Jordan-Elbridge senior Morgan Bort has been riding horses since she was eight, and she recently drew on that passion in her Welding class at Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES.

Bort bought a 20-year-old horse she calls Widgeon straight from Ireland about four years ago. Widgeon was diagnosed with cancer, but that hasn’t stopped either of them from riding. Together, the duo has made champion the past three years accompanied by countless memories.

When the time came for Bort to decide on a sculpture piece to enter in the New York State SkillsUSA competition, she chose a sunflower, representing happiness, and for her, a reminder of Widgeon.

“The petals are the lessons she has taught me,” said Bort. “Every petal has a different meaning. You can see the back leaves are pointy and spikey – those represent the thorns or the difficulties we have faced.”

Bort titled the sculpture “Widgeon’s Breath,” and the piece earned second place at this year’s virtual competition. SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers, and industry working together as a career and technical student organization.