Every year there are tens of thousands of campdraft runs in Australia, but only one run becomes etched in everyone’s memory. It’s the run that every competitor wishes they had run and it’s the run that wins the Warwick Gold Cup.
This year on that last Sunday in October it was Richard Hansen and 49er Shake that owned that run. Never to be forgotten and forever a Warwick Gold Cup winner.
Watch the run and read his story. Great story.
After speaking with Richard we are happy to be able to introduce him to those who weren’t familiar with him and tell you that this quiet humble man is certainly not an unexpected winner among the Queenslanders who have watched him compete, on and off, for 30 years.
Richard and his wife, Allison, come from “Chesalon”, Alpha from where they run a 100,000 acre cattle enterprise. They are passionate people who love their land, their horses, their cattle and their achievements.
Richard was born into a horse and cattle family and was always going to follow in his father Viv’s footsteps. His mother May was also a big inspiration in his life and a wonderful horsewoman. He was raised at Glenavon, Alpha, where he says the cattle were wild and the scrub was rough, so becoming good horsemen and cattlemen was necessary and they needed good horses. When he was fourteen the family purchased “Chesalon” and Richard promptly left school. His life since then has been dedicated to establishing the family property and continuing as his ancestors did, breeding better horses, better cattle and creating a better lifestyle.
Richard says horses are their hobby and a great way to hold a family together. However, work comes first which is why he only campdrafts when time, seasons and recently his health permit, but he does like to get to a couple each year. He only competes on home bred and educated horses and these horses have several generations of successful campdraft winning Hansen genetics in their pedigrees.
In 2018 Richard suffered an eye injury which stopped all competition for that year. After complications got sorted he began to think about a return to the arena when he sustained a severe head injury in 2019 in a horse accident. Alison feared that they would lose Richard as the degree of seriousness was extreme. Surgeons fought to control the severity and with time, several operations and a set of steel plates Richard’s toughness prevailed, and he was able to make a full recovery. He did, however, think his campdrafting days were over. He did hold many great memories and the highlight was winning the Clermont Gold Cup in 2007 on a granddaughter of Princess, the mare that his father won the Clermont Gold Cup on in about 1971. He thinks they are the only father and son to win that double.
Covid wiped 2020 out and then this year he was feeling stronger. He suggested to Allison that he would like to have a run at Alpha Draft where they are long time cattle donors. Success came straight away with a 4th in the Open on 49ER Shake so he went to a couple more drafts, got a couple more places and was pretty happy with how he had returned from his accident.
He and Allison then threw the idea of going to Warwick around. He hadn’t been there since 2005 when he camped next to Pete Comiskey when he and Roanies won the Cup and he made the final. He warmed to the memory of a pretty good party and the camaraderie. 2021 has seen a good season and good cattle prices so the thought of three weeks away for the Triple Crown seemed achievable. The added bonus of having family down south who they would be able to catch up with appealed. So with 5 horses on board, they made their way south.
Although Richard didn’t come up with ribbons at Condamine and Chinchilla they had a good time and managed a couple of scores and some finals. He stresses that the way the committees looked after competitors and the cattle and the surfaces that they experienced were a credit to everyone so they headed to Warwick as very happy people.
Warwick didn’t start that well and Richard said everyone parked around him were bringing back all the big scores. However, 49ER Shake did progress to the 2nd round with 90. Then another big round saw them into the final on top score, but Richard still didn’t get excited. “Everyone dreams of winning a Cup but the reality of actually achieving that seems like other people’s fortune”, he says. He still expected someone parked around him to win it, so he still thought he’d be close to the celebrations.
Richard and 49ER Shake drew 22, didn’t get fresh and didn’t like the previous fresh so he had to dig deep into the yard to find one. He remembers, “I liked a steer with a big white spot on his side but everyone else had left him and I couldn’t see why”. History now records the steer with the big white spot had 91 in him and Richard calmly collected every point. 49ER Shake did his bit and produced the beautiful round which fittingly won this unassuming man a Warwick Gold Cup.
Talking to Richard you can feel the amazement in his voice and the feeling of disbelief that he has a Gold Cup sitting on his kitchen table. He also can’t believe the reaction from fellow competitors and the community in general. “People have rung from all over to congratulate me. People not into horses or campdrafting. People I haven’t heard from in years. It’s been truly overwhelming.”
“I always knew the Warwick Gold Cup was special, but I didn’t realize just how special it is and how much interest it creates. I know now.”
As for 49ER Shake. He is now an Open Horse and he has returned to what he knows best, being a really good work horse.
~ Written by Bev Cheers