Just another touch of Paradise

In amongst school holiday action, ongoing treatment and specialist requirements and general cattle property/bull selling/mother/wife/chief cook and bottle washer action, I managed a visit to Paradise Lagoons over the weekend.

You might recall this amazing place and event (previously visited and covered here) – if you ever need a dose of Australian bush sport and amazing horsemanship, you need to put this on your bucket list!  It’s where the best of the best, the cream of the camp drafting crop, gather and pit their skills over five days of competition.

I could only spare a few hours to attend, but did it in style this year – joining some friends (and friends of friends) on a table at the ‘Ladies Lunch’.

It was really lovely to dress up a little, sit down for a while, and catch up with some great women…

Someone put lots of effort into setting it up – I always love the little details of these events…

Our table had an awesome view of the action – you certainly had to multitask to keep up conversation AND watch the camp drafting action!

There were one or two others there too..

It’s fair to say the noise level qualified for ‘Dull Roar’ status.

This pair were helping me keep up our part of the chatter decibels!

We all shushed for this woman however…

Pip Courtney (host of Landline, rural reporter extraordinaire and someone I count as a terrific mate too).  Pip was invited to address the gathering – drawing on her strong history with the Paradise Lagoons event stemming from her fabulous story on Landline some seven years ago.

Graeme’s sudden death after a fall while campdrafting (a sport he loved so much) shook this part of rural Australia just over twelve months ago.  Pip shared her experiences with Graeme in the filming of the Landline story, and made us laugh and cry with her in the telling. She shared how he had stood by her after the tragic passing of her husband (and soulmate) John Bean – steadfast in his ongoing offer to deliver a buckskin horse (an in-joke between the two).

It was certainly a testament to the people who worked so closely with him, to bring his dream alive in the preceding years, that the event was resurrected after being cancelled in 2014 as the horse and cattle industries mourned this powerhouse of a man.

It was fitting that the Prime Minister attended for a special part of the Paradise Lagoons Campdraft.

Mr Abbott joined Graeme’s son Tom (above) and brother Evan in paying tribute to Mr Acton.

Each was heartfelt in their testimonials to a man who dreamed big dreams.

Mr Abbott unveiled a bronze bust ….

A likeness of the Man from Paradise…

…Which will forever stand guard over the one-of-a-kind cutout yard, and the annual campdraft action by the best of the best.

Underscored with the very words that ended Pip’s Landline report …

Pretty darned moving, really.

And then, as I am sure Graeme himself would have wanted it, the action recommenced…

And the best of the best did their best…

Including this bloke – Pete Comiskey – who took out the Australian Open Campdraft.*

The horses and riders were amazing to watch.

A friend (who shall remain nameless) said she only ever attended to check out the horseflesh and the sexy riders.  I won’t disagree with that.

The skills were pretty darned stunning too…

 

 

 

 

None more so than this chick.

Her name is Shari Knudsen (who also happens to be a distant rellie of mine) and the woman CAN RIDE.

Oh how I wish I had this cut-out on video.  This horse was like a CAT.

Stalking…

Eyeballing…

Mirroring like a mind-reader…

And manoeuvring that heifer brilliantly…

Right around…

For a perfect full course.

*sigh*.

Poetry in motion.

And an afternoon to remember.

More for the action than for the selfies… even if it was a cheesy one with the PM**!

LOL.

Over and out…

🙂

Amanda

*For my serious campdraft followers: results here.

**Remind me again why I didn’t tackle him about our shocking internet in the bush – I am uploading images and typing late at night in a hotel in Rocky – no doubt the only chance I will have to use decent internet this week. NBN, what NBN?