The Show ‘n’ Shine brought together 40 of the country’s most unique utes with their custom paint jobs and in a grassy paddock at the Ute Muster.
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Renee Cullen from Townsville, Queensland had a cracker day, claiming ‘Best 4x4’ and ‘Best Country Ute’, and also getting runner up in the ‘Chick’s Ute’ category.
‘‘It feels amazing, I’m shaking, just lost for words,’’ she said.
At her first Ute Muster, Renee’s car made a bit of a statement with her head turning custom stickers.
‘‘They are all based on something that’s been said to me, or something ironic. For example my four wheel driving is apparently terrible so ‘Did you die?’ had to go on there,’’ she said.
‘‘And the majority of the time my passengers are female so ‘Wild girls do it better’; because we do.’’
The ‘Chick’s Ute’ prize went to Katrina Howat, who travelled 1800kms from Rockhampton to attend the event.
‘‘I didn’t see this coming at all. The female categories this year are well represented, which is really good for the ute scene,’’ she said.
‘‘With the number of utes that are here, there was no way I would have thought I could win.’’
Katrina said the theme of her ute showcased her unique personal passions.
‘‘She (the ute) is covered in owl stickers,’’ the classroom teacher said.
‘‘She has been in the makings for about four years. She’s got rocket lights that glow underneath and she’s purple and green because they are my favourite colours.’’
Another unique award winner was the Star Wars themed ute, which claimed ‘Best Themed Ute’.
It was entered by twins Tony and Rodney Cox from Dubbo, who took turns dressing as Star Wars characters to complement the ute.
‘‘We started by building the ute a few years ago and we wanted to come up with an idea; we are both mad Star Wars fans so it seemed to be the right way to go,’’ they said.
‘‘We’ve been changing suits, including Darth Vader, Stormtroopers and Kylo Ren.
‘‘It’s our first time here so we were quite excited to get a first in ‘Best Themed’ and a second in ‘Best Street Ute’.’’
The Star Wars theme is consistent in the twins’ ute, from the custom paint job to the interior and even the entertainment provided on board.
‘‘The theme continues right down to car mats, seat covers, our Stormtrooper gearstick cover and in the back we’ve got a 50 inch TV with Playstation and Xbox with limited edition Star Wars covers.
‘‘It’s also built with a fully functional stereo system, 15 speakers and five subwoofers.
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