Elite Campdraft Breeding Update
Several requests have been received to do another update of elite campdraft breeding since the last report published in 2019.
The Elite campdrafts used for these statistics in 2024 consist of 3 recognised big venues. The Warwick Gold Cup (564) and the Canning Downs (567) {both held at Warwick}; the Chinchilla Grandfather Clock Open (634) and the Condamine Bell (626). 1st round nomination numbers curtesy of the ACA. Since 2018 there are now several other open drafts that have first round nominations exceeding the 400 mark, the previous cut off level used to determine the elite campdrafts. This shows the popularity and growth of the sport. So rather than expand the statistic to include these drafts, I have consolidated down to the four drafts above as they remain the epitome for the serious competitor. So, from 2024 on the following statistics will focus only on these drafts.
The analysis of the breeding of the horses who have won or placed in the Elite Campdrafts has led to the formation of a Leading Sires & Dams List, independent of any nominated association or breed society. This is calculated by the number of first-generation progeny of a stallion or Dam who have achieved a win or a place in the elite campdrafts. To clarify, if an outstanding horse has multiple wins and places in these drafts, for example Hazelwood Reliable, for the purpose of these statistics, they are counted only once, not the number of places they have achieved.
The standout Sire of performance horses in these elite campdrafts continues to be Acres Destiny. His number of different individual place getting progeny has increased to 74, providing him with a commanding lead. It also comes as no surprise that the other biggest mover on the Elite Sires List is Hazelwood Conman. In 2013, Conman was not even among the top 10 Sires and now he has 50 different individual place getting progeny landing him the second ranking. Having said that, Conman’s influence is yet to peak as his more recent progeny are still to mature into campdraft competition horses. This popularity and influence were clearly seen in the 2024 stallion draft at Warwick. 22 of the 88 stallions entered were by Conman, while 13 were by Acres Destiny.
Warrenbri Romeo maintains third position with 38 individual progeny placing in the elite drafts, above Elliotts Creek Cadet with 25.
Romeo’s influence in the sport of campdrafting is evident as he has sired 11 stallions that sired multiple elite campdraft place getters. The most noted sires by him are Lindsay ranked 5th, Warrenbri Omega 9th and McNamara Acrobat 29th. Romeo is also the sire of the 4th ranked Elite Dam in Hazelwood Romance.
Elliotts Creek Cadet sired 8 outstanding stallions who sired multiple elite campdraft place getters. The best Cadet sires are Dogwood Comet ranked 14thand Bawnduggie Indet 17th. He is also the sire of one Elite Dam in Kirkbys Stud Epaulet.
Abbey has been gone for over 42 years and is still ranked 6th. He sired 13 outstanding stallions that bred multiple elite campdraft place getters. Blue Moon Mystic has been the most successful Abbey sire being ranked 13th followed by Abdul at 25th. Abbey is also the sire of 3 Elite Dams, the most successful being McGhee’s Liberty Belle ranked equal 26th in the list of Elite Dams.
Docs Freckles Oak, ranked 7th, was the most successful sire son of Docs Oak imported into Australia. Freckles Oak sired 3 stallions who also sired multiple elite campdraft place getters. The most successful being Freckles Forty-Niner ranked 22nd. Freckles Oak also sired 2 mares who had multiple get who placed in the elite campdrafts. The most noted being Dainty Duckling ranked equal 12thin the mares list.
Another Docs Oak son to have significant influence on elite campdraft breeding is Docs Spinifex. Spinifex is ranked 12th himself and sired 4 noted stallions who have sired multiple offspring who have placed in the elite campdrafts. The most noted being Donell Park Seligman Spin ranked 8th and Almora QP Double Doc equal 18th. Spinifex is also the sire of 2 Elite Dams. The renowned One Moore Spin ranked 5th and Forever Diamonds ranked equal 12thon the Leading Dams list. One Moore Spin is the dam of One Moore Playboy, ranked 11th and One Stylish Pepto, ranked equal 18th on the Elite Sires list.
Another Docs Oak descendant fills the 10th spot on the Elite Sires list in Peptos Stylish Oak (Imported and exported). He is out of a Docs Stylish Oak mare and Docs Stylish Oak is by Docs Oak. Peptos Stylish Oak is the sire of One Stylish Pepto mentioned above.
Further analysis reveals that 40 of the 74 Acres Destiny successful progeny are crossed to other Doc Bar descendants (54%). For example, 12 of these are directly out of Spinifex mares and a further 4 are out of mares by Spinifex sons. That is 22% carrying a cross to Spinifex. Then the next most influential Acres Destiny cross is to Freckles Oak, with 9 (12%) successful progeny being out of Freckles Oak mares and a further 2 carrying a cross to Freckles Oak. Compositely 31% contain a cross to Docs Oak. 14% of the successful progeny of Acres Destiny carry a cross of Elliots Creek Cadet while 7% carry a cross of Romeo.
Of the 50 successful Hazelwood Conman progeny, 14 (28%) carry a cross of Abbey, 5 through Abdul. 11 (22%) carry a cross of Docs Freckles Oak with 5 being directly out of Freckles Oak mares. 8 (16%) more are line bred to Romeo with 4 being directly out of Omega mares. 7 (14%) are out of Acres Destiny mares.
Of the 38 successful Warrenbri Romeo progeny, 8 (22%) contain a cross of Abbey. Interestingly one very successful niche is Romeo over V Bar N Bonnet by Humewood Millman. This cross produced 5 full siblings who were either the sire or dams to 18 placegetters and grandsire or granddam to another 27 placegetters.
20% (5) of the 25 successful Cadet progeny contain a cross of Abbey and 16% contain a cross of Kadi. (Refer to page 83 of the book “42 Years of Elite Campdraft Breeding” for a profile of Cadi/Kadi)
Lindsay appears to have crossed best to Cadet bred horses with 5 (28%) of the 18 successful progeny containing this cross. Abbey appeared to cross best to Tomahawk mares with 19% being of this cross. Docs Freckles Oak crossed best to Hollywood Return mares with 19% containing this cross.
Donell Park Seligman Spin who has 4 Crosses to Doc Bar, appears to cross best to other multiple cross Doc Bar horses. 8 (50%) of the 16 successful progeny contain 5 or more crosses to Doc Bar with 4 horses containing 7 or more crosses to Doc Bar.
Of the 15 successful Warrenbri Omega progeny, 9 (60%) have a cross to Abbey. 3 being out of Blue Moon Mystic mares and another 2 having a cross of Abdul. 5 (33.3%) contain a cross to Cadet with 2 being out of Cadet mares and the other 3 out of granddaughters.
Peptos Stylish Oak appears to cross best to Spinifex mares with 27% being of this cross. While 18% were out of Playboy Roy mares.
The first table below is the current summary of the Top Thirty Leading Sires of Elite Campdraft Horses since 1970. The second table is the Top Thirty Leading Dams of Elite Campdraft Horses since 1970.
Top Thirty Leading Sires of Elite Campdraft Horses
| Ranking | Sire | 1st Gen | 2nd Gen | 3rd Gen | 4th Gen | 5th Gen |
| 1 | Acres Destiny | 74 | 41 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Hazelwood Conman | 50 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Warrenbri Romeo | 38 | 108 | 120 | 27 | 2 |
| 4 | Elliotts Creek Cadet | 25 | 58 | 115 | 52 | 8 |
| 5 | Lindsay | 18 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Abbey | 16 | 74 | 145 | 124 | 72 |
| 7 | Docs Freckles Oak | 16 | 50 | 39 | 8 | 0 |
| 8 | Donell Park Seligman Spin | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Warrenbri Omega | 15 | 24 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 10 | Peptos Stylish Oak | 11 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | One Moore Playboy | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Docs Spinifex | 10 | 98 | 67 | 11 | 4 |
| 13 | Blue Moon Mystic | 10 | 17 | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| 14 | Dogwood Comet | 8 | 57 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Creswood Rivoli All Talk | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Sophisticated Catt | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Bawnduggie Indet | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 18/19 | Almora QP Double Doc | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18/19 | One Stylish Pepto | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Rivoli Ray | 7 | 20 | 28 | 70 | 14 |
| 21 | Mt Hope Zorro | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Freckles Fortyniner | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Chevin Ivory | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Reality | 6 | 56 | 130 | 131 | 28 |
| 25 | Abdul | 6 | 34 | 31 | 17 | 5 |
| 26 | Playboy Roy | 6 | 32 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Star Black Minstril | 6 | 10 | 19 | 14 | 1 |
| 28 | Adois Reflect | 6 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | McNamara Acrobat | 6 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Holmrose Lawmaker | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Top Thirty Leading Dams of Elite Campdraft Horses
| Ranking | Mare | Sire | Dam | 1st Gen | 2nd Gen | 3rd Gen | 4th Gen |
| 1 | Bookine Patsy | Berrico Tobruk | College Patience | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2/3 | Almora Fire Fly | Jake | Goldie | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2/3 | Durkins Diamondtina | Mt Hope Zorro | Senorita x King Ranch Offenbach | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Hazelwood Romance | Warrenbri Romeo | Cardonis Breeze x Just Fred x Young Valais | 3 | 53 | 9 | 0 |
| 5 | One Moore Spin | Docs Spinifex | One Moore Rock x Roc Olena | 3 | 29 | 2 | 0 |
| 6 | Senorita | King Ranch Offenbach | Ieta x TB sire | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Chevin Ebony | Commando (Quidong Jap) |
Farnleigh Flo x Aratoro | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Tilly | Leo Grey | Dauntless Lass | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 9 | Rodann Clover Foxy Lady | Easter Chex | Clover Jillaroo x Tinky Louie | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 10/11 | Lonesome Dove All Class | King Ranch Classy Snake | Killarney Sweet Little Zana x Tarzana Man | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 10/11 | Summerville Chloe | Blue Moon Mystic | Summervilles Black Bess | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 12/17 | Laroona Brook | Wattlebrae Glen Idol | Strathmerton Glen Ellen x Mellow Prince x Gentle Prince | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12/17 | Forever Diamonds | Docs Spinifex | Fortyniner Diamond x Mr 49er | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12/17 | Dainty Duckling | Docs Freckles Oak | Docs Duckling | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12/17 | Lonesome Dove | Cuttabars Colonel | Commanders Breeze x Commanders Boy | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12/17 | Bangtail Roy Ell | Playboy Roy | Elgrando Miss Elly x Hank man leo | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12/17 | Durkins Diamond | Mt Hope Zorro
|
Senorita x King Ranch Offenbach | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Barona Amy | Sea Craft | Palis x Eyelook x Bullseye | 2 | 8 | 7 | 3 |
| 19 | Binnia Impression | Belldiva Captain Jack | Moonlight Magnetic x Brave Ivan x Ivanhoe | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Nabinabah Comma | Muster | Calm x Nabinabah | 2 | 4 | 18 | 12 |
| 21 | The Ranch Mars Bar | Baerami Glimmer | The Ranch Candy Bar x Tyrone John Dooley | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 22 | Nabinabah Twinkle | Nabinabah Cool Gun | Nabinabah Twilight x Legend | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 23 | Barris | Bar Eye x Bulls Eye | Society x Bridgeburn | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| 24 | Docs Baby Doll | Hollywood Return | Widderin Docs Envy x Docs Poco Bar | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 25 | Dernancourt Volcom | Dernancourt Ben Abbey | My Girl x Commandant | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 26/27 | Palmers Sissy | Fort Keil | Birdie X Val Beau | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 26/27 | McGhees Liberty Belle | Abbey | Liberty x Ko | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 28 | Teak O Lena | Buc Lena | Sable Pay x Magnolia Pay | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | V Bar N Bonnet | Humewood Millman | Humewood Blue Bow x Placebo | 1 | 18 | 27 | 8 |
| 30 | Lady In Red | Smart Little Diablo (Double X Doc Bar) |
Clover Cherry Ripe x Jack Hammer | 1 | 16 | 1 | 0 |