Campdrafters at Come by Chance last weekend managed to dodge the bigger falls of rain to pull off another successful event.

Despite up to 20 millimetres in the surrounding district, the Gleneda Racetrack and Campdraft Grounds tolerated 10millimetres of rain on Thursday 18 and a further sprinkling of 2millimetres throughout the event.

Campdraft Club President Charlie Colless said that, even with a few scratchings among those wary of the wet weather, they still drew about 200 individual competitors who took about 850 runs over the three days from Friday 19 to Sunday 21 April.

“We ran nine main events including junior and juvenile campdraft and kids sporting events like bending, flag and barrel racing,” he said. “We have about a dozen people on our actual committee and that many again in local community volunteers who cook barbeques, drive trucks and run the kids events.

“Between the committee and the local community they do a great job.”

“We also couldn’t do it without our sponsors and cattle donors,” he said.

The rain did have an impact on the organisation of the competition.

“We had two mobs of cattle unable to be trucked in, so we walked some in from drier areas,” said Charlie. “We do try to hold it once a year but with droughts and floods we probably average about three events every five years.”

Meg Rose Photography spent the weekend capturing all the action at the Come by Chance Campdraft.

Riders came from as far afield as Nundle, Dirranbandi and the Hunter Valley.

“It was pretty successful I think,” Charlie said. “The committee were happy and we got a lot of feedback from competitors, especially those who hadn’t been before, commenting on the relaxing environment.

“The standard of competition is always improving,” he said. “Chelsea Peacock from Dubbo won the Ladies Draft with a score of 93, you don’t get much better than that.”

Other winners included Coonamble’s Paul Colwell, who took out the Open Draft and Troy Palmer (Coolah) won the Novice.