Parkes' golden girl, a Hockeyroo superstar and proud Wiradjuri woman, Williams was instrumental up front for the Hockeyroos in the Tokyo Olympics campaign, with the squad uniting remarkably well after a tough year.

They'd fallen at the quarter finals at Rio in 2016, but the determination to win turned into utter devastation after a heart-stopping 1-nil loss to India in the quarter finals.

Williams took to Facebook after the loss the reveal her despair, and thank all the supporters.

"Words cannot describe the heart break I feel right now," read Williams' Facebook post.

"Unfortunately the Hockeyroos campaign of winning a medal in Tokyo has come to an end, but I'm so, so proud of how the girls played."

But what we should remember is the incredible achievement of Williams and her teammates to represent our country with such amazing distinction.

Unfortunately they weren't able to play the grand final in front of an adoring home crowd, but our Parkes Boars were crowned as the New Holland Cup champions for the second year in a row.

After beating CSU 31-19 in the major semi final, Josh Miles and his men were confirmed as the 2021 premiers by Central West Rugby Union after losing just one match all season.

It was a just reward for a sensationally consistent season, a feat made all the more impressive by the huge player turnover before the season started.

For captain-coach Josh Miles, this wasn't winning a flag by default, but a just reward for a very consistent season.

"To be honest, back home (in Great Britain) we don't even have finals - it's first past the post, so it doesn't feel too different in some ways," he said.

For the first time since 1936 the Bogan Gate Rampant Rabbits played in the Grinsted Cup - and they weren't just there to make up the numbers, either.

The boys from BG stunned their Parkes rivals, winning in dominant fashion by seven wickets, much to the delight of the huge crowd present at Woodward Oval.

It really was a fantastic atmosphere at Woodward Oval both on and off the field, with both sides displaying genuine and warm camaraderie on the pitch while spectators avidly supported what was a very entertaining game of cricket.

It was a remarkable performance by a Bogan Gate side that was playing just their second game in 101 years of the Grinsted Cup.

The aforementioned major semi final win over CSU was an incredible moment not just for the Boars, but for Parkes as a whole.

The win meant the Boars would be hosting their first ever grand final after a 54 year wait, and the crowd went wild as Luke Bevan scored a double and the Boars forward pack monstered their opponents all game.

The Boars used a typical blustery Northparkes wind to their advantage in the first half, and strong defence with their backs to the wall in the second ensured they came away with a 31-19 win.

Central West Rugby CEO Matt Tink made a surprise appearance running the sideline, and he was thrilled with the effort of both sides.

"It was tremendous, a great day of bush footy; well set up, well organised and well played," he said after the game.

"The Parkes scrum has been bit iffy, but today they stepped up and that was a genuinely good battle.

"The grand final should be a great day out here, let's fill the hill," Tink said.

What a shame we didn't get to fill the hill - but boy what an exciting semi final!

Okay, okay - you might accuse us of having some purple-coloured glasses here, but to appreciate the importance and excitement of Lachlan Hando's winning goal in August, you have to get some insight into the situation our Cobras faced.

With a finals spot on the line, the Cobras took on Macquarie United on a cold Wednesday night in Dubbo, and after a thoroughly absorbing and intense clash, the score sat a 2-all in the 86^th minute.

Enter the bullish Lachlan Hando, who expertly headed home an exquisite Alec Bateson header, giving Parkes the win and putting them on-track for their first ever finals campaign (which was unfortunately cancelled due to COVID).

You could hear coach Meaghan Kempson through the livestream screaming with excitement...and we were in the Parkes Champion Post home office, too.

All twin town derbies between the Parkes and Forbes on the June long weekend are big - but this one just had the feel of something even bigger.

It had been two years between derbies and you could tell the Spacies fans on the Pioneer Oval hill were primed for a big day.

The Spacecats got things underway with a thrilling 22-20 win before the first grade boys sent the crowd wild with a massive 32-12 win over their bitter rivals.

The return of half back Chad Porter reaped immediate rewards, while the move of Jack Creith to full back and Bailey Hartwig to five eighth was a masterstroke from Parkes coach Brent Wood.

A spectacular no-look flick pass from Creith sent Hartwig over early on in the second term, and when Jacob Smede sprinted 100 metres to score the lid was well and truly off - and the crowd erupted.

Nothing better than a long weekend at Pioneer Oval!

Like the Spacemen and Cobras, the Panthers were unfortunately not afforded the chance to play in the grand final - but the boys in red, white and blue were flawless all season as they looked to go back-to-back after their exciting 2020 grand final win.

They didn't lose a single game all season, piling on the points and finishing with the phenomenal percentage of 1019.77 and were acknowledged by AFL Central West as minor premiers in Division 2.

"We've had a great year but we'll just never know without being to play that grand final...but we have had a ripper of a year and there's been good growth in the club," said coach Mitch Stubberfield, when talking to the Parkes Champion Post after the season's end.

Twelve months ago Parkes athlete Victoria Simpson said she had her sights set on representing Australia at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, but that dream came a little bit closer.

Basketball Australia announced the 20-person Gliders squad on Australia Day, with players vying for selection in the final team to represent Australia at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics from August 24 to September 5.

Simpson wasn't picked in the final team, but being picked in the squad at such a tender age is an incredible achievement - bring on Paris!

On February 6, 1951, a meeting was held at the CWA rooms for women interested in playing bowls, so in 2021 the women's arm of the Parkes Bowling and Sports Club celebrated 70 years.

Today the club has 44 affiliated bowlers plus social bowlers, and they still hold president days, trading table days, club championships, pennants and district events.

With the annual subscription set at one guinea, the first game was played in April 1951.

The club was affiliated with the NSW Women's Bowling Association on July 3, 1951, by paying an affiliation fee of three pounds ten shillings, plus a levy of nine shillings and three pence per member.

In one of the best finishes to a rugby league game you are ever likely to see, Dubbo CYMS scored two tries in the 60 seconds to defeat the Parkes Spacemen 20-16 in July at Pioneer Oval.

It was a thrilling game, but unfortunately for our Spacemen, they managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

A brilliantly timed pass from Jack Creith sent Bailey Hartwig over with 13 minutes to go, giving Parkes the lead 12-10.

When an equally sublime pass from Chad Porter sent Brandon Paige over in the corner with just five minutes remaining, Dubbo looked gone.

Enter Jeremy Thurston.

The Fishies centre came streaming through like a elegant gazelle to catch a short kick-off on the full, and Drew went over in the corner moments later; though when the sideline conversion was missed, Parkes retained a two-point lead and looked to have the game all sewn up.

Somehow with 60 seconds remaining however, the Fishies stormed down the field, taking advantage of a pedestrian Parkes defensive line, and Drew crossed over again in the corner in front of a raucous Fishies away crowd with just five second left on the clock.

The Cambridge Cats played the perfect grand final at Woodward Oval, thrashing the Parkes Colts by 123 runs as they won the 2020/21 Lachlan Premier Cricket competition.

Led by skipper Zac Bayliss, the Cats were far too good for a disappointing Colts side, with the evergreen Anthony Heraghty named as the Man of the Match for his swashbuckling innings of 74.

Prior to presenting the premiership trophy, Greg Morrissey OAM, Secretary-Treasurer of the Lachlan Cricket Council, awarded talented youngster, and premiership winner, Harry Bayliss the league's Best and Fairest award for his remarkably consistent season that belied his youthful age.

Parkes Harness Racing Club's meeting coordinator Tony Dumesny, and his parents Stan and Nancy, were honoured by Harness Racing NSW (HRNSW) for their significant contribution to the NSW breeding sector.

Their original stud, Ruby Vale, at Alectown, was established in 1943 by William Dumesny, Stan's father and continues today - and the family was actually the driving force in 1912 for trotting beginning in Parkes.

At an function in Bathurst, HRNSW board member Peter Nugent presented the beautifully made 2021 NSW Outstanding Contribution to Breeding award to Tony, in what was an emotional and well deserved moment for the family.

The first Ruby Vale stallion William stood was champion pacer Master Dixie, before Stan and Nancy took over the stud operation in 1956 and it is still one of the longest running operations in Australia.

The whole crowd was holding their collective breath as Coulpa came thundering down the straight in the last race at the Parkes Jockey Club on January 23, and when the gelding stuck his neck in front in the shadows of the post, it was a perfect end to an already superlative day for spectators and Parkes trainer Sharon Jeffries.

The 'little horse that could,' Coulpa, a $600 purchase, surged forward from barrier 8, just heading out Griffin's Gaze before the latter kicked away at the top of the straight from the rails.

Coulpa looked gone for all money, but with veteran Anthony Cavallo aboard the gelding found another gear to beat Griffin's Gaze by a head, with Beaumains flashing home on the rail at big odds, scoring third at the juicy place odds of $12.

Jeffries couldn't be prouder of her horse, who by then had racked up $29,675 in prizemoney - not bad for a bush horse that cost just about as much as a rescue dog would!

Coulpa now has over $58,000 in prizemoney.

Western Champions! Yes that's right.

Parkes East were crowned Western PSSA Tennis Champions after a hard fought final against Cudgegong Valley Public School played in Parkes in June.

The boys doubles and girls doubles were split. With only the 2 mixed doubles matches remaining, the scores were locked at 3 sets each and Parkes East were ahead by just 1 game.

Henry and Kasey played a smart set in the number 2 mixed position winning 6/1.

Tom and Milli had to score 1 game to win overall and managed two games after a thrilling final couple of games.

What a win by the team!

She might have had to defy the orders of her mum to do it, but young Parkes driver Laura Rusten produced an 'absolute gem of ride' to win aboard Harley James in Parkes last August.

Trained in Forbes by popular horseman Terry Robb - who doubles as the clerk of the course - the nine-year-old gelding got the chocolates at an eye-watering $61, and despite the price the result was never in doubt as soon as the arms folded back.

It's the fourth career win in 72 starts for Robb's runner, whose first race was way back on June 18 in 2017.

From gate five, Rusten shot straight to the front on the gelding, and despite a challenge on the back straight from Bridge Coin ($2.15f), Harley James was able to hold on to win by 2.7 metres in 2:00.8 ahead of Well Said Harps ($4.80).

The front-running ride from Rusten was in direct defiance of her mum, who told the Parkes Champion Post after the race that she'd better not lead.

"You know what, I said to her before the race 'there's too much speed on the inside of you, you're not gonna lead, don't bust him,'" she said.

"And what does she do? She ignores mum!"

The Parkes Dragon Boat Club celebrated its three year anniversary in June with a regatta that was superbly attended by paddlers from Dubbo, Wagga, Orange and Forbes.

The Parkes crew won medals in all four categories, despite having smaller crews in the 2km (mixed and women) - with 16 paddlers going up against crews of 18 and 20 and securing bronze in both categories.

In the open division Parkes matched the other club's crew sizes and that led to the best result, with the club taking out the gold.

The exceptionally talented Jack Elliott was in superlative form in September, winning the Parkes Golf Club Championships by a comfortable five strokes, while Anita Medcalf was the women's Club Champion.

Jack Elliott, commenced the final round of the Club Champs with a substantive lead and all indications from the previous three rounds suggested he would run away with the competition.

But all golfers know that golf is a funny game, and just when you feel you have it under control it comes back to bite you.

Unfortunately, Jack came in with the worst round of his four and the worst of the A-grade chasing pack, that being an 87.

Jack then had to await the other scores coming in before it was confirmed that he had indeed still won the event - and with a comfortable five strokes.

In the women's A-grade, Anita Medcalf did prove too hard to catch and her 375 total in the scratch was nine strokes better than both Kaye Jones and Dale Matthews.

Parkes have took home the Challenge Shield in the Parkes/Dubbo Masters Challenge, winning both the men's and women's matches in convincing fashion.

The Parkes ladies were out to avenge their loss in the grand final two weeks ago in the Western Masters League competition and did so in a convincing fashion winning their match 4-0.

The men's match was an exciting contest with plenty of end to end play a highlight throughout the match.

Aaron Drabsch made the victory for Parkes certain, with a fine goal to see the match finish at 4-2.

164 career starts for 19 wins and $94,033 in prizemoney - there's no horse quite like pacer Double Standards, who won for Parkes trainer Kasey Orr in December.

With veteran Parkes reinsman Stephen Dowton in the gig, the Abercrombie Dexter x To Live For gelding showed good gate speed to take the lead from Barrier 3, and from there on in Dowton ensured no other runner stood a chance.

The wily veteran sat a length clear on Double Standards ($3.30) for the entire 2040 metre race, and finished with some smart quarters (29.8, 29.5) to eventually win by 3.8 metres over Dinosaurus Rex ($8.50) in 2:00.9, with pre-race favourite Whiskiesonthebeach ($2.70) a further head back in third.

It was a very popular win with Orr and husband Brendan trackside to cheer it on with the rest of the happy punters.

Construction begun on the new $1.62 million facility at Spicer Oval in October, and when finished it will finally give our beloved Boars a home.

"It's a game changer, it gives the club some identity and helps us become self reliant."

Allan Ryan from the Parkes Boars and Parkes Sports Council isn't normally one for emotion, but when he spoke at the event to mark construction beginning on the new Spicer Oval grandstand, you could feel the impact of the occasion.

We cannot WAIT to take a seat when construction at Spicer Oval is completed!

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