He and Spartacus, the horse he trained, won both the Maiden and Open drafts.

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Riding Miss Argyle Duck, he secured victory in the Progeny draft, and on Silverthorn Man O’ War, he took first place in the Jackpot Novice draft.

Cameron, 22, has been training horses since he was out of school but only took up campdrafting seriously this year.

“It’s been a big learning curve, a lot of trial and error, and overcoming my nerves,” he said.

“I started having a bit of success, and it snowballed from there.”

Competing also provides an opportunity to meet new people.

“There are many interesting individuals at the drafts who are happy to share their ideas with rookies like me.

“I enjoy the horse aspect of the sport, but there’s also a rush of adrenaline.

“It’s a fast-paced sport, not boring at all. When you’re in the thick of it, your heart starts racing. You have to think on your feet.

“Ultimately, it’s a game of split seconds; you have to decide which side of the cow to get on so you can drive it around the pegs.”

Veteran horseman Kelvin Gregory said campdrafting is a uniquely Australian horse sport.

“It started in big properties in Northern Australia that didn’t have boundaries.

“Stockmen would cut or draft cattle out of the herd for various reasons, such as branding, selling, or moving weaners to other parts of the run.

“The drafting process became an impromptu competition at the end of the workday to prove which stockman had the best camp horse and riding skills.”

This rivalry evolved into a formal competition, giving rise to the sport of campdrafting.

The objective is to select and draft a cow away from a small herd.

Once the animal is under control, a gate opens, and the horseman has 40 seconds to guide the beast around a designated course.

Judges award points based on control, riding skills, speed, and successful course completion.

Cameron is making his way up the Australian Bushmen’s Campdraft and Rodeo Association’s (ABCRA) Campdraft standings and expects these wins to “give me a few more points”.

ABCRA invites the top 25 horsemen and women to compete in the yearly National Finals.

By Wendy BUSWELL