The Stanthorpe Camp Draft...Day 2.

Sunday was day 2 for the Stanthorpe Camp Draft followers.

The morning was for tutoring participants who wished to refine their techniques.
The afternoon was for the actual camp drafting.
But, and here's a confession, I could not stay for the afternoon.
Please bear with me, and enjoy the photos from the morning's activities.

Here are people, and their horses, waiting for their tutorial.

Here is the tutor. On his horse. Microphone in hand, so that everyone in the area, and the pupil, can easily hear the constructive comments.

Here is a pupil, with her back turned to the steer....I would NOT be in that position!

This is better!

Now to tackle the steer from a different angle.

Another "pupil" enters the arena.

and does her best to corral the beast.

After the instruction in the small paddock, each rider then went into to large show-ring, to be given further hints by another old hand.

The pupil is in the checked shirt.

Another pupil (on the left) tries his hand at the required skills.

I was sorry to have missed the actual camp drafting, which ran that afternoon, but I enjoyed watching the horsemanship of all the riders. So many of them ride so fluidly, and appear to be at one with their horse.
(The only time I was on a horse was when I was 18, and I was terrified! Never been on one since, but do enjoy watching people ride)

But next time there is a camp drafting competition in my area, I SHALL watch it.

Stanthorpe Camp Drafting Weekend.....day 1.

 

Since coming to live in this area, I have heard people talking about camp drafting.
How?  One of my acquaintances has a son who is mad about camp drafting...he loves the sport. But he has broken his collar bone TWICE while participating.
Another acquaintance nursed her husband after he broke his leg camp drafting. But he too "loves" the sport.

I still knew nothing about it, except that it had some elements of danger, and involved horses.

So what is it all about? After hearing such tales, and seeing that there was a weekend devoted to it, being held at Stanthorpe, which is only a 20 minute drive away, I decided to go and see.

Not much information after today because today's activities were given over to team sport...."Team Penning"
But I found it interesting.   Camp drafting tomorrow.

Basically, in Team Penning, there are teams of 3 riders. Plus a mob of cattle at one end of the arena. And pens at the other end.

Riders waiting for their turn at the  "Team Penning" competition.

..and spurs are mandatory for all competitors.

They riders face a mob of cattle, and have 2 minutes....yes, only TWO minutes, to separate, and pen, 3 individual cows (or were they steers?) Whatever....they were cattle!

The mob of cattle, with coloured neck bands, driven into position in the arena.

One rider is the designated "cattle separator" and rides to the mob, disrupts them, and aims to isolate one. This chosen one is then herded, by all three riders, up to the pens.....which are at the other end of the ring ( read "paddock")

Two of the 3 member team....checking the cattle, at the far end of the arena.  You can see the fencing of the pens behind the riders.

Starting to separate a steer.

Why won't the beasts cooperate?

You can just discern the 3 team members (in blue shirts) in the arena, with some cattle visible.

One member tries to separate a steer, while the other is ready to help.

All over.....leaving the ring.

Naturally the steers have no wish to cooperate...they are social animals after all, and keep trying to evade the riders, and return to the mob.
The riders have to be quick, and ride very well. And know their mounts.

The process is repeated until there are three penned beasts, and then the  riders shoot their hands straight up into the air for the judges to see, and time.
In TWO minutes, or less.
Only a few teams succeeded in herding 3 steers.
Some managed two.
Some only one.
Many did not get any cattle into the pens.

Can you see that this team managed to get TWO animals into the pen?

Speaking to a participant after her event, she told me that there are 3 requirements for the sport.
The rider must have knowledge of cattle behaviour (or 'cattle sense"); a good horse; and "a lotta luck"

The horses are stock horses.....a special breed, bred just for stock work.
My informant's horse was 9 years old, and just reaching his prime.  By then, she told me, they are over most of their quirky ways, and respond to the rider well.   But, she added, they can still have their off days. They can then work until they're about 25 years old.

This competitor gave me all the above information!

A few times today I noticed an "off day" when the horse in the ring bucked instead of obeying the rider. It was if the horse was indicating that it did not want to herd cattle, thanks very much, and wanted the rider off its back.

Tomorrow I shall drive to Stanthorpe again, and watch the Camp Drafting. More details in the next Blog.