THERE was good cloud cover for the Mount Isa Campdraft members who had some practice at the grounds on Sunday.
Members practised on drills including flag races and with the mechanical cow installed at the side of the grounds.
Member Sandra Hagan, who travelled from Headingly Station at Urandangi, said the day was a “get together” for people to try the exercises.
“There’s a few people I haven’t met before,” she said. “I think they are from town.”
Mrs Hagan, Sara Winn and the horse Zephyr, who wore a novelty Santa hat, showed the reporter how they used the mechanical cow.
“It teaches them cutting out in campdraft training,” Mrs Hagan said.
“Basically it’s training horses to look at the beast, follow it and block it.”
The mechanical cow was particularly useful for those that needed to keep up the practice when there was no cows to practice on, whether it was those living in town or because it was after mustering.
“A lot of people don’t have access to cows either,” she said.
“You can use this if you want to keep working your horses.”
Mrs Hagan said members could access the grounds to practice depending on their membership.
“Whatever they want to use it for, not just campdrafting,” she said.
“It doesn’t have to be for an event, it can be for working or training horses.
“It will be great for the town as many people in town don’t have big areas or facility use.”
Recently announced state government funding for permanent lighting at the campdraft grounds would be beneficial to these members, especially shift workers who wanted to practice around work, she said.
The association received $100,000 from the state government’s Get Playing Places and Spaces program, the maximum amount eligible from the grant.
Mrs Hagan’s husband, the association’s vice president Jim Hagan, said the funding would be used for four permanent lights.
The four lights should be installed in time for the next campdraft in July, Mr Hagan said.
