WARWICK district campdrafter, Ben Tapp is over the moon after claiming his second Warwick Gold Cup at the Warwick Rodeo and Campdraft last weekend.
"I thought my first win back in 2012 was good, but this second win is just as good," he said.
"It really is every competitor’s dream to win one - but two - I am still absorbing it and it feels a bit surreal."
With a record 880 nominations in what is regarded as the 'holy grail' of campdrafting over five days, in the end it was between 31 competitors in the final round.
Astride his gutsy 2-year-old mare Acres of Roses, Ben had accumulated a previous score of 179 points over two rounds, and with a final score of 90 points, he claimed victory by one point from Capella competitor, Steve Comiskey riding Delta.
Ben said he doesn't think too much about the other competitors’ accumulative scores before competing.
"I just focus, and go out and do the best I can," he said.
And he is full of praise for Acres of Roses, who is by Acres Destiny from the impeccably-bred mare, King Ranch Xanadu.
Acres of Roses was bred locally by noted Warwick horseman, Peter Mutch, who educated and trained her before handing her over to Ben to campaign.
There was no prouder spectator in the crowd at Warwick Showgrounds last Sunday than Peter.
"I named her Acres of Roses, as she was bred in the Rose City, and she may well go down in history to be the first locally-bred mare to win the Warwick Gold Cup," Peter said.
Ben, who is originally from Katherine, Northern Territory, reckoned he would have travelled the furtherest when he recorded his first win back in 2012.
He has since relocated to a farm outside Warwick and this time reckons he lives in the local neighbourhood.
The former Territorian cattleman and noted helicopter mustering pilot now describes his occupation as a 'professional campdrafter'.
Since the start of the year, Ben, and partner Kylie Barnett have travelled 50,000 kilometres criss-crossing Queensland and New South Wales competing with a string of 10 horses.
"We started at Upper Horton, NSW, on New Year's Day," he said.
"And this time we have been on the road for four weeks competing at Delungra (NSW), Goondiwindi, Condamine, Chinchilla and now Warwick campdrafts."
Ben won a novice at Goondiwindi on Acres of Roses and wasn't surprised she was on the winners' podium in Warwick.
"I had a belief in the mare," he said.
"I really like her, and rely on her that she will perform, and she did - she is a horse I have 110 per cent trust in.
"In the final round she gave it her all, until we got to the gate with time to spare."
These days Ben specialises in campaigning mares as he believes they are a better marketing proposition down the track.
"I have a real purpose in what I am trying to breed, and will only breed from mares that have won drafts," he said.
Ben paid tribute to the cattle put forward for the final.
"Really, full credit should go to the cattle that were loaned by Mac and Gayle Shann, Cantaur Park, Clermont.”
Due to the dry conditions in their district, the Droughtmaster steers were placed on a 100-day grain-fed regime at the nearby Freestone Feedlot.
They had reached the 70-day mark last Sunday morning and were trucked into the Warwick Showgrounds for the final, and returned back to Freestone Feedlot by lunchtime.