Beneath a gloomy sky on a sodden Hillvue property, Paul McCulloch resonated awe and appreciation.
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Accompanying the Tamworth father of three was his youngest child, 20-year-old Sophie. A joyous happening had brought them together on this miserable day.
In Dubbo last weekend, Sophie celebrated the biggest win of her ranch sorting career when she won the final round of the 2021-22 Ranch Sorting Dubbo series. Competing in the novice category, the victory also propelled her to the overall series title.
Paul, a fellow ranch sorting competitor, sat out the final round so that his daughter had exclusive use of their No 1 horse, Buck, thereby increasing her chances of winning.
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Speaking to the Leader this week, Paul's awe and appreciation were fuelled by his respect for his daughter as a horsewoman, and his good fortune at getting to intimately share with her his lifelong passion for horse sports.
The 51-year-old butcher's face lit up when he talked about Sophie.
Getting to experience one of his great loves with her by his side was a "privilege", he said, adding: "She's only 20 and she's riding against the best of the best - and she's beating them."
"If I can't find her at home, she's on the horses," he added.
In November last year, Paul and Sophie competed at a ranch sorting event in Las Vegas. It was her first-ever overseas trip.
In June, they will travel to Fort Worth, Texas for the National Ranch Sorting National Championships' world finals.
"Can't wait to get back there," Paul said of the US. "While Sophie's young and I'm still young, we may as well do it."
Paul is also the father of rising Muay Thai star Josh McCulloch. Like her brother, Sophie was "so determined", Paul said.
"That's the way they were brought up ... They love doing their best," he added.
Sophie said it meant "a lot" to her to be involved in the sport, "especially with my dad".
"It's always been a family sport for us," she said. "And it's good to have one-on-one time with my dad."
Sophie took a five-point lead over Uralla competitor Joey Jones into the final round of Ranch Sorting Dubbo.
"So it was really tricky and very scary, because I thought he was gonna beat me," said Sophie, a carer at Dementia and Aged Care Services Australia.
Besting her nerves and the competition was "amazing", she said, adding: "I've always dreamed of it."
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