When Dianne Luppi won her first rodeo event as an 11-year-old she was shocked when the judges refused to give her the prize because she was a girl.
"I was tall, skinny and gangly and everyone thought I was a boy, so when they called out my number after the race, they were surprised to learn I was a girl," she says.
"They didn't want to give me the prize — an 18-inch embossed western saddle on a stand — but some of the top cowboys sitting on top of the chute said I did the best ride and I deserved the trophy, so they eventually gave it to me."
