"God it was good to be back".
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There was no hiding Upper Horton Camprdaft and Rodeo coordinator David Kelly's delight after, like a cowboy rising from the dirt he has just been flung into, the event made a triumphant return over New Years.
Long one of the most-anticipated events on the campdrafting and rodeo calendar, drought and then COVID have in recent times seen it either cancelled, or run in a much reduced capacity.
"It was just sensational to have people be able to come back," Kelly said.
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And be able to put Upper Horton "back on the map".
"It wasn't as big as we used to run a handful of years ago," he said. "But just to get our name back out there was what it was about."
"Hopefully we'll get ourselves back bigger."
"[But] This year we just wanted to get going again."
The three-day extravaganza, which all of the proceeds of go towards keeping the local sporting club afloat, featured three full days of campdrafting and an Xtreme Broncs rodeo to ring in the new year.
"It was a great success and we were overwhelmed by the support we had," Kelly said.
They had to knock back around 800 entries in the campdrafting.
"We did have close to 2000 entered but we only took the 1200 (400 runs a day)," he said.
Tamworth's Wyatt Young was among the big winners taking out the feature Stephen King Memorial (open for open) in what was the final event of an "outstanding" three days of campdrafting.
New Years' Eve saw a roll-call of the countries' best saddle bronc riding talent doing battle with the best broncs in the country in the "Big Valley Blowout".
Run by Xtreme Broncs Australia, it was a first for the New Years festivities and a fitting one.
They are, as Kelly put it: "a town full of bronc riders". He is among several champion bronc riders to call Upper Horton home.
Local contractors Gill Bros Rodeo are also regarded as one of the best in the business.
Being the last chance to qualify for this month's pro tour final in Tamworth, the competition was pretty hot with current and past Australian champions and some of the hottest young riders all showing off their skills.
"It was the best line-up of bronc riders in Australia, you don't get much better," Gill Bros', and Upper Horton committee member, Eddie Gill said.
"And every state was represented."
It was the Queenslanders though who came out on top, with Greg Hamilton's (Mitchell) 'polished' 84 point ride on the Gill Bros' Cadillac Cowboy in the final seeing him crowned the Upper Horton C.L.Squires Wrangler Xtreme Broncs "Big Valley Blowout" champion.
Manilla's Mick Knight was second and former Tamworth local AJ Riley third.
In the earlier Rookie division, Weengallon's Warwick Southern took the win.
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