This prominent event on the camp drafting calendar sees some of the best riders and horses on the sporting circuit descend on Wingham.

Last year 12 horses in the open for open event had also taken part in the World Championship Campdraft held at the Royal Easter Show.

Again a number of the top 10 horse and rider teams from the world championships are expected to take part this weekend.

Many locals will also get in on the action with junior and senior sections offering a home town advantage to some.

The Wingham Show Society will once again host the event at the showgrounds, with much of the credit going to Brian Moore, chief ring master and co-ordinator of the camp draft.

Spectators are encouraged to attend the camp draft and even take to the streets on Friday to see the cattle arrive (for a gallery of the muster in progress click here)

Entry for spectators is free and the kiosk and bar will be open all weekend during the event.

The Wingham Farmers market is also on Saturday morning so for those that might never have attended a camp draft before, this is a great opportunity to come to the markets and then check out the action in the ring.

Gates open at 3pm Friday and 7am on Saturday and Sunday with competition continuing until twilight.

ONE of the most traditional aspects of the Wingham Campdraft is the traditional cattle drive that sees the 850 head of cattle walked at least 80km from the Upper Manning Cooplacurripa Cattle Station to the Wingham Showgrounds.

It is an awesome sight to see and many spectators line the streets in the days prior to the camp draft to get a glimpse of the modern day cowboys and girls.

The drive is conducted by father and son Bill and Dan Lyons and their carefully selected team of drovers.

It takes a week to get here and a week for them to get home again.

Travelling the original stock reserves, the cattle get their feed and water along the way.

The cattle drive started when a group of local property owners decided the next generation were not experiencing the thrill of droving cattle over a long period of time.

Now the third generation of some families are taking part in the drove.

Unfortunately the drive was cancelled last year for the first time in many years due to the drought and the concern that feed and water along the route would not be adequate.

But feed is good this year and the consistently good cattle from Cooplacurripa are said to be more than up for the trip.

Each year the Bydand Pastoral Company provides the cattle for the draft.

This meant that last year despite the drought, Wingham was still able to hold the camp draft as the cattle were well nourished at the 55,700 acre Cooplacurripa Cattle Station.

They may have come by semi trailer last year but it is estimated this is the 18th year cattle has walked to Wingham for this event.

The cattle have travelled from Cooplacurripa, Number One to Tiro and then Connelly Creek. 

On Thursday (October 30) they will stay at the Soap Factory Reserve on Bulga Road. Friday (October 31), after the last school bus, they will hit the home stretch via Bulga Road, Murray Road and into Boundary Road to the stock reserve closest to the Wingham Showground.

To see a photo gallery of the 2014 cattle muster click here