Campdrafting is a uniquely Australian sport and is the fastest growing equine discipline in the country.
The popularity of the sport and the insatiable demand for superior competitive horses gave an idea to a couple of mates to do something about filling a void in the market to provide a platform for those wanting to be involved
For what started as a pipe dream with Charlie Maher and Mark Barton at an agents’ golf day at Dubbo in 2007, has grown to become an annual pilgrimage for many northerners to Tamworth, chasing the best performance horse genetics in the country.
Then managing director of Landmark, Graham Jacobs (a Kiwi who had never seen a campdraft or much else in the country), declared he would give the two “enough rope” to action their idea, with a $50,000 commitment of support for three years to get the idea to pay dividends.
The Landmark Classic Sale was born.
The concept evolved when the industry was sidelined by the EI outbreak across eastern Australia, with many trucks and horses lying idle for the best part of six months.
The first sale saw 123 horses offered at the old Tamworth Showground, the year before the opening of the renowned Tamworth AELEC centre.
That first sale saw a 90 per cent clearance and gross $1.2 million, with a sale average around half of what horses averaged in 2018.
Sales are expected to eclipse $7 million again this year, with enquiry from every state and territory. The catalogue will feature 640 registered ridden horses that will be pre-worked and ridden over the coming week. That alone will require over 3000 cattle to stage the nine-day program.
Of interest is the 10 Classic winners crowned since the sales inception. Four have gone to Queensland, four to NSW and two to Victoria.
Roma-based Brendan Fitzgerald is the only competitor to win the Classic twice and of the 10 winners, five times the trophy has gone to a rider who also has won the Warwick Gold Cup, (often referred to the Melbourne Cup of campdrafting).
February 2 will see the first round of drafting get under way with 1200 first round runs of competition.
A feature of the program is the Charlie Maher Memorial Young Guns event open to competitors aged 15 and under 25 years.
The event started after the tragic loss of Charlie to the industry and it draws some of the best talent from across the country to compete for the title over two rounds.
There can no doubt that the Landmark Classic is well regarded as the Magic Millions of this equine sport.
Stanthorpe contributes a significant amount of fruit, vegetables and of course, wine production in south east Queensland and that could easily double of the coming years with a federal government commitment to fund a “drought-breaking dam” in the region.
Deputy PM and Nationals quiet achiever Michael McCormack will this week promise $84 million for Emu Swamp dam. Forget that this proposal was first raised over 30 years ago (at what cost then!), the fact is that it will happen now.
A number of growers recently committed some $24 million to kick-start the project themselves so this funding from the government will make the project happen. Growers have recently been trucking in water from NSW to replenish their own dams.
To date the federal government has committed significant funding into national water infrastructure developments and studies across Queensland. On my count more than $400 million in total has been committed to various water projects. Areas including Hughenden for an irrigation scheme, Burnett Region, Townsville as well $176 million for Rookwood Weir and $54 million for Hells Gate Dam have been confirmed for funding.
Labour appears, on the surface, to be supporting the same funding for similar projects. Imagine what we will get when the election campaign proper starts in the next couple of months.
