Four generations of Wicks have qualified to crack the whip at the Sydney Royal Easter Show in 2020.
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Gunnedah's Steve, Narelle, Daniel and Brooke Wicks and Tamworth's Katie Sozou (nee Wicks), Josh Sozou and Abbie Sozou have each qualified at various competitions this year, with the most recent in Boonah, Queensland.
All bar Daniel competed in the Queensland Whipcracking Titles at the Scenic Rim Clydesdale Spectacular in mid-June and came away with ribbons and placings for both whipcracking and billy boiling.
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In the whipcracking, Steve won the men's section and Brooke won the women's section. Narelle came third in the over 45 years section, Katie came third in the women's section, her husband Josh came second in the men's section and runner-up for overall accuracy.
"[In the accuracy section], you've got 10 foam cups and you have to crack on your left hand five times and your right hand five times," Steve said.
"If you can slice the cup, you get two points, if you nick the cup, you get one point and if you miss the cup, you get zero.
"Josh got 16 out of 20 and the winner got 17 out of 20. He did really well."
In the bullock whip, Steve placed second and Brooke placed third. Steve said the bullock whip had a minimum five-foot handle and the thong had to be more than seven foot and six inches in length.
Two-year-old Abbie competed in the pee wee section, coming second only to Australian champion Edward Whibley.
"[Abbie's] going to be a superstar later down the track," Steve said.
"Brooke was a two-year-old when she competed, same as Abbie. I can just see she's got good coordination [and] she's not whip-shy. She wants to play around and she'll keep getting better and better and hopefully she'll keep running places."
They also saw success in the billy boiling, with Narelle and Steve winning their sections, followed by Brooke in second place, and Josh in third place.
Steve said the whole idea of the Spectacular weekend was to celebrate "our pioneering history".
"It takes you back to whatever there was at that turn of the century," he said.
"The whole community get behind it."
Steve is president of the Australian Whipcrackers and Plaiters Association, which established the whipcracking competition in Boonah some years ago. Forty people competed this year.
"We were approached by RM Williams and Spectacular about seven years ago to be involved with whipcracking because it's a unique Australian tradition and we took it up and it has been pretty good," he said.
"It's now recognised as a state title so that make you eligible for the Sydney Easter show."
Steve said his family set a record at this year's Royal for consecutive competing in the Australian Whipcracking Championships.
Daniel has competed 22 times, Katie and Steve have competed 21 times, and Brooke has competed 20 times.
"Collectively, we've got over 80 years experience. This is fourth generation, my father Bertie Wicks competed as a 76-year-old in years gone by," Steve said.
"It's a really good sport. It's really good for your coordination and it's one of those sports once you get addicted to it, you keep going."
The Wicks' next whipcracking competition is the Riverina Challenge at the Deni Ute Muster in October.
