Where it all started

THE northern New England town of Tenterfield gave birth to the sport of campdrafting more than 130 years ago but Warwick is where it grew to maturity and fame.

Ben Tapp on Cool Dust won the Black Toyota Warwick Gold Cup on 363 points after a sudden death round against Terry Hall on Hazelwood Conman.

THE northern New England town of Tenterfield gave birth to the sport of campdrafting more than 130 years ago but Warwick is where it grew to maturity and fame.

Warwick is now regarded as the "home" of campdrafting in Australia, in no small part due to the success of the Warwick Gold Cup.

Campdrafting was a relatively unknown sport for horsemen when it was already gaining popularity at the annual Warwick Show in the early 1900s, with competitors riding horses to the event from all over the Darling Downs, Moreton, New England and the Northern Rivers.

So popular was the sport that in 1929, when the Warwick Show and Rodeo Society moved to its present grounds, the committee decided to separate the open cattle drafting competition from the annual show and hold it in conjunction with its rodeo.

In 1931, in honour of the official visit to the rodeo by the then Governor of Queensland, Sir John Goodwin, it was decided to present a gold cup to the winner of the open campdraft, known from then on as the Warwick Gold Cup Campdraft.

The Warwick committee then decided to backdate the Gold Cup to 1928 and presented each previous winner with a gold cup.

By the 1940s, this award was acknowledged as the most prestigious and today remains unrivalled as the "Melbourne Cup" of campdrafting.

Immediately after the Second World War, when gold was almost impossible to buy, other trophies were substituted for a few years until gold was available again.

In a much heralded move, the campdraft committee had gold cups made for the winners, who had received those trophies and these were presented to those winners at the next Gold Cup Campdraft.

This year the cup itself is worth about $4000.

It is hand-made by Warwick silversmith Trevor Young from "the ground up" and is double-dipped in gold and is presented in a hand-made wooden case.

More than 800 entries are received every year now for the Warwick Gold Cup.

While the prestigious event carries tremendous prizemoney (which increases every year), competitors are also vying for a magnificent hand-made trophy saddle and other trophies.

New sponsor of the 2015 Warwick Gold Cup is Pryde's EasiFeed, from Gunnedah, NSW, who have contracted to be major supporters of the event for several years into the future.

The business houses of Warwick part-sponsor the actual Warwick Gold Cup.

The 2015 Warwick campdraft and rodeo is on from October 19-25.

For more details go to www.warwickshow androdeo.com.au or call 07 4661 9060.