Pack Up Your Dog and Go

THIS month the King of the Ranges Stockman’s Challenge will be held in Murrurundi.

The Committee’s decision to run the event on February 25-28, instead of during the Scone and Upper Hunter Horse Festival in May, seems to have worked to attract more competitors.

Entries opened on January 1, with the junior spots booking up quickly, good numbers of female competitors registered and only a few spots remaining overall.

The male competitors took a little longer to register explained committee member Wendy Seckold.

Gerald Aplin from Lawn Hill station, Queensland, competiting in the pack and saddle event at the King of the Ranges Stockman’s Challenge in Murrurundi.

“Not all of the competitors are farmers, who can just pack up their dog and go, they have a lot of different occupations and often need to take time off work to compete,” said Ms Seckold.

“There are a number of stockman’s challenges in various parts of the country and one of the other big ones is the Man from Snowy River stockman’s challenge and bushman’s festival in Corryong,” she said.

“That isn’t on a constant date each year and revolves around Easter, so if Easter is later in the month, then the stockman’s challenge is very close to the start of May and when that happens it’s difficult for the competitors to recover their horses, recover themselves if they’ve had any injuries and sometimes they can’t afford two lots of fees and expenses so close together.

“So we looked at a different time and the only other available time was in February,” she said.

“It seems you can’t predict what the weather is going to be like regardless of what time of year it is on, but hopefully it will be good weather, if not maybe we need to do a deal with the swimming pool around the corner,” she laughed.

Children competing in a goat race at the King of the Ranges Stockman’s Challenge in Murrurundi.

The popular goat races will be on again this year, an event where children have a billy cart race with local wild goats.

“The object of the exercise is for the person to stay on board and for their goat to go the furthest distance to be the winner, but it’s just all hilarious and really so that everyone else can have a laugh,” Wendy Seckold said.

The entry fee is only $2, but places book up quickly.

This year there will be more bush festival events for spectators to enjoy including:

• Cattle dog trial – a new event, with invited number of cattle dog trailers and people from the stock handling event. It will be in ring one, so people can get up close and personal with the action.
• Horse Ball – Two teams of four riders have to pick up a ball at a gallop with their hands and pass the ball to their team members at least three times before attempting a shot at their basket.
• Tent-pegging – demonstration by the Tamworth tent-pegging club;
• Lockie Cossor, former competitor, will be playing guitar on stage near the bar and also bringing some animals with him for children to interact with;
• Drover’s Dinner – because of a possible bush fire ban the Camp oven dinner has changed to Drover’s Dinner at the RSL Hall.
• Bush Dance – at the RSL Hall

Christy Connor, from Taralga New South Wales, competing in the cross country event at the King of the Ranges Stockmans Challenge in Murrurundi.

The stockman’s challenge events include:

• Whip crack
• Stock handling
• Pack saddle
• Cross country
• Horse shoeing and
• A bareback obstacle course

The finals then consist of:

• A wild horse catch
• Stock saddle buck jump;

Camping is available on the ground and while sites are not powered, generators welcome.

Bookings need to be made through Murrurundi Caravan Park: T: 02 6546 6288.

People who would like to compete are encouraged to contact Hilary Turner as soon as possible.

Visit the King of the Ranges website for more information.