999 and is now one victory ahead of his father, Terry. Going into the final, Hall was four points behind leader Tim McCarthy, of Kempsey, riding Miss Mojo, however, McCarthy only scored 17 for cut out, whereas Hall scored 88. The Hall family were once again triumphant in the Melbourne Cup of Campdrafting – the Warwick Gold Cup.

Following his win, Ben talked to Gerard Walsh, of the Warwick Daily News and said, “Dad doesn’t say much but is happy as long as the Cup is in the family. I drew three good steers which is a lot of the battle. I have been riding Perfect Son for two years but he hasn’t won a lot.” When asked about his involvement with campdrafting, Ben commented that he expects to be still campdrafting at 60 and beyond, saying, “I was bred into the sport; we breed horses during the week and ride for fun at weekends.”

Second place in the Black Toyota Gold Cup was John Mulcahy riding his own horse, Stratton Grant with a score of 260, third place was Peter Grills on his horse Rumour with a score of 257, fourth was John Mulcahy again, this time on Baywatch, with a score of 256 and fifth went to Jack Gallagher on CJ Tucker with a score of 255.

After witnessing so much hope, triumph, drama and heart break, Warwick showground has once again returned to its usual quiet state, the only indication that it was the centre of the campdrafting universe for the past week are bare patches of grass and multitudes of hoof marks. Until next year, of course, when there's no doubt that Warwick will be bigger and better than ever!

For full results from Warwick, go to www.warwickrodeo.com.au Downloads page

IF THE GLORY OF CAMPDRAFTING AT WARWICK HAS INSPIRED YOU TO BUY A CAMPDRAFTER OF YOUR OWN, [URL="http://www.horsezone.com.au/forum/../buy/?b[search_text]=&c=196&b[by_state]=&b[by_zip_code]=&b[by_zip_code_distance]=62&b[by_price_lower]=0&b[by_price_higher]=99999999&b[by_optional_field_4_lower]=6&b[by_optional_field_4_higher]=20&b[by_optional_field_6_lower]=0&b[by_optional_field_6_higher]=30&=&b[optional_field_1]=Campdraft&b[subcategories_also]=1"]CLICK HERE[/URL] TO CHECK OUT HORSEZONE’S LISTINGS.


[LEFT]quotes from Ben Hall Courtesy of Gerard Walsh [URL="http://www.warwickdailynews.com.au"]www.warwickdailynews.com.au[/URL]
[/LEFT]