The 51-year-old farmer was preparing for the Candelo Campdraft, an Australian sport originating from cattleman mustering stock which demonstrated the control farmers and stockmen had when guiding "beasts."

His love for campdrafting originated as a teenager, before he stopped to become a truck driver - a career which continued for two decades.

"Candelo used to have an active committee, it would be 30 years ago or something, and I actually rode my horse in from out on the farm, seven kilometres, and just left him in the showground for the weekend," he remembered.

But, Patrick said it was when his daughter Sophie became a teenager that his love for the sport reignited, which allowed him to enjoy time in the saddle and the challenges of stockmanship alongside family.

"We both got into it together, she's been doing it quite regularly since, and she's quite active in the campdraft scene," he said, describing his role as the chief strapper with one to two runs, but his focus was Sophie.

"I do have one horse. I keep buying them and Sophie keeps taking them, but that's how I want it to be, and I will be competing this weekend on Rip, our buckskin gelding, in the maiden and the novice."

The Candelo Campdraft is planned to take place from Friday April 19 to Sunday, April 21 at Candelo Showground, where close to 700 entries and 1200 head of cattle were to descend for the three-day event.

Many of the animals had been donated from Buckajo, Brogo, Bemboka and Wolumla farms, some which would stay overnight on feed and water in the yard, in preparation for the next day's early start.

There are seven cows within a yard called a camp, and the rider comes through a side gate before selecting the "beast" they determine to be suitable, and manipulating the individual cow away from the camp using their horse.

Patrick said the rider then calls for the gate which releases the cow into a pen, where the rider manoeuvres the cow around pegs in a figure-8, with judges scoring 26 points for the camp section, and one to two points for going around pegs or through gates.

The remainder of the possible 100 points are judged on the competitors speed around the course, their ability to control the beast and keep the beast on the most direct course, with up to 70 points for horse work available.

There are no limits to the amount of horses you can put in each event, but each horse can only have one run in each event, therefore some riders and stables bring one to two horses, while others could bring closer to ten.

The Campdraft is free to attend, with a canteen running all weekend, where funds raised will be used to put back into the community through the showground or go towards smaller community groups.