Peter O’Neill and Flutter on their way to winning the Power Contracting & Farming + Power Energy Open Campdraft at the 2026 Willinga at Juandah Plains Campdraft. Image by Grace Mary Media Co.
Close scores, record prizemoney and standout performances defined the 2026 Willinga at Juandah Plains Campdraft, where Peter O’Neill, Zeb Pearce and Pete Comiskey headlined four days of elite competition featuring more than 2,000 head of cattle, Australia’s richest Maiden and the coveted Longyard Hotel Aggregate Trophy.
Willinga at Juandah Plains returned to Wandoan, Queensland in August with four days of campdrafting built around a $220,000 Open, Australia’s richest Maiden purse and more than 2,000 head of cattle. The program ranged from the three-round Power Contracting & Farming + Power Energy Open Campdraft to clean-slate finals, feature cutouts and two aggregate awards that rewarded consistency across multiple runs.
The Power Contracting & Farming + Power Energy Open Campdraft carried the biggest cheque of the event, while the $75,000 ADG Contracting Maiden added a national point of interest after Willinga Pastoral Co General Manager, Andrew Turvey, confirmed it as the richest Maiden campdraft prize purse in Australia. Every draft winner received a Ridetuff buckle and a Made by Harls saddle pad, with feature prizes attached to several of the major events.
PETER O’NEILL AND FLUTTER HOLD ON FOR A HALF-POINT OPEN WIN
The Power Contracting & Farming + Power Energy Open Campdraft started with 494 runs in Round One. John Turvey riding Fable and Clayton Hoch riding LD Whitching Hour shared the round win on 90.5, with Ben Hall and Tarmaroo Jackson, Pete Comiskey and Soda Blue Exotic, and Mark Buttsworth and Peps Double Rey all on 90.
Peter O’Neill and Flutter won the Power Contracting & Farming + Power Energy Open Campdraft. Image by Grace Mary Media Co.
A score of 83 or better was needed to progress, leaving 231 combinations for Round Two. Mark Buttsworth and Branchvale Metal Alloy took the round outright with 91, Mat Holz and Pink And Yellow were next on 90.5, while Hall and Tarmaroo Jackson and Peter O’Neill and Flutter each added 90.
Hall and Tarmaroo Jackson went to the Final on 180, with O’Neill and Flutter and Holz and Pink And Yellow one point back on 179. The last round had 37 combinations, and the three leading chances were spread through the draw: Hall at five, O’Neill at eight and Holz at 28.
Hall and Tarmaroo Jackson added 88.5 for 268.5. Three runs later O’Neill and Flutter answered with another 90, taking their three-round total to 269. The score stayed in front until Holz and Pink And Yellow came out late in the draw and posted 89, finishing on 268.
That left Peter O’Neill and Flutter with the 2026 Open by half a point from Hall and Tarmaroo Jackson, with Holz and Pink And Yellow third another half point away. O’Neill collected the $50,000 first prize from the $220,000 purse, which paid through to 15th place.
FOUR FINALISTS, THREE CUTOUT WINS AND THE TOM STRACHAN MEMORIAL CUT-OUT TROPHY
Mark Buttsworth had a particularly busy four days at Willinga at Juandah Plains, qualifying four horses for the Open Final and featuring repeatedly in the cutout results.
Among them was Nonda Southern Cross, known as Denzel, who returned to competition after 22 months away. Buttsworth and Denzel opened with 88.5 and progressed through Round Two to earn a place in the Final alongside Branchvale Metal Alloy, One Stylish Madonna and Vivid Storm.
Branchvale Metal Alloy had already given Buttsworth the Round Two Open win with 91, while Peps Double Rey supplied another thread through the event, taking the cutout in both Open rounds before adding the Henry Earthmoving Restricted Open Campdraft cutout on Saturday. That gave Buttsworth three cutout wins across the four days.
The Tom Strachan Memorial Cut Out winner, Mark Buttsworth with Branchvale Metal Alloy. Image by Grace Mary Media Co.
The Rural Property & Livestock and Smithfield Cattle Co Tom Strachan Memorial Cut-Out was awarded to the highest aggregate cut-out rider across the Open, with Buttsworth and Branchvale Metal Alloy finishing on top. The result carried the $5,000 aggregate prize, a Made by Harls saddle pad and the perpetual Quart Pot Bronze Trophy, expertly crafted by renowned horseman and craftsman Jaye Hall.
The trophy was presented by Ned Strachan, adding another personal connection to an award carrying Tom Strachan’s name. For Buttsworth, the presentation clearly held a different significance to the other results across the event. Speaking afterwards, he reflected on Tom as a special mate and on what it meant to win the Memorial.
ZEB PEARCE AND SUPER TUFF KITTY WIN AUSTRALIA’S RICHEST MAIDEN IN A RUNOFF
The ADG Contracting Maiden brought 260 combinations into Round One and $75,000 in prizemoney, with 15 places paid and a custom trophy saddle for the winner. Andrew Turvey, General Manager of Willinga Pastoral, confirmed the purse as the biggest offered for a Maiden campdraft in Australia. The figure also marked a sizeable step up from the $50,000 Maiden offered at Willinga at Juandah Plains in 2025, giving the event a stronger place on the national campdraft calendar.
Cameron Bond and Somerset First Lady set an early high mark on 90.5, while Peter O’Neill and Hatband and Bryony Puddicombe and Macklemore Chex were among those to record 90s. The score that won the round came much later, when Matthew Moffat riding Somerset One Time Devine produced 92 at draw 204 with 56 combinations still to come.
Zeb Pearce and Super Tuff Kitty qualified for the 40-horse Final on 88. There Pearce lifted to 92, made up of a 23 cutout, 65 for horsework and four for the course, to finish on a combined 180.
Daniel Lithgow and One Time Design were already on the same total after matching 90s in Round One and the Final, while Cameron Webster and Titan finished just behind them on 179.5. With Pearce and Lithgow locked together, the Maiden had to be settled in a runoff.
Zeb Pearce and Super Tuff Kitty won the ADG Contracting Maiden – Australia’s richest Maiden. Image by Grace Mary Media Co.
Pearce and Super Tuff Kitty returned to score 86. Lithgow and One Time Design followed on 82.5, giving Pearce the ADG Contracting Maiden and the $20,000 winner’s cheque.
The Maiden trophy saddle will be made by Terry Standing of T-J Saddles in the Taroom region, working with Dave Smith of Saltbush Saddles. The saddle will be built on a John Brekelmans tree, with several trees available for the winner to try before the build and the finished saddle made in either a flap or fender style to suit Pearce.
Standing and his wife Jackie have supported Willinga at Juandah Plains since the inaugural event. Their involvement gives the Maiden a prize that is not simply presented on the day but made specifically for the rider who earns it.
BEN HALL’S 92 SEALS HIS FIRST WILLINGA BUCKLE
The Henry Earthmoving Restricted Open started with 169 runs and sent 35 combinations into the Final. Pete Comiskey and Time Chex, Darren Jewell and Mewburn No Advice, and Kerry Turner and Turnermarks Sharapova all reached 180, putting three combinations together at the top.
Ben Hall riding Halls Acclaim then produced 92, with 23 for the cutout, 65 for horsework and four for the course. Added to an opening 89, the run took Hall to 181 and gave him the HEM Restricted Open Campdraft outright.
It was Hall’s first Willinga Park buckle. Asked afterwards what it had taken to finally get one, his answer was simple: “Keep turning up.”
Ben Hall and Halls Acclaim won the Henry Earthmoving Restricted Open. Image by Grace Mary Media Co.
Halls Acclaim is homebred, by Acres Destiny and out of Bling, and Hall has brought the horse through from the beginning. That made the first Willinga buckle particularly satisfying. Hall also described Willinga at Juandah Plains as a benchmark for campdrafting, saying events of this scale help set a standard for other drafts through the facilities, prizemoney and cattle presented to competitors. His comments came after four days in which the cattle had changed with the different rounds and drafts.
KERRY TURNER BREAKS A FOUR-WAY DEADLOCK AT DRAW 76
With four combinations sitting on 90 late in the Dulverton Angus Ladies Shootout, the title still looked headed for a runoff. Bryony Puddicombe riding Destiny Of Her Own, Leigh Rogers and Darlea Sweet Chilli, Fiona Holz and Cass, and Jody Harding and Ray-Lee were locked together at the top as the draw moved into its final few runs.
Kerry Turner and Turners Stud Controller changed that at draw 76. A 22 cutout, 65 for horsework and four for the course gave the pair 91, moving Turner into the outright lead with only four combinations remaining. None was able to better it, leaving Turner with the Dulverton Angus Ladies Shootout title.
The Highest Cutout was a different story. Harding and Ray-Lee, Teah Beak and One Time Jewel, and Puddicombe and Destiny Of Her Own had each recorded 23 and returned for a three-way runoff, with Beak and One Time Jewel taking the honours.
Kerry Turner and Turners Stud Controller took out the Dulverton Angus Ladies Shootout. Image by Grace Mary Media Co.
Turner’s winner’s prize included a Ridetuff buckle, a Made by Harls saddle pad and a feature prize from Palomino Jewels, a pair of 18ct yellow gold stud earrings set with 8mm to 9mm Australian South Sea pearls from Broome, Western Australia, designed and made in Australia. Beak and One Time Jewel received an embroidered rug and cash prize for the Highest Cutout.
BAD IN BLACK WINS WITH A 90 IN THE NOVICE SHOOTOUT
The Outstation Water Novice Shootout brought 30 eligible Maiden and Novice horses from the first two Open rounds back for a clean-slate Final, with $10,000 in prizemoney and the winning horse to break Novice status.
Andrew Turvey riding Willinga Park’s Bad In Black won with 90 and collected $2,500 in first-place prizemoney. Kimberley Sammon and One Stylish Rose finished second on 89, with Mac Knudsen and Haymac Jlo and Mark Buttsworth and Branchvale Metal Alloy next on 88.5. Rohan Marks and Turnermarks Refund and Ty Blokland and Hazaction Shaker completed the six paid places, both on 88.
Andrew Turvey riding Willinga Park’s Bad In Black on their way to winning the Outstation Water Novice Shootout. Image by Grace Mary Media Co.
Turvey later shared the Highest Aggregate Local Rider award with Cameron Webster. Webster had qualified Olivia, Lilac and Bob for the Open Final, giving the two local riders five finalists between them. The local award included an embroidered rug donated by Manebid.
SECOND RIDE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE FOR CODY KIRK AND ITTY BITTY
The Hayden Green Constructions & Transform Painting Queensland Maiden 4 Maiden took 21 combinations from the ADG Contracting Maiden into a clean-slate Final, with $5,000 in prizemoney and both horse and rider to break Maiden status with a win.
Cody Kirk from Alpha had two rides. Hostess was first at draw four and finished on 75.5. Kirk then had to wait until draw 16 to return with Itty Bitty, by which time Maurice Gray and Matallic Made were leading on 86.5 and Pat Watson and Taipan had posted 85.5.
Kirk and Itty Bitty scored 88.5, made up of a 22 cutout, 62.5 for horsework and four for the course. The score held through the remaining runs, giving Kirk the Maiden 4 Maiden, $1,250 in first-place prizemoney and the status change that came with the win. Both horse and rider left the event as Novices.
The Hayden Green Constructions & Transform Painting Queensland Maiden 4 Maiden went to Cody Kirk riding Itty Bitty. Image by Grace Mary Media Co.
There was a neat connection to the previous evening’s Calcutta. Andrew Turvey had purchased the Cody Kirk and Itty Bitty ticket, which returned $5,075 when the combination won. The Calcutta also raised $4,350 for Taroom Palliative Care.
SEVEN SCORES AND TWO OPENS DELIVER PETE COMISKEY THE $46,200 TRAILER
The Longyard Hotel Aggregate Trophy began at the Gold Buckle Campdraft Championship at Willinga Park in July and finished at Juandah Plains, Wandoan. The same horse and rider combination carried four Gold Buckle scores into all three rounds of the Open at Willinga at Juandah Plains, with a custom Chucka Cow Trailer valued at $46,200 waiting for the highest aggregate.
Pete Comiskey and Soda Blue Exotic arrived in front after scoring 87, 89, 89 and 90 through the Gold Buckle. Those four runs gave them 355 before the first beast was worked at Wandoan, as well as delivering Comiskey his fourth Gold Buckle title.
Soda Blue Exotic had already built a strong record under Comiskey, including the Australian Campdraft Association’s 2024/25 Champion Rookie Horse title, so the seven-score aggregate added another test of consistency to an established partnership.
Pete Comiskey and Soda Blue Exotic claimed the Longyard Hotel Aggregate Trophy. Image by Grace Mary Media Co.
At Willinga at Juandah Plains they added 90 in Round One and 89.5 in Round Two, moving to 534.5 and opening a ten-point lead over Mark Buttsworth and Chances Granny Rocks. Comiskey also had Yaven Smooth Sailing third on 523.5 going into the last round.
Soda Blue Exotic’s Final score of 81.5 took the combination to a three-round Open total of 261 and a seven-score aggregate of 616, enough to secure the Longyard Hotel Aggregate Trophy. The result was not built around one standout score at Wandoan; it was the reward for making every stage count across two major Opens several weeks apart.
The Chucka Cow Trailer was built as a working prize, with three-to-four horse capacity, a fibreglass roof, front storage box, three saddle racks, dual dog boxes, internal storage, rubber matting, LED internal lighting and a custom-painted finish.
THE CATTLE BEHIND FOUR DAYS OF DRAFTING
A total of 2,010 head from Willinga Pastoral Co. were prepared for the event, with 1,660 from Karalee Plains and 350 from Juandah Plains. The cattle changed with the program rather than one mob being used across every draft.
The first round of the Power Contracting & Farming + Power Energy Open Campdraft used Hereford/Santa, Hereford and Hereford-Angus steers bred at Juandah Plains and Greenacres. Round Two moved to Angus steers purchased through northern Victorian weaner sales, with those Angus steers also used in the Henry Earthmoving Restricted Open Campdraft and the Open Final.
The ADG Contracting Maiden heifers came through Willinga Pastoral Co’s AI program using Injemira Beef Robert Redford genetics. The Hereford and Santa-Hereford heifers used elsewhere in the program were bred at Juandah Plains, while the Hereford and Angus heifers in the Dulverton Angus Ladies Campdraft carried Dulverton Angus and Glenoch Angus genetics. That gave several of the feature drafts a direct link back to the breeding programs behind the cattle.
CUTOUTS & COCKTAILS GIVES THURSDAY A DIFFERENT PACE
The Wandoan Post Office Cutouts & Cocktails was new to the program in 2026. Ten competitors were drawn into the event, $1,500 was on offer and riders could choose the horse they wanted to use, with fancy dress adding a lighter edge to Thursday afternoon.
The Wandoan Post Office Cutouts & Cocktails was new to the program in 2026. Image by Grace Mary Media Co.
The wider program also made room for the social side of the event. The Arkle Farms Sponsor Marquee provided a base for sponsors and supporters, while Joseph Maloney performed on Friday night and David Fogarty on Saturday. The Longyard Hotel bar and trade stalls kept people around the grounds once the drafting eased off, giving competitors, families and supporters time to catch up away from the competition.
Across four days, Willinga at Juandah Plains brought together significant prizemoney, quality cattle, large fields and a program that extended well beyond the major results. Just as importantly, it brought competitors, sponsors and the wider Wandoan community together. EQ
Full replays from the 2026 Willinga at Juandah Plains Campdraft are available on the Willinga Park YouTube Channel.
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