{"id":122289,"date":"2015-09-29T00:22:42","date_gmt":"2015-09-28T14:22:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=122289"},"modified":"2020-11-16T14:14:31","modified_gmt":"2020-11-16T04:14:31","slug":"campdraft-expects-big-crowds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2015\/09\/29\/campdraft-expects-big-crowds\/","title":{"rendered":"Campdraft Expects Big Crowds"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Campdrafting fans are in for a great weekend of action at Cooyar on Saturday and Sunday, October 3-4 when the twice-a-year event rolls into town<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"South<\/a>September 28, 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n

Large numbers of entries are expected for this weekend’s Cooyar Campdraft, which will be held at Cooyar’s campdrafting grounds just west of the town on Saturday and Sunday, October 3-4.<\/p>\n

Cooyar stages two campdrafts every year – one in March and the other in October – and they’ve become well-established fixtures on the State’s campdrafting circuit.<\/p>\n

Both campdrafts attract keen competitors from all over south-east Queensland, along with many local campdrafters keen to test their skills against some of the State’s best campdrafting talent.<\/p>\n

Cooyar Show and Campdraft Society president Paul Barron said more than $1 million in improvements have been made to Cooyar’s campdrafting grounds over the years to accommodate the popularity of the events.<\/p>\n

“Our most recent improvement was a $70,000 upgrade to the power system,” Paul said.<\/p>\n

“We only just got it finished.<\/p>\n

“The bulk of it was funded by the committee, but we did get a grant which helped out.”<\/p>\n

This weekend’s campdraft will feature an Open Draft, Novice Draft, Maiden Draft, Junior Draft, Juvenile Draft and a Local Challenge Draft.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Events will get underway at first light on Saturday and conclude on Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n

On Saturday night, the campdrafting grounds will also host live entertainment, with musician John Kohler playing from 7:00pm until late into the night.<\/p>\n

A bar and canteen will be operating throughout the two days as well, and admission for spectators is completely free.<\/p>\n

The Cooyar Campdrafting Grounds are located off the New England Highway on the Toowoomba side of Cooyar just west of the town (look for the turn-off near the last bridge).<\/p>\n

Note:<\/strong> For the benefit of city folk who’ve never been to a campdraft, campdrafting involves mounted horsemen (and women and children) driving cattle around a fixed course in a ring. It’s not as easy as it sounds, and even the best campdrafters can come unstuck if they draw a wayward cow.<\/p>\n

Competitors pay a fee to take part in campdrafting competitions, which offer prize-money to the winners; but spectators are welcome along to watch at no charge. And if you enjoy good horsemanship, campdrafts can be quite entertaining events.<\/p>\n

Most campdrafters and spectators wear casual outdoor gear – usually jeans, boots, shirts and hats to ward off the sun. Campdraft crowds are very welcoming and happy to explain the finer points of the sport to newcomers.<\/p>\n

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Debra Gelhaar, from Eskdale; with Olivia, 7 months, and Haley Darr, 11, from Oakey; Lucy Kucks, from Maclagan, and Ally Darr, 6, from Oakey had fun at the March Cooyar Campdraft<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n