Rob McLaughlin

Rob McLaughlin is Ken, Katy and Howard's father and Nell's husband in the movie franchise of My Friend Flicka based on the novel of the same name by Mary O' Hara. He is portrayed by the late Preston Foster and the late Lloyd Nolan in the original film series and country music artist Tim McGraw in the 2006 remake.

History
Katherine "Katy" McLaughlin (Alison Lohman) has big dreams of administering her father's Wyoming horse ranch one day, but her father, Rob (Tim McGraw), has other plans. He is currently grooming her older brother, Howard (Ryan Kwanten), to take over the ranch and sends Katy away to an exclusive private school where she constantly feels like a misfit. Being a similar, independent spirit to Katy, Rob has a hard time understanding his daughter as she continually defies his authority to follow her own path. When she comes home for the summer, Katy is picked up from the bus stop and her father says it feels like he dropped her off yesterday, he then takes her home where she is happily greeted by her mother, Nell (Maria Bello), and Howard.

Norbert is at the farm the next day and Rob tries to sell him some horses, Norbert says no because he does not need any more horses unless they happen to have mustangs, and then comments "The more loco the better". Rob then protests that he does not want any mustangs around his Quarter Horses and Norbert then says that if their were a herd of mustangs in the area he would buy them all but Rob says if their were a herd of horses around their land he would be ruined, but Nell gets him to calm down. Afterwards, the head master at the boarding school sends a letter to Nell and she gives the letter to Rob he asks where Katy is and is told that she took one of their horses out for a ride. While they are having breakfast Katy comes in and tries to tell them about what happened. Rob then brings up the fact that she did not finish her paper. Katy is then met with her father's disapproval because she did not finish a writing assignment at school. He then rants about how the family has to go without many things so she can attend her boarding school and says he goes along because Nell wants her to go to collage, but Nell tells Katy that Rob wants it too, and he says that now they have to worry if she will even graduate.

Later on, Flicka is captured during a roundup. Rob still does not want a wild horse running amongst the saddle horses and tells Katy not to go near Flicka and that nobody go nears the mustang without his permission. While they are sitting down to dinner Rob asks Nell how much the vet bill costs while everyone tries to avoid telling him he finds out and becomes frustrated and rants about how when his father owned the ranch the horses were fine and took care of themselves, Katy then shouts to him to not call Norbert to take Flicka away. Nell tries to convince Rob to give Katy the horse but Rob refuses to. Katy defies Rob and starts training the mare at night. One night after falling off of the Mustang, the family finds out, Rob and Katy argue about Katy and Flicka's relationship. The next day Rob sells Flicka to the rodeo, leaving Katy devastated. Both Nell and Howard are furious at Rob about making the decision without including them, Nell says that he made the decision without her was because he know it's wrong. Seeing his sister heartbroken over losing her beloved horse, Howard finally stands up to his father and says that he does not want the ranch. The family becomes even more divided when Rob refuses to take Flicka back. Howard and Nell refuse to help Rob with the ranch, which he is now considering selling since Howard does not want it.

While he is working Nell rides by and tells him to  get on a horse and come for a ride with her so they can have a talk about their kids. Nell tells Rob that Howard will be fine where ever he goes but they could lose Katy because she is smart and strong but can't survive out there. Rob then says that their daughter lives in a dream world and Nell says so does he, and tells him that Katy is him. She tells him that Katy wants to go to the rodeo and he knows that she wants to see Flicka and he decides to say yes. Rob and Nell then race back to the ranch on their horses.

At the rodeo Nell is dancing to a country rock song and Rob is watching her. When the song changes they start to slow dance together. At the wild horse race Howard and Katy (disguised as a cowboy) enter the competition that Flicka is being used in, hoping to get the horse back. Rob, however, catches onto his daughter's plan and tries to intervene. Katy freezes at the sight of her father, but Howard boosts his sister onto the mare's back and lets the two escape. Back at the rodeo, the family reconciles and begins searching for Katy as a fierce thunderstorm moves in. After hours of searching, Rob finds the two and brings a delirious Katy back to the house. As her fever spikes dangerously high, Katy calls for Flicka as Nell tends to her. Rob thinks Flicka is mortally wounded and believes she should be put down, though Jack and Gus disagree. Overhearing the argument, a dazed Katy stumbles into the room and gives her father permission to "Shoot us now."

Heartbroken by her words, Rob goes outside and begins to cry as he finally understands his daughter's feelings and her pain. Later, a gunshot is heard and Katy bursts into tears, thinking Flicka is dead. The next morning, Nell finds Rob walking back to the house, supporting the injured Flicka. She runs outside to help and finds out that the gunshot was him shooting at the mountain lion. Both are stunned that the mare is still alive and decide not to put her down. Katy's fever breaks and over the next couple of days, she begins to recover. As he watches over his daughter, Rob finds the story that Katy had been writing about Flicka and begins reading it, eventually typing the story and sending it to the school so that Katy can pass for the year. When Katy wakes from the fever, she and Rob reconcile and he takes her to see Flicka, whom Katy is shocked to see is alive. Rob also apologizes to Howard and gives his son his blessing. Thrilled, Howard begins preparing for college. As a family, they decide to not sell the ranch, making it both a working ranch and a refuge for wild mustangs.