5 days ago
Victorian Tup Forge becomes bronc riding world champion
Tup Forge started learning how to ride a bucking bronco 18 months ago, with the hope of competing at a few Australian rodeos.
A few weeks ago, she became the world champion at the biggest rodeo in the world.
"It's been amazing — I can't even explain it," Forge said.
"I don't think it's sunk in yet."
The world championship finals were held in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in the "wild west" of the United States in July.
"Cheyenne Frontier Days is known as 'the daddy of them all,'" Forge said.
"I had never been overseas before, but it was very cool.
"It's a real cowboy town."
Women from Australia, Canada, the United States and Mexico rode horses drawn at random and had to stay on their bucking broncos for eight seconds.
"I was the only girl to ride both of my horses for the final, so I had a good lead," Forge said.
The Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo is the biggest in the world, with more than half a million people attending over 10 days.
"The atmosphere was out of control, the arena was huge," Forge said.
"When I had won and I was running back behind the chutes, the crowd was roaring."
To qualify to go to Cheyenne, Forge spent 12 months competing around Australia, taking out the national titles.
The 28-year-old grew up riding horses on her family's cattle farm in Oxley in north east Victoria.
"My mum and dad breed Hereford cattle and we use horses for mustering all the time, so I've grown up on the back of a horse," Forge said.
Her parents, Anne Maree and Graham Forge, said they were very proud.
"It was exciting to see her fulfil her dream but also very nervous to watch her ride just hoping she wasn't going to get hurt," Mrs Forge said.
Forge said she was very comfortable on a horse but only took up the sport of bronc riding a year and a half ago.
"I was following some girls in the US on Instagram and they were coming out here and put on a ranch bronc school," Forge said.
"I signed up immediately and thought it was just going to be a bit of fun.
"My first rodeo was in Tambo, Queensland, and I came second — I was chuffed."
As part of her world title, Forge was awarded a gold belt buckle that she hoped would help inspire the next generation.
"It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, but unfortunately, I don't have it yet. They are going to engrave my name on it and post it over," Forge said.
She said she wanted to help more Australian women compete in the adrenaline-inducing sport, which has historically been dominated by men.
"I hope we can get more rodeos for girls to ride at," she said.
"It was only for that one ranch bronc school that I went to that I got a start and there's girls itching to go but nowhere for them to do it.
"Hopefully we can get some things organised for the girls."
After reaching the top of the sport she loved, Forge's message was simple.
"[It] just might take you to the world finals."
