Cincinnatus High School junior Georgia Warner with her horse Bugsy. (Photo Source: Macksi Warner).
A Cincinnatus High School student recently brought home some hardware from a New York State event.
Georgia Warner, a 15-year old heading into her junior year at the Cincinnatus Central School District, won a NYS High School Rodeo Association in barrel racing during the state finals at the Painted Pony Ranch in Lake Luzerne.
Cincinnatus High School junior Georgia Warner with her horse Bugsy. (Photo Source: Cincinnatus School Facebook page).
Warner captured the crown based on points accumulated throughout the high school rodeo season. Aside from barrel racing, she also competed in pole bending, breakaway roping and team roping.
“It was a very close competition the entire year,” she said, noting she won the title by one point. “It was a battle right to the end. It was very exciting when I saw my name at the top.”
Warner shared her championship victory with her horse, Bugsy. He is an American Quarter Horse, the breed mostly seen in rodeo competitions, Warner added.
“They are bred for a quick burst of speed. They need to be agile to turn barrels quickly,” Warner said.
Warner noted her strong partnership with Bugsy is due to “fitting each other’s styles.”
“I’m very proud to have won the barrel racing title with him because it’s our first year together. That was a cool experience,” Warner said. “It’s been very challenging to keep up with him because he’s very quick and athletic, but there’s a lot of trust between us.”
Warner mentioned that she comes from a family of rodeo performers. Her sister, Sadie, competes in the junior high division of the NYS High School Rodeo Association. Her parents, Macksi and Cody, along with her grandparents, also compete in rodeo.
“My parents have always been big supporters of mine,” Warner said. “It’s always been part of my life. In high school rodeo, you’re always around kids your age. You can make a ton of friends.”
Warner encouraged those interested in rodeo to participate in the competitions.
“It’s very welcoming and a lot of opportunities to learn from the adults in the association,” she said.
