I needed an “event”! A backdrop - part-social, part-competitive - to put the characters in my latest story together.
- Something country
- something exciting
- something Australian.
Never heard of it?
Neither had I until I started doing this research. I’d been thinking a cross country race like the Mansfield Mountain Cup or a cattle muster on the Dargo High Plains. Instead I stumbled on campdrafting. It was perfect. The dust, the athletic riders, men and wom
en and children, leggy horses, bays, greys and buckskins, the lowing of cattle in the yards.The campdraft is a working horse event, a bit of cutting, a lot of skill and determination and courage!
Imagine this...
You’ve got a well-trained horse, she’s keen, fit and responsive. You enter the “camp” where several cattle are milling. After running your eye over them, you make a decision. Choice is pivotal – you want a beast that is not too fast, not too slow and definitely not too ornery!
There’s no going back, no changing your mind now, so you focus. You and your horse cut him out from the mob. He doesn’t like it, he wants to go back to the others. But you and your horse work as a well-oiled team keep him near the camp gate - then you call for the gate to be opened.
He charges into the arena with you in hot pursuit. You turn him towards the first peg – left, left, left. And on to the second peg at a flat run to complete your figure eight. He doesn’t want to turn but your horse is holding her nerve, blocking his escape and putting her heart into pushing him to the right.
Your forty
seconds of arena time are ticking away. Down the centre of the arena at a gallop and then a final turn and you’re through the “gate” before the whistle sounds.A good run! The best!
Campdrafting is fast and gutsy! An event where you need to know your horse’s strengths and where a good understanding of bovine psychology is an advantage.
It's great to watch and I loved every minute of it! And while I’m working on this story I’ve got such a great excuse to go to more events! I can’t wait to dust off the akubra (hat), shake out the moleskins (trou
sers) and maybe dab some nugget on the ancient Blundstones (boots). And even more importantly, charge up the batteries for the camera! This is only a fraction our haul of photographs for the day!Finding campdrafting was like finding an unexpected treasure! It's been here all the time and now I've discovered it. What unexpected treasures have you found by accident? Maybe when you’ve been looking for something else?
I could hear the horse hooves! Very exciting stuff, Sharon! I look forward to reading the book being written with campdrafting in it. It does sound like a perfect story for the phrase: Is there a doctor in the house?
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon,
ReplyDeleteCampdrafting is fantastic to watch, don't you think? As you say, fast paced and exciting. What a terrific backdrop for your next story! Plus you have all the fun of more research...thinking sweaty, suntanned horsemen with slow smiles. Sigh.
I suppose my unexpected treasure was years ago when I stumbled on sheepdog trials in a small country town. But apparently they were the state championships and there were lots of people there. Amazing to watch. Love the dogs, and watching the connection between them and their handlers, and the sheep (ovine psychology required in the this case) was a real treat. Had to laugh when I saw the movie version later in 'Babe'. Sometimes in real life you can just see that communication between dog and sheep but in the movie it was a little bit more.
It was a great excuse to be outdoors on a brisk day. I found a couple of stand ins for a romantic hero that day too!
Thanks, Lynne! I had great fun writing it and picking out the photos to use! There's something about that explosive, exciting action that brings out the worst shutter-bug in me. We came home with a couple of hundred pics - hooray for digital!
ReplyDeleteYes! Plenty of scope for a doctor at an event like this! And extra fun too because my doctor is a city girl so I'm enjoying throwing her in the deep end of this country event!
:)
Sharon
Oh, yes, Annie! Sheepdog trials! Treasure indeed! I love them too. Actually... how could I not, having been born in New Zealand with a granddad who was a lamb buyer! ;)
ReplyDeleteThose sheep can be very bloody-minded and I sometimes feel for the poor dog that's struck a particularly obstreperous bunch! But you're right about the amazing communication between dog and handler and dog and the ovine rabble! I bet there's many a farmer who'd have liked to have Babe-trained sheep!
:)
Sharon
Hi Sharon --
ReplyDeleteI'd heard of it but can't say I was ever that interested (I'm a city slicker!) But you certainly described it in a way that captured my attention!
Hi Sharon, wow, what an exciting blog! I have a daughter who rides horses, she has done quite a bit of Western-style riding and I know she is keen to try campdrafting at some stage. In the meantime she practices rounding up our miniature cattle!
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid my unexpected treasures have been found in the vicinity of shops--maybe not quite what you meant!
But talking of the unexpected, I'm wondering if it is your hero or your heroine who will be doing the campdrafting in your new story?
Wow, Sharon! If ever you want a second career, have you thought about photography? Those shots are amazing. I feel like I'm there. That new digital camera is doing you proud! The campdrafting sounds really exciting - fast moving and a game of skill and courage and endurance. What could be better? I'd heard of campdrafting but I had no idea what it was - I think I thought it was something to do with tents and beer on tap! Thank you for explaining it so clearly!
ReplyDeleteOh, my gosh, how exciting! Those photos really capture the sport and so does your post. I feel like riding now!
ReplyDeleteI could be really predictable and tell you about all the chocolate cafes I've discovered by accident. Or I could say I stumbled onto the art of making book trailers while trying to do something fancy with my wedding video. That was kind of fun but nowhere near as heart-stopping as camp drafting.
Great post!
Anna, you never know, you might love it! But if you decide to go to one, pick a nice day and a nice place. The showgrounds where we went was gorgeous with lots of lovely gum trees for shade around the perimeter of the arena and the day wasn't too hot either.
ReplyDeleteSo it was perfect for trying something new!
:)
Sharon
Kandy, how fab about your daughter and her riding. Please let me know how she gets on if she does decide to try campdrafting!
ReplyDeleteUnexpected treasures can turn up anywhere and shopping ones are very thrilling. That shop that has just the right colour or fit of the perfect garment is a treasure indeed!
As for the story I'm working on - Tom is my campdrafting, country boy - Kayla is his city-slicker heroine!
:)
Sharon
Anna, you like our pics! Thank you! Some of them are mine and some of them are my shutter-bug dh's. I did some serious cropping to come up with these ones - and I had to be ruthless because I wanted to put in more!! I love, love, love digital cameras!
ReplyDeleteLOL on your alternate definition for campdraft - tents and beer on tap - that's very Australian too!
;)
Sharon
Hi Vanessa, I must confess that while we were there at the event I had a real itch to have a go! Not that I'd have been any good and I don't bounce the way I used to anymore either - but that didn't stop my feet and legs from fidgetting as I tried to "help" the competitor in the arena! The regular campdraft goers probably identify us novices by our twitching and muffled groaning!
ReplyDeleteHey, anything to do with chocolate qualifies as treasure! Those are the rules!
And so do the gorgeous book trailers you made for Anna Campbell. I'll bet your wedding video is a real treat too! Maybe I'll be able to twist your arm so you'll show me one day!
:)
Sharon
Loved the photos, loved the description. What an amazing new sport! Loved learning something new. Thanks for sharing this with us.
ReplyDeleteHey, thanks, Zana! It is exciting to discover some new and a bit different and fun to share the experience. And kind of cool to have the excuse to put some of those photos up on the Internet! LOL
ReplyDelete:)
Sharon
OOh Sharon - about this time last year I went to my first rodeo/campdrafting special to research my hero. I was so pleased to see the focus much more on the campdrafting and less on the maniacal lurching bulls. Those horses were AWESOME. My friends 4yo got his first girl-crush, on a flame-haired woman in a spangly green top on a seriously BlackBeauty-esque campdrafting horse. This kid could talk his way out of a sealed bottle and he was utterly star-struck speechless when we took him to meet her later. His eyes went round and he whispered 'Black Beauty' when he saw her horse close up. We were all tearing up...
ReplyDeleteIt's also where I discovered 'pick-up guys' who are the brilliant saddle technicians who keep the rodeo animals comfortable and rescue the 'suicide ride' bronc riders just before they get tossed to the dirt by siding up to the bucking horse and letting the rider throw themselves across the back of the pick-up horse. Amazing prowess on horseback. Not surprisingly the pickup guys also blitzed the campdrafting.
Anyway...all that research went into'Their Newborn Gift' and your post has just reminded me of all the best bits of that night. Now that I know you can have the campdrafting without the crazy bucking... I'm sold!
Nikki! Great to meet a fellow capmdraft discoverer! And you can most definitely find the event without the rodeo component. I can't wait for your book "Their Newborn Gift" to get to the shops!
ReplyDeleteI just adore the story about your friend's 4yo - what a gorgeous moment to witness the blossoming of his first love!
The horsemanship at events like campdrafting is just awesome. The best ride of the day that we went, was a man who scored 91 out of a possible 100 points. He moved so beautifully with his horse, fluid and balanced. Unfortunately we got no pics because the ride was late in the day and I'd run out of battery power!
:)
Sharon
It's a great sport Sharon. I had a horse who could turn on a dime from a fast gallop, she would've made an excellent campdrafter =)
ReplyDelete(still kick myself I ever sold her, she was my soul horse, if there's such a thing!)
And I love how you do your research, so hands on, fantastic!
Hi Mel
ReplyDeleteYour horse sounds like she could have been a very good campdrafter! They're amazing to watch, those horses!
:)
Sharon