ON the outskirts of Tamworth, a new movement is gaining traction in the horse sports world.
It comes in the form of nearly 30 buffalo, which arrived in the New England from Katherine in the Northern Territory last year and the man running the animals believes they could help change the way sports like campdrafting and cutting are done.
The man is Koobah Performance Horses principal Roger Grant, who has begun breaking in the buffalo on his state-of-the-art training facility Meadowbank at Kingswood on Tamworth's southern fringe.
He believes the buffalo's athleticism, speed and endurance are perfectly suited to the rigours of elite horse sports and could help the breed gain a foothold in competitive arenas.
"When I first got them I was really curious about what I could do with them and I have been surprised by how versatile they are," Mr Grant told The Land.
"We've already done two or three clinics with them and they have performed really well. If you confine them into a small area they can get nervous and a bit flighty, but if you treat them with care and a bit of respect they are really gentle animals."
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Currently, there are several producers breeding buffalo across the state and while cattle and bison are more commonly used in horse sports, Mr Grant believes there is room for buffalo to make a mark on the industry.
"I just think they are more versatile than a bison, I like their temperament and they are a lot easier to handle," he said. "I've been a horseman pretty much all of my life and I can honestly say the buffalo are some of the best animals I've worked with.
"You can run them with young horses and give them good training where as other animals can be a bit more difficult to do that with."
However, the new enterprise hasn't been all smooth sailing for Mr Grant, who has been breeding cattle for more than four decades and who at one time, was joining more than 1800 cattle per year on his old property near Nundle.
"Last winter we did have to mother them a little bit by putting them in sheds and things like that, which when you consider they had just come from the hot and humid conditions of the Northern Territory, was understandable," he said.
"During the summer though, they really thrived and they loved jumping in the water of the dam and watching them play was really enjoyable.
"They are a lot like running cattle, but still totally different at the same time."
Much like his successful cattle enterprise, Mr Grant has big plans for his future buffalo breeding programs.
"Since I've had them, they have been really easy to work with and while it started as a bit of a hobby, I'm now starting to get people interested in buying them," he said.
"I'd say whatever is pregnant, I'll keep and cash the others through and I'm not too sure what would be pregnant and while I've only got 28 to join, if I can get 50 per cent pregnant I'd be stoked.
"From there I'll breed them on from what they were to an animal they can use in the horse industry.
"To buy a bison that is fully broken is probably about $5000 and while I won't go that hard, it does give you an idea of what they can be worth because having an animal to use like that is invaluable."
Mr Grant believed buffalo offered a variety of possibilities to all producers.
"As far as I'm concerned, I'm going to breed them for horse trainers and I think it will become very popular," he said.
"There are a few breeders across the state that I know of but so far, this has only been a bit of a trial for me to see how it works but I think it really has got a lot of potential."
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