Pete Comiskey and Hankerchick take championship accolade

It was four days of intense campdrafting competition at the anunal Paradise Lagoons Campdraft, near Rockhampton but at the end of the event it was Nebo campdrafter, Pete Comiskey astride Hankerchick, that claimed the Joseph Acton Memorial Rose Bowl Champion of Champions title.

To get a berth into the Champions of Champions final, Pete and Hankerchick earlier won the prestigious Mort and Co campdraft final.

It was an emotional win for owners of Hankerchick, locals Damien Kenny and Tory Acton. The couple bought the mare at the Tamworth Quarter Sales after having a cutting career. Damien then campdrafted her to win her maiden before asking Pete to campaign the mare into open company.

The Champions of Champions was certainly a nail biting finish with half a point separating the next two placegetters with Zane Habermann and Peter Hill tying for second spot.

And for Pete Comiskey, who has won more drafts than he cares to remember, it was a first time he has won the Champion of Champions campdraft at Paradise Lagoons.

President of the Paradise Lagoons campdrafting committee, Tom Acton, said there were a total of 2300 nominations from Queensland, NSW and as far as Western Australia, vying for the $280,000 prizemoney and trophies.

“With three campdrafting rings in action, it all worked like clockwork,” Tom said.

“We had great cattle, good scores recorded by the competitors, and more than 10,000 spectators through the gate.”

Tom paid tribute to the 80 or more volunteers who arrived to help with the event – “with three rings working we couldn’t do it with them,” he said.

Article courtesy of Fairfax Digital and Queensland Country LIfe