2010 Program

UTE Show Entry Form

Race Team Registration Form

Monique the Calf goes looking for bulls in the mall

History of the Compass Cup

2010 marks the 37th running of Australia's only cow race, the Compass Cup. 

How it all began ....

(taken from 1977 Compass Cup program)

The idea of the Cow Race came into being early one morning on a stud property just outside Mt Compass. Bet, the house cow, a 12-year-old Guernsey, was down the farm end of the paddock. On being called in for milking Bet headed full stretch for the milk shed. This action fired the imagination of a Rural Youth Adviser; and so the seed of the first Compass Cup was sown.

The idea was put to the next meeting of the Mt Compass Rural Youth, and was received with great enthusiasm. The first Compass Cup committee was formed and consisted of Peter Barker, Tom Giles, Phil Mott, Bill Epps, James Bond, Frank Novy and Brenton Ekers.

All, in their various ways, helped make the event what it is today. With very little money but a lot of confidence the first motion passed that this event was not going to be a rip-off, there would never be a charge for anyone to see the running of the Compass Cup. (Of course in 34 years that fantastic idea has had to be changed, they didn't have such high insurance premiums back then!!)

On February 24th, 1974 one thousand people saw eight cows lined up at the starting point and run the first ever Compass Cup. Getting the cows to the starting line was a feat in itself. The set course was about 40 yards. The winner of that first Cup was a cow with the racing name of "Dayana". She was a 12-year-old Guernsey cow.

The 1975 Compass Cup was run along the same lines as the previous year, only on a bigger scale. About 3,000 people attended - the Cup itself had 15 entries. "Frostbite" (ridden by Michael Scott) won, with "Dayana", winner of the first Cup, coming in second.

The day raised $1,300 for St. Mary's Home for Children. Most of this came from a barbecue that cooked five steers, and a booth.

The 1976 Compass Cup was held on a magnificent summer's day attended by 3,500 people. The event was won again by "Frostbite" (ridden by Michael Scott). The day raised $1,000, which was put towards improvements in the community.

The Compass Cup has enjoyed the support of the local community. Being such a large event almost every person in the district has helped in some way - this help was given freely, which speaks volumes for the event. (To this day, everyone on the Compass Cup committee volunteer huge amounts of time to run a fun, exciting community event that also raises money for charity.)

The Cup has now established itself as the town's event of the year. Its future looks bright, thanks to its originality and the community's support.

Program for 1977 Compass Cup

Program sold for 50c and proceeds went to Adelaide City Mission

Cup Committee 1977

Chairman: Colin Brook
Secretary: Helen Fletcher
Treasurer: Richard McKinlay
Publicity Officers: Vin Hanrahan, Kevin McKinlay
Committee: Dean Innes, Shane Lovell, Stephen Merritt, Eric Thomas, Graham Carthy, Gill March, Paul and John Jackson, Anthony and Michael Fairbank, Ruth Fletcher, Sue Marles, Jenny Nitschke, Robyn Buckleigh, Ron Sheid, Howard Sheid, Dave Peters, Richard Bennett, David Bennett.

1977 Event Descriptions

"The Lanac Lope": 75-yard race between barrels. Four heats and final. (For Under 16's)
"Uganda Rescue": Rescue race - Open
"Colena Crawl": Musical Mats. 14 years of age and under.

All set for cow racing 

Article taken from The Victor Harbor Times, Wednesday February 1982. 

Dung-Flung, Cups, Ribs, Nice Ride, Galloping Gertie ¼ these and others will make up the field for the Compass Cup cow race at Mount Compass Oval on Sunday, February 14. 

Organisers of Australia's only cow race are hoping for a crowd of 3,500 or more on the day. A church service will be held at 11am in the Community Hall, with the action after lunch beginning at 12.30pm with the auction of "runners" for the cup. 

Mr Graham Cross, of Southgate Realty, will "knock down" runners such as Sweet Fanny, Mallee Muncher, Unmanageable, Dead Beat ¼ a total of 15 cows in all. Successful bidders - usually groups of people - win the cow for the event, to ride themselves or perhaps have ridden by others. The feature event of the day, the Compass Cup, is timed for 3.30pm. Teams of three - rider, pusher, and puller - will take their 'mounts' over a distance of 100 Novy paces.

There is a program of supporting events on the day, including a call race for children under 14 of an appropriate size for the calves and who have their parents' permission to take part. Sheep dog trials in which champion dogs will be operating with five sheep have been organised by Mr. J. Miegel, of Murray Bridge, tent pegging will be demonstrated, and there will also be "toot loading".

There will be hay stacking, pet parade for "normal and abnormal pets", dung fling and log chop for the ladies, all of which carry prizes. Hay rides will be held for the children.

Lunch, at midday, will be supplied by the Community Centre in the form of a barbeque and salads at very reasonable prices.

A Compass Cup Dance will be held "from eight to late" at the Tooperang Hall on Saturday, February 13.

In the past Compass Cup day has been arranged by Rural Youth with the help of the community, but this year it has been organised as a community project. Proceeds will be used to establish a permanent barbeque site at the Mount Compass Oval.

A Compass Cup spokesman said a great deal of work had been put into preparation of the grounds by the Community Centre and by Mr. Darcy Barker in particular. Compass Cup day sponsors are - McLaren Vale Foodland, State Bank of S.A., Thomas Transport, Compass Ice, Alma Hotel, Southgate Realty, Compass Farm Feeds, Ken Burgess Nurseries, Compass Yamaha, Nangkita Apiarist, Dairy Vale, and Smith Kline.

The spokesman said there was no admittance charge for the day although people could make donations. There would be no raffles operating, and no barbeques are to be taken into the ground.