OUTBACK STATIONS
Angus
family affair
Cattle work and campdrafting are part of the fabric of life on central Queensland’s Kimberley Station. Woven into the long days of station work for the Angus family and their crew is the camaraderie of shared interests - particularly a passion for beef and a love of horses.
Story and photos Paul Heelan
As the late afternoon sun fades through clouds of dust, Josie Angus is on horseback in the Kimberley Station horse yards. An experienced rider, she’s working on her campdraft skills. With the Kimberley crew zealously spurring her on from the sidelines, the task at hand is all the more tricky. But fiercely determined, Josie is ignoring the tomfoolery and is fixed only on blocking the heifer in front of her. The Angus family and several of the team who work at Kimberley have gathered at the horse-yards to practice campdrafting. Most are on horseback, and others are perched on fence rails drinking a well-earned beer after a long, hot day.
Outside
the yards, Angus children – eight-year old twins Madelaine and Lauren, and
five-year old John – are trotting around on their horses, waiting eagerly
for a turn in the arena. The youngest, David, just three, is being led around
on his pony by his dad, Blair. The grin on his face is beyond measure. Mucking
around on horses and spending time together like this at the end of a day
is something everyone at Kimberley looks forward to. Campdrafting is a roll-on
of the cattle work they do (and love) everyday; they are all keen on the
sport and grab every opportunity to practice before an event. 
Full story OUTBACK Issue 35 June/July 2004
