2019 Campdrafting competition and performance horse sale declared a record-breaking success

Tamworth’s 2019 Landmark Classic Campdraft & Sale, Australia’s nine-day Campdrafting competition and performance horse sale is all wrapped up – and Landmark Equine’s Hannah Murray reports that it’s been a phenomenally successful year.

“Sales exceeded $7 million for the third year running, and we also sold 83% of horses, hitting an average of $14,672.52, which is only just shy of last year’s average. John & Jenn Corbett’s Lot 262 “Yaven Smooth Spin” was the star of the show, setting a new Australian Performance Horse record when she sold for $230,000 to Steve & Toni Hart. It’s a fantastic result and one we are hugely proud of,” she says.

“There’s an ever-growing passion for Australian-bred performance horses – and the popularity of this year’s event is a true testament to the dedication of the vendors, who are consistently striving to improve the genetics and training of their horses,” continues Hannah.

Attended by competitors, vendors, purchasers and spectators from every corner of Australia and beyond, the livestream smashed view records from more than 16 countries, including notable responses from the US, Canada, India, Hong Kong, New Zealand, UK, and the Netherlands.

Some of the events highlights this year included the Prydes EasiFeed Australian Performance Horse Challenge final on Monday night, which has become a real highlight of Classic week and a showcase of some of the best hands in the industry. “Monday night was full of suspense, thrills, spills and some exciting runs,” says Hannah. “Local trainer Wyatt Young rode “Sheady Spin N Pepsi” owned by Wayne & Lisa McDonell through a beautiful final round to claim victory with a score of 323.21 and was crowned the 2019 Prydes EasiFeed Australian Performance Horse Champion.”

Tuesday night’s final rounds kicked off with the AELEC Arena Bar Dash For Cash, an exciting hit out between the top 10 geldings. A cash pool of $5,000 was awarded to winners Jason Wanstall & “Ervines Dundee” owned by the Great Southern Syndicate, who nabbed the title with a well-earned 89-point run.

The Mavericks Western Wear Masters Final was next, with 15 competitors on open-aged horses vying for the Champion title. Troy Palmer added another Masters win to the book, riding Terry Snow’s mare “Hell’s A Comin” for a 90 in the final and a 178 overall.

Billy-Jo Rae and “Cooinda Knight’s Eve” triumphed in the 2019 Martins Stock Haulage Open Campdraft, with a smoking run for 91 in the Tuesday night final, which took their aggregate to 268, enough to steer ahead and take the 2019 title.

On Wednesday night, the Prydes EasiFeed NCCA Champion Rider event was taken out by Pete Comiskey & Paris (team ACA) who over three rounds scored a 90, 88 and an 89 to win the aggregate by 5 points. The riders from GCA won the teams section, with $2,000 donated to their chosen charity Cancer Council of Australia.

Next up was another highlight, the Charlie Maher Memorial Young Guns, featuring the Campdraft stars of tomorrow. Josh Barnett romped to victory on the family stallion "Barnlodge Omega Destiny" smashing out an 89 in the final.

The 2019 Landmark Classic Campdraft was another hotly contested final, which had spectators on the edge of their seats. Wyatt Young aboard “Nashville Nightman” owned by Marg Hinde, Royce Howard & Jason Bower, laid out a textbook run for a tidy 88 and the 2019 Classic Champion title. “It was an amazing accomplishment for Wyatt, a young local trainer who won our two biggest incentive events of the year,” says Hannah.

Finally, the Dalgety Stallion Shootout final on Friday night was a big hit, with a huge crowd – and it was a nail-bitingly close event. Natasha Carlon and family owned “Heatwave”, put together a fantastic cut-out to snatch the win with an aggregate of 200.5.

“We’d like to say a big thank you to 4CYTE Equine and Kintala Performance Horses (David & Jessica Bell) for their sponsorship of the fantastic 4CYTE Gelding Incentive,” says Hannah. The event offered a cash pool of $10,000 to the top 5 placed geldings, and was won by Jon Templeton on Jeremy Storrier’s “Salt And Cat”.

Hannah is also full of praise for everyone involved in this year’s event. “We cannot thank our staff, sponsors, cattle donors and vendors enough for their hard work. To all the traders, spectators, Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre (AELEC) staff, contractors, buyers, vendors and volunteers, thank you. We could not run an even like this without your support. And congratulations must also go to the Classic Ladies Foundation and their supporters, who raised over $70,000 for Kiss Goodbye to MC and the Foundation for Breast Cancer Care – a tremendous effort once again.”

“There are some exciting times to come for the Australian Performance Horse industry,” Hannah concludes. “We are extremely proud to be part of it, and we look forward to moving even further onwards and upwards in the future.”

Photo Credit: Wild Fillies Photography.