Thought to have developed in informal competitions among the early stockmen and drovers of outback Queensland to prove horse skills, Campdrafting is a unique Australian sport involving a horse and rider working cattle. The rider “cuts out” a beast from a mob of cattle in the “camp” or yard, and then has to block and turn the beast at least two or three times to demonstrate that they have the beast under control. The aim is then to direct the chosen beast out of the yard and through a course in a figure eight involving right and left hand turns around pegs, before controlling it through the final "gate" consisting of two pegs . The outside component of the course must be completed in less than 40 seconds. The first formal campdrafting competition occurred in Tenterfield at the Tenterfield Show Society's 1885 show with this shot being taken at the Powlathanga Campdraught in Far North Queensland. Australia
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Robert Downie
Love Life, Love Photography
All images in this post were taken by and remain the Copyright of Robert Downie - http://www.robertdowniephotography.com
In my opinion, there are no beasts out there, only traumatized and scared animals. I find this photo content and description really displeasing if we consider animal rights and their protection. Pardon me for not understanding such complex and intelligent sports!
Yes understand lots of people don't like sports involving animals. That is why photography is good to start such discussions. Compared to something like rodeo where you do actually have to traumatize the animal to make it buck, camp draft is a relatively animal friendly sport. The cow essentially just runs one lap around a course and goes back into the yards, and is not subject to any more stress than it routinely would be on the farm. It is the same process that is used to select an animals out of the yard for routine inspection, or being mustered from one paddock to another. Also unlike horse racing where the animals are bread specifically for the racing industry (and often controversially disposed of prematurely if not up to standard) these are just normal farm cattle. However if you're against the domestication of cattle for use as meat, then I can see how this may also be a point of objection.