There’s a change in the air for The Bendemeer Campdraft, with the event set to take its place at the town’s rodeo grounds, on November 30-December 1 and entries open November 5-6.
Traditionally held in February, organisers changed the date of the family-friendly event to align with cattle availability in the New England region.
Organiser Chris Reid said there were more cattle around in the New England at this time of year, as people were selling them off at the end of summer before winter.
With increased cattle numbers, Mr Reid said he expected large numbers of competitors with campdraft being such a popular sport.
“As far as entries go, Tyringham Campdraft at Ebor is going to run on the same day,” he said.
“But they’ll fill both of them – we’ll still be knocking people back.”
For Mr Reid, who has been involved in campdrafting for more than a decade, the sport offers something unique to participants of all ages.
“It’s a good family sport,” he said.
“You can go there and you can achieve a lot with your own horses and improve your horses. It doesn’t matter whether you win or not; if your horses feel better than last time, you’ve had a good weekend.”
The Bendemeer Campdraft is known for its welcoming atmosphere, and its close proximity to Tamworth only adds to its appeal.
“Bendemeer is such a popular spot; it’s such a great setting on the river,” said Mr Reid.
“It’s a great atmosphere at the rodeo ground.”
With entries open next week, organisers anticipate plenty of competition on the agenda.
“We usually take about 800 or 900 runs plus the final, and we’ll have no worries getting that again,” said Mr Reid.
Nominations open at 10am on November 5 and close on November 6 with the full programme available on the ABCRA calendar.
Don’t miss any of the important stories from around the region. Subscribe to our email list.