Campdrafters unite for Dolly Everett Memorial

"It’s about keeping the lines of communication open”

The campdraft community will once again unite in memory of Dolly Everett when lady riders go head to head at the Chinchilla and Warwick campdrafts in the coming weeks to win the Dolly Everett Memorial Ladies Series Champion title.

Conceived by Jaye Hall, Muttaburra, and Kelly and Lucy Daley, Katherine, Jaye said there had been overwhelming support from the Chinchilla and Warwick campdraft committees and members of the campdraft community.

“Our first thought for this was back in January and we thought if we were going to do it then we had to do it at the biggest and the best,” she said.

“It was originally just a little family thing, I was going to give a bronze and a service fee to Playrio, and Kelly and Lucy were going to give the prize money, and then when I put it out there I had people coming from everywhere wanting to be involved in it, mainly because of the cause.

“I was a bit overwhelmed by the whole thing, with all the people that just kept coming to me.”

Jaye said because so many people wanted to get involved, there would also be an award for reserve champion.

“Aggregate scores for the same horse and rider combination from the two ladies drafts at Chinchilla and Warwick will be tallied up, whether riders make the finals or not, and there’ll be a definite winner,” Jaye said.

“It’s not an easy year of all years when it’s so dry and hard to source cattle, but both committees have been really good to accommodate us to keep the ladies drafts on the programs.

“They’re two really prestigious ladies drafts and it’s the next best thing to win them as to win the Gold Cup and the Grandfather Clock.”

Many in the campdrafting circle will know Jaye’s name not only for her performance in the arena, but because of the beautiful bronze trophies she creates for many committees, and this time was no different.

Jaye said she took inspiration from a picture of Dolly with a quart pot which was circulated frequently in the aftermath of her passing.

“The bronze is about the bush; it’s about sitting down and having a drink of tea, and it’s about keeping the lines of communication open,” she said.

“It represents a lot of different things that we want to keep out there; we’re hoping that it keeps the awareness open, keeps people talking to their kids, and reminds people to be kind.”

Jaye said Dolly’s parents, Kate and Tick, and sister Meg would be presenting the trophy at the Warwick campdraft.

“They’re a bit overwhelmed by all the support of it,” Jaye said.

“This is to remind us all as adults and as kids, to speak to each other, to be kind, and not be afraid to speak.

“If we can all do our little bit, it has to help in the grand scale of things.”

Jaye said a huge thank you must go to both committees and all of the sponsors:

Kelly and Lucy Daley, Katherine: $500.00 prize money
Bex Rugs: Shadecloth combo rug
Terry and Geraldine Dwan, Supafloats: Jaye Hall Quartpot Bronze Trophy
Jane Lee, Roma: Rustic frame
Sherri Philp: $350 Modere products
Emma Clarke: Pearls n Horses bridle
Belinda Staib, Beljay Performance Horses: Embroidered vest
Ben and Jaye Hall: Service fee to Daley’s Playrio valued at $2,750.00
Libby Harriman, The Great Artesian Vet Surgery: $300.00
Cameron and Kellie Bond: Embroidered saddlecloth
Georgina Sinclair, Select Sires: Embroidered rug
Vicki and Michael Hiscock: Sashes and garland
Matt Smith from ‘Thistle’: Bouquet of flowers
Kate and Cameron Jones from The Australian Campdrafting Magazine: Advertising

Article courtesy of Fairfax Digital and Queensland Country Life