05/20/2026
Just a few words about our final expedition of the season!
The team trekked to Kingston Downs, a privately owned trail system that is nestled in the woods of Rome, Georgia for the “Legends of the Downs” event. As the Rangers arrived at the venue they were greeted with the main feature for this race, the tail of the dragon. The dragon’s tail is a large hill that is filled with tight and twisty berms. The Rangers knew that to complete this final race they would have to face the Tail of the Dragon face to face.
The thirteen riders for White County set off to pre ride the course and explore the technical features that they would face that day. Each rider came off course with excitement for what was to come!
The first rangers to set out on the course were the 2nd grade boys. Paxton Swanzy has had lofty goals all season and has been working extremely hard. All of this work paid off with a commanding first place podium finish in his final event. Bryar Baird showed his bravery as he conquered something new and finished this last event with new-found confidence.
Next up, Faith Hogan and the 2nd grade girls took off from the start. A pack of 5 emerged from the woods together, fighting their way through the dragon’s tail and Faith made a pass at the final hill for a 4th place finish.
Parker Shaw, Elias Ernst, and Solon Couey all took the starting line for the 3rd grade boys. Parker Shaw was racing a different bike than he raced all season and despite a fall during pre ride, he took on the course with confidence and moved all the way up to a 9th place, top 10 finish for the day!
Ethan Swanzy, a 2nd year veteran for the Trail Rangers lined up on the starting line with a goal to beat his time from the previous year on this course. He raced with a level head and came off course reaching his goal after taking off over a minute off of last year’s time.
The fearless fourth grade girls showed up ready to take on whatever they would face on course. This group of tight knit girls has been a group that has encouraged one another all season to do their best with a smile. Reagan Phillips came away with a 3rd place finish after a final sprint with her friend and teammate, Mercy Hogan, who took 4th place. Grace Meinecke overcame a challenging day and finished strong and showed perseverance along with Ellie Strese who had a hard crash on the finish but got up and finished what she had started.
After a top 10 finish at the 3rd expedition, EJ Cesarone was determined to continue moving up. She had a great start and rode strong through her race, but crashed on the hill up the finish. She bravely picked up her bike and finished strong despite the setback.
This expedition proved that the White County Trail Rangers are writing their own tales of bravery, determination, and perseverance against whatever they may come up against.
To cap off this expedition, Grace Meinecke, one of our White County Trail Rangers received the Georgia Cycling Connection award. This award is given to a ranger who has engaged in friendships and built camaraderie and is an inspirational role model! We are so proud of her amazing character that she has shown!
While this was the close of the 2026 Trail Rangers season, registration will open for next year’s season on December 1st. For more information be sure to check out www.trailrangers.org
