Police at Springsure are seeking information on an incident that occurred just after midnight on Saturday morning that has resulted in a valuable campdrafting stallion being euthanised.
According to police media, a car travelling north on West Street left the road at around 12.15am on April 1 and crashed into portable panels that the six-year-old horse was contained in.
They said the horse was later euthanised and the incident is now under investigation.
"Anyone who was in the area and saw anything is urged to contact police," they said.
The stallion, Indiana's Destiny Dot Com, belonging to well-known Alpha campdrafting couple, Peter Black and Leeanne Comiskey, had been purchased for $28,000 at Tamworth two years ago.
"He's young in campdrafting terms - we had a plan for him," a shaken Mr Black said on Sunday.
They were taking part in the Springsure Working Horse Association's annual campdraft and cutting fundraiser, camping in the same location they use every year, beside the quiet bitumen road running past the grounds.
Destiny was in a portable panel yard tied to the couple's truck when they were woken just after midnight on Saturday morning to their whole truck shaking.
"I ran straight out," Mr Black said.
"I thought the horse had been tangled in a rope - I could see his leg swinging - but I had no torch.
"I got my phone and then I could see the bits of plastic and the car aerial, and the tracks coming off the road.
"There were no brake marks - the car only just missed the truck parked in front of us too."
Mr Black said one of the stallion's rear hocks had been smashed in the incident.
"As soon as I touched it, I knew what had happened," he said.
An Xray by a vet the following morning confirmed the diagnosis and the horse was put down.
"I've been campdrafting for 20 years and I've never heard of anything like this happening," Mr Black said.
Destiny was leading the Australian Campdraft Association rookie competition and was holding second place in the novice competition.
Mr Black said he could still win the rookie competition when the finals are held at Cloncurry from April 11-15, based on the points he had amassed to date.
"That will be a hard win to take, if it happens," he said.
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Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
