Monday August 6, 2012

IT took just one hour for the 900 nominations opened for the Hughenden Campdraft to be filled, with a further 200 on the waiting list.

The processing speed for such large numbers of entries was made possible by technology provided by Campdraft Central (http://www.campdraftcentral.com.au/).

Campdraft Central is a web based event management system especially designed for campdrafting, with the Hughenden Campdraft going online at 6am on Monday July 30, 2012.

Flinders Shire Council Sport and Recreation Officer Melissa Driscoll said with the huge administration task involved in organising an event of such scale, this technology was vital to boosting the capacity of the volunteers involved and ensuring the event ran smoothly.

``With popular events such as the Hughenden Campdraft, which has a cap on numbers due to the time limit – only three days of competition - it’s a race to nominate,’’ Ms Driscoll said. 

``Competitors get on their computers immediately after the nominations open to ensure they have a place in the event.’’

Campdrafting is a unique Australian sport involving a horse and rider working cattle. 

In the competition, a rider on horseback must "cut out" one beast from the mob of cattle in the yard or "camp" and block and turn that beast at least two or three times to prove to the judge that they have the beast under control; then take it out of the yard and through a course around pegs involving right and left hand turns in a figure eight, before guiding it through two pegs known as "the gate".

The outside course must be completed in less than 40 seconds.

Up to a total of 100 points are scored by horse and rider: "Cut out" is worth a total of 26 points; horse work up to a further 70 points; and 4 points for the course.

Most disqualifications (signalled by a crack of the judge's stockwhip) occur when a competitor loses his beast more than twice on the camp; losing control of the beast in the arena or running a beast onto the arena fence.

Ms Driscoll said the Hughenden Campdraft, to be held from Friday August 10 to Sunday August 12, was up there with the big campdrafting events in the state.

``The large number of nominations in this event is indicative of the sports’ popularity – it’s a very popular sport,’’ she said.

``Adding to the technological benefits of Campdraft Central is the automatic draw text notification system, where competitors are sent a text message the day before the event to let them know what order they have drawn in. 

``This helps to inform competitors and ensures they marshal for their turn more efficiently.’’

Also during the Hughenden Campdraft live scoring will be available on the internet via Campdraft Central.

``Even if you are not at the campdraft you can see how the competition is progressing,’’ Ms Driscoll said. 

``Competitors at the event can log on with their smart phones or iPads and see how fellow competitors have scored if they missed seeing their run.’’

Hughenden Campdrafters also have a Facebook site where posts of the action will feature photographs of the events as they happen.

For more information contact Melissa Driscoll on 47412900 or sportandrec@flinders.qld.gov.au.