ROLL IT UP, ROLL IT OUT: King of the Ranges committee member Warren Bramley and Sarah Connolly demonstrate a pack saddle at the launch of the 2013 King of the Ranges Stockman’s Challenge.
A YOUTH scholarship worth $1500 was announced at the launch of the 2013 King of the Ranges Stockman’s Challenge in Murrurundi.
The scholarship, now in its third year, is part of the 10th anniversary of the event.
The challenge, with $40,000 worth of prizes and prize money in total across events for up to 80 men and women, will be held between May 2-5 at the Rosedale Horse Complex, Murrurundi.
The King of the Ranges Youth Scholarship of $1500 is open to students aged between 16 and 20 residing in the Greater Hunter, New England and North West who are enrolled in horse, cattle or agricultural pursuits.
Students may use the funds for any valid purpose which assists them in their course.
Students can enter the scholarship via the website: www.kingoftheranges.com.au
The King of the Ranges Stockman’s Challenge is named in honour of Arch (Bung) McInnis, a legendary horseman and roughrider who lived and worked on Tomalla and Glenrock stations in the early 1900s and who was referred to as “The King of the Ranges”.
Preliminary events in the 2013 King of the Ranges Stockman’s Challenge reflect the skills of the Australian bush horseman and include stock handling, saddling a packhorse and negotiating an obstacle course, a whipcrack event where competitors are required to complete an obstacle course, cutting targets with their stock whip as they proceed along the course, horse shoeing, a bareback obstacle course and a 20-jump cross-country event.
The top 10 competitors in the preliminary round proceed to the finals where they are required to catch a wild horse in a set time limit and participate in a stock saddle buckjump.
Each year, the Stockman’s Challenge gives its support to local organisations.
Challenge secretary Hilary Turner ann-ounced that this year they would be supporting the youth of the community through the Royal Far West Organisation and the Paws Up Backtrack Program.
The Paws Up Backtrack program, based in Armidale, uses the dog high jump event as a way to help youths in the program to learn self-discipline, self-confidence, teamwork and to take responsibility for their own decisions.
The Paws Up team will be participating in the bush festival events which run in conjunction with the Stockman’s Challenge.
TOURISM Minister George Souris announced at the launch that the Stockman’s Challenge had been granted $10,000 to assist with promotion.
Destination NSW is the government marketing agency for Tourism NSW and the King of the Ranges Stockman’s Challenge is now advertised on its website as a Destination event in NSW.
