Saddling up for the 2024 Nutrien Classic 

 The countdown is on for the 2024 Nutrien Classic Sale & Campdraft; an annual Performance Horse competition and sale which has become the biggest of its kind in the southern hemisphere. 

Scheduled to kick off on Friday, Feb 2, ‘The Classic’ is a hallmark 10-day event for the Australian Performance Horse industry and sees thousands of vendors, competitors, hopeful bidders and enthusiasts flock to Tamworth’s Australian Equine & Livestock Events Centre (AELEC) each year. 

Established in 2008 at the Tamworth Showground by a small team of staff with a clear goal – to provide a unique sales platform for the fast-growing sport of Campdrafting – the Nutrien Classic could be described as the Performance Horse version of the Magic Millions concept, where horses 5 years of age and under are sold with a linked incentive to return and compete for over $350,000 in total prizes. 

In 2023, the sale achieved a 90.75% clearance rate with a strong average price of $32,579, grossing over $17 million for the third consecutive year. 

Now in it’s 17th year and with 657 horses catalogued, co-founder of the Nutrien Classic concept Mark Barton is confident the 2024 Sale will live up to it’s reputation. “The Nutrien Classic continues to go from strength to strength every year and the results speak for themselves. We are proud of an event with a level of competition and quality of horses that has become renowned not only across Australia, but also internationally.’ 

The program for the 2024 event will follow a structure which has become familiar in recent years, with Round 1 of the Open Campdraft and Challenge Dry Work kicking off on Friday, and winding up with the final sale horses on Feb. 11. Spectators are again set to be thrilled by the jam-packed program of events including the Open, Ladies, Young Guns and Classic Campdrafts and Finals, the Challenge, Stallion Shootout and highly anticipated Nutrien Classic Sale. 

“The entries accepted for the Campdraft and Challenge events indicate that the quality of competition this year will be higher than ever.” 

Young competitors will also have extra motivation spurring them on this year, with the new AAM Young Gun Classic Campdraft Incentive awarding $5,000 amongst the three top scoring riders aged 15 to 25. Local Tamworth contender Austen Elias is excited about this year’s event. 

“I’m looking forward to competing at the Classic and will also be attending as a vendor this year. I was lucky enough to place in the Young Guns Campdraft in 2023 – a blue ribbon and the new Classic Campdraft incentive are definitely two of my goals for 2024,” Elias said.

Outside the main program, the Nutrien Store Cattle Sale has become a key highlight of the Nutrien Classic, with over 5000 quality lots of cattle being offered at the Tamworth Regional Livestock Exchange (TRLX) on Feb. 7. 

The Classic Ladies Foundation is set to tick over the $1 million mark in total donations this year, with preparations underway for the Charity Auction, Monster Raffle, Ladies Clinic and Long Lunch. 2024 proceeds will be donated to the Australian Cancer Research Foundation and DEBRA Australia. 

“We look forward to welcoming new and returning competitors, vendors, buyers and spectators to another outstanding showcase of Australian Performance Horses in 2024,” Mark said. 

The event will run for 10 days at Tamworth’s AELEC, wrapping up on Feb 11 at the completion of the sale. Entry is free and “everyone is welcome!”