Being almost-completely blind hasn't stopped Sue-Ellen Lovett from making her dream of representing Australia come true.
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And it also hasn't stopped her from earning one of the nation's top honours.
Ms Lovett - who competed in dressage at two Paralympic games - is one of the three Dubbo locals who have been recognised with an Order of Australia Medal on the Australia Day 2024 Honours List.
She said hearing the news she had been recognised was "a very humbling moment".
"There are a lot of wonderful Australians and to be acknowledged for what my team and I have done is pretty special," she said.
"For me it's an acknowledgement of a lot of people's time and effort to make dreams come true and raise millions of dollars.
"It's not I, it's a team and I think that's the most important thing. In my life nothing happens without a team."
At age 12, Ms Lovett was diagnosed with the hereditary condition retinitis pigmentosa which, over time, has left her completely blind.
"My sight was really bad, but I didn't know any difference until I got to school and in first class and the principal rings up my parents and tells them their daughter's got an intellectual disability," she said.
"I'm glad things have changed since then because it was a pretty stressful time for my parents."
Despite her diagnosis Ms Lovett was adamant that one day she would ride for Australia. And, in 1996, her dream was realised when she travelled to the Atlanta Summer Paralympics to compete in the dressage event.
Rather than written markers, blind dressage competitors have an entourage of human "markers" to shout out the numbers.
Ms Lovett competed for Australia again at the Sydney 2000 Paralympics and was part of the bronze-medal winning Australian team at the World Dressage Championships in Denmark in 1999.
Amidst her competitive success, Ms Lovett also completed ten long distance rides, riding over 16,000 kms to raise more than $3.2 million for charity.
One of her longest rides was from Cairns to the Gold Coast in 1988 - covering 2400 kilometres and spending 54 days in the saddle.
"Whether it's been for the Paralympics or doing my long distance ride, it's all about ability, not disability," she said.
"I would like to think that I've made a difference in that sphere because so many people are very quick to tell you what you can't do and it's really nice to show people that I'm not that useless."
She said when she's told she can't do something because of her disability it's like "waving a red rag at a bull".
"When I got my first guide dog, I came home and I said to my dad 'you know, I'd like to ride a horse from Mudgee to Melbourne' and dad said 'bloody hell'. And that was it," she said.
"I really wanted to make a difference because at that stage, in 1981, a guide dog was $6000. Now, it's $50,000. So I wanted to thank the people who'd made such a difference to my life and give other people the opportunity of having a guide dog."
Ms Lovett now gets around the farm and to-and-from the dressage arena with the help of her seventh guide dog, Woody.
"Guide dogs are a work tool, it's a work relationship not a pet and a lot of people struggle with that. But I think it's really important for the dog to have respect for what I'm wanting," she said.
"He does play, he chases a stick and a ball and all that sort of thing, but there's a definite line when that harness goes on."
Her relationship with her horses has also been an important part of her journey.
"[It's] the most important thing, they're the, the wind beneath my wings. I can't think of my horse and not this great, great big bloody smile come on my face,"
"My current horse, Oliver, when I bring him up and give him a brush, he just falls asleep on my chest and then I stand there and just cuddle him... I love every aspect of it and the love you get back."
Now she's not competing anymore, Ms Lovett spends her time sharing her story through a number of self-published books and on speaking tours around Australia.
"I never thought I'd get an OAM. I've never thought of writing a book. I never thought of going to the Paralympics. Life takes you in unexpected places," she said.
