For many Cape York kids, the Laura horse sports provide the first taste of campdraft and rodeo, which forms into a lifelong love. Picture: PETER ROY
FAMILIAR faces will reunite in Laura this weekend for what has become Cape York Peninsula’s annual get-together.
For Debbie Gostelow (nee Shephard), it will definitely be a family reunion.
Of the 3000 people at Laura for the races, rodeo, campdraft and horse sports, Debbie will be related to more than 100 people.
“It would be a lot more than one hundred people. It could be several hundred once you count in-laws and out-laws,” said the secretary of the Laura Rodeo and Campdraft Association.
“Just in our camp alone there will be 40-odd people, then you have the Shephard camps up at the top (of the grounds).
“It’s not just family, but also the friends you make along the way. If it wasn’t for Laura you wouldn’t see a lot of these people, except maybe at a funeral.”
The sense of connection keeps Debbie and many others making the trip to Laura each year and the thousands of hours of volunteer time that goes into putting on the event.
“There’s a real sense of history and if it wasn’t for the people I’m closest to you wouldn’t bother doing it,” she said.
While Laura is usually a three-day event, starting Friday, the campdraft will actually start on Thursday this year to cater for the numbers.
Most people will turn up on the Friday, especially as this year is the first to feature a public holiday for those living in Cook Shire.
There will be horse sports and campdraft events on Friday, followed by the race club’s cabaret and calcutta that night.
More campdrafting will happen on Saturday morning before the races begin that afternoon.
The rodeo begins on Saturday night and finishes with music, which will be repeated the next day, with another big day of rodeo to determine the winners.
