If there’s one week that captures everything I love about rural Australia, it’s Gold Buckle week at Willinga Park. As co-founder of Ringers Western, I’ve seen firsthand how this championship turns hard work, horsemanship and mateship into moments that stick with you long after the dust settles. That’s exactly why we’ve thrown our weight behind the event since day one—and why 2025 felt like the biggest leap forward yet.
Willinga Park: Where Heart Meets High Stakes
From 14 to 17 May, more than 200 riders trucked horses down the highway to chase a purse north of four-hundred grand. The Gold Buckle alone carried a cool hundred-K pay-day, but what really fired me up was the 121-rider semi-final—our largest on record. Every run counted; every cheer felt personal.
We also introduced three fresh show-downs: the Maiden and Novice Horse Shoot-Outs plus the inaugural Terry Snow Memorial Restricted Open. New silverware on the line meant new stories for the sport, not to mention bigger pathways for up-and-coming riders.
Champions Worth Cheering
I’ll tip my hat to Hugh Miles and Vintage Whiskey—181.5 points and an exhibition in cool-headed control. Pete Comiskey and ROY pushed him the whole way, while Tim Hollis, Troy Palmer and a string of young guns proved the talent pool runs deep. Add Rob Leach’s 91-point masterclass in the Terry Snow Memorial and Skye Sylvester’s back-to-back 88s in the Ladies Dash-for-Cash, and you get a week that’ll echo around campfires for months.
Why We Show Up
For me, campdrafting is more than a sport; it’s a living, breathing reminder of what community looks like when people “stick together.” Our sponsorship dollars do the obvious—boost prize pools, cover broadcast tech—but they also fund junior clinics, create local jobs and pump fresh energy into the South Coast economy. Every handshake in the yards, every kid hanging on the rails dreaming of their first cut-out… that’s the payoff money can’t buy.
Partners in Purpose
Willinga Park sets the standard: pristine grounds, flawless cattle management, hospitality that feels like family. It’s easy to write a cheque when the event organisers share your obsession with doing things properly. Three years in, our combined cash and contra now tops $300 K—every cent aimed at elevating bush sport and the people who live it.
Looking Ahead
To the riders who risked it all, the volunteers who ran on nothing but coffee and heart, the fans who roared from the rails and the loungerooms tuning into 40 hours of livestream—thank you. It’s weeks like this that show me exactly why I pour so much heart into campdrafting. I’ll be back at Willinga Park in 2026—same dust, same drive, and the same pledge to stand behind the riders, the horses, and the bush tradition that keeps this sport alive.
— James Salerno
Co-founder, Ringers Western & Proud Sponsor of the Gold Buckle Campdraft