AUSTRALIA’S top campdrafters and performance horses hit the course at Tamworth last week for one of the most prestigious events on the sport’s calendar, the annual Landmark Classic Campdraft and Sale.
About 600 competitors had more than 1600 runs over five days of campdrafting.
The main event, the Landmark Classic incentive campdraft, which includes a $40,000 for the winner, is open only to horses sold through the event’s sale, was won by Brendan Fitzgerald, Roma, Queensland.
He had an 88-point run in the final on Booniedoon Kanya Catolena to achieve a total of 263 points.
The first AELEC Bar gelding dash for cash incentive draft was won by Kempsey’s Tim McCarthy aboard Kaspers Memphis.
The Pryde's EasiFeed performance horse challenge winner was Nathan Wilson riding Amaroo Diamantinas Last, owned by Koobah Performance Horses.
Queenslander Russell Smith, from Marlborough, won the Ariat masters draft on Billcurra Sooner.
The Charlie Maher Memorial young guns campdraft, in memory of the late Charlie Maher, one of the Landmark Classic founders, was won by Queenslander Matt Moffat, from Gracemere, on Hazelwood Conduct.
Manilla-based horseman Ben Tapp won the Martins Bulk Haulage open draft on Cooldust.
The Merial stallion shootout was won by Coolah’s Troy Palmer on Binnia Impressive Destiny.
In the three-day sale, stallions averaged $32,953, topping at $210,000 for One Moore Metallic, a rising four-year-old son of Metallic Cat and One Moore Diva.
The colt, sold by Russ and Bec Bradley, R & R Livestock, Officer, Victoria, was purchased by well-known campdrafter Wally Rae, “The Overflow”, Marlborough.
Queensland breeders Ray Heslin and Kelli Thomas, 7 Star Quarter Horse Company, Burlington Station, Mount Surprise, sold 10-year-old stallion Desires Blue Trinity, by Mecom Blue from Desires Smart Lena, for $80,000 to Kempsey Quarter Horses.
Mares topped at $73,000 for Ducks Dual, and averaged $17,227.
Rob Neilson, Dingo, Queensland, purchased rising five-year-old chestnut mare Ducks Dual, by Rey Dual from Ducks Playtime, from Queensland horseman John Brekelmans, Rockhampton.
Geldings averaged $9799, reaching a top of $50,000 for Bulla Pheonix, a rising five-year-old by Warrenbri Romeo and Lams Miss Dack.
He was sold by Victorian breeders Mark and Shelley Ruff, Bulla Lyn Australian Stock Horses, Diggers Rest, and went to Craig and Carolyn McNabb, Ivanhoe.