Moonbi has a new world champion, but chances are you didn't know that until now.
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The unprecedented achievement was disseminated in a manner befitting its gravitas only after Dianne "Lu Lu" Parkinson contacted the Leader to advise that her son, 28-year-old, US-based Ty, had become the IPRA world all-round champion and world champion heeler at the national finals at Guthrie, Oklahoma.
IPRA stands for the International Professional Rodeo Association, the second-largest rodeo organisation in the US.
Dianne said her son was the first Australian to be crowned IPRA's all-round world champion - the result of topping the standings after a gruelling year-long series of events in one of the world's most demanding and dangerous sports. To summit such a sport, and to do so in the Americans' own backyard, is a happening of monumental person triumph.
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In a post on his Facebook page after the finals in late January, Parkinson wrote in capitals that "dreams do come true".
In a Messenger exchange with the Leader from his home in Oklahoma, he said: "When they say it's a long way to the top, it's true. It takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and you've got to have passion for the sport.
"I was lucky to be brought up in the rodeo world with my mum Dianne and dad Steve Parkinson [Dianne barrel raced and Steve won multiple championships]. Without there guidance, knowledge and expertise, I wouldn't be where I am today."
His brother and sister, Blayne and Candice, were also integral to that transformative experience. "They're the memories that last a lifetime," he said.
He continued: "Being in the USA rodeoing is a little different than Australia; a lot of miles and sleepless nights. But having good travelling partners helps. I would say surrounding your self with positive people is one of the keys to success."
One of those people is his American girlfriend, Taylor Hunt. "Thank you Taylor Hunt for ... keeping a smile on my face and being here with me[,] looking forward to many more years," he wrote on Facebook following the finals.
At the national finals, when the burden of expectation must have been intense, Dianne said her son was a "great ambassador" for Australia - raising awareness about the drought and bushfires back home, with the boot passed around at the events to raise money for bushfire relief efforts, specifically to help the devastated koala population recover.
"He was unbelievable," Dianne said, adding: "I said to Steve, 'I was so proud of him, the way he spoke and everything. And when people approached him and asked [about the bushfires], he was letting people know what he knew.'"
Parkinson has been rodeoing since he was in short shorts. When asked if her son had always been a natural cowboy, Dianne answered without hesitation: "Yes, absolutely."
She said he came close to also being crowned bullriding world champion at the national finals, but still won the aggregate bullriding title for the event.
"It's quite a huge accomplishment," she said of his overall results.
The US rodeo community has long known that Parkinson is special. He debuted in the IPRA in 2015, winning world championships in three rookie disciplines that year. He has been based in the US ever since.
