Farmer News
1 May, 2026
Family tradition continues
SHE first sat in a saddle at 18 months of age and now, at 13, Ruby James already has her name on the Southern Campdrafting Association honour board, with plenty more great achievements certain in the future.
The young cowgirl, hailing from Henty in Victoria’s south west, won the overall SCA Champion Junior Rider title in 2024-2025 and in just her first year out of juniors, is sitting in the top six in the Champion Juvenile Rider tally board for 2025-2026.
It’s in the genes
WHEN they say campdrafting is a whole family event, they’re not kidding.
Ruby’s affinity for all things equestrian and her ability in the saddle are exciting, but not surprising, as she takes the lead as the third generation at her family’s Thistlehill Australian Stock Horses stable.
The stud and breeding program were established by Ruby’s grandparents, Rodney and Ann James, in 1984, grandpa Rod competing in campdrafts and horsepower the vehicle of choice for stockwork, on the family farm.
Ruby’s dad, Ian, joined pony club on his first mount in the 1980s and competed in junior campdrafts as soon as he was allowed, at age eight.
“There were heaps of drafts around then … one at Hotspur, Strathdownie, Casterton; we used to run one at Casterton at the old showgrounds up on the hill, there,” Ian said.
“We used to walk the cattle in from home for the draft, there was no trucking then.
“We all had our own ponies, own horses … I won the junior rider for Victoria one year and I think a juvenile … we competed under the Australian Bushman’s Campdraft and Rodeo Association then.”
Ian met Sarah Mitchell and they were married in 2009, with Ruby and then younger brother Harry, completing the clan – the adults all invested in the Thistlehill business.
Sarah also adds to the mix of family campdraft commitments with her Casterton-based clothing and equestrian supplies business, The Back Paddock, a sponsor of Southern Campdrafting Association and a string of local campdrafting events.
Saddling-up
WHILE Harry is happy to hang out with his mates and cheer from the sidelines, Ruby’s first pony, Bingo, was saddled-up just before her second birthday and it wasn’t long before she was a regular in the topsy ring at local shows, graduating quickly to showjumping.
Then the time came when she told – and showed – mum and dad, that she was ready to take on stockman’s challenges and drafts, using whatever means necessary to jump on dad’s Thistehill rides whenever he stepped out of the saddle for just a minute, at home or in the campdraft grounds.
“She’s pinched a few of mine … now she takes the ones she likes and I’m left with what’s left,” Ian said.
A universal breed
AFTER graduating to the Thistlehill horses, Ruby set out to use them across all of her disciplines – a great demonstration of the diversity of the bloodline and the breed.
On the end of the 2024-2025 campdraft season, Ruby and seven-year-old Thistlehill Breeze took out the 65cm Pony of the Series and Under 13 Encouragement Award at the 2025 Mount Gambier Showjumping Club Winter Series – a series of eight jumping events held across south west Victoria and south east South Australia.
“We were only going to go to one of the events and we won a ribbon there, then we went to the next one, then it was just keep going until she doesn’t get a place … we got ribbons at every event!” Ruby said.
And while she does love the challenge of a good showjumping arena, the drafts are what really gets the adrenalin going.
“I like camdprafting because you get to be out with all your friends, chase cattle and go fast,” Ruby said.
“Now that I’m 13, I get to compete in the Novice, Maiden, Ladies, Juvenile and open … the best thing about that is, I get to compete against dad!”
At the time of putting this feature together, Ruby and her ride, Alias Destiny Fortified, had just come off the course at the Harrow Stockman’s Challenge, where they took out the Junior Section and the overall Top Points Score (out of all riders) for the weekend.
She is now keen to look at next season’s campdrafting calendar, ready to take on all comers (including dad!) and promote the next generation of Australian campdrafting.