Buffalo's Joey Painter must be quickly running out of display space for all of the buckles and trophies accumulated during her high school rodeo career.

Not only has the 18-year-old graduate of Harding County High School won three event state championships during her career, but she recently claimed her third all-around cowgirl title.

Later this month, Painter will be a member of the South Dakota team competing in the National High School Finals Rodeo in Farmington, N.M. It is the fourth time Painter has been a member of the team.

"We have won the state championship all four years that I've been in high school," Painter, who also excelled in basketball and volleyball at Harding County, said. "It's just so much fun to watch everybody on your team do well. I love having a good team and being able to cheer on your teammates. That's also the case being on the South Dakota team. It's pretty cool to watch everybody else and hope that your team does well. It's always great to see South Dakota do well at the national level."

Painter will be joined on the South Dakota National Team by four Harding County teammates - Kaycee Nelson (breakaway roping), Sam Olson (boys cutting), Tate Brengle (bareback), and Katie Doll (girls cutting).

Painter qualified for nationals in three events this year - goat tying, barrel racing and girls cutting - and she hopes to finish her high school career with a national title.

"Hopefully this year I will not be as nervous," she says. "I will have a little bit more experience and have learned a lot from my four previous trips. I was really hoping to qualify in more than one event and I did. So I just have to work hard and stay focused."

The fact that Painter has excelled in the rodeo arena should come as no surprise. Painter is the youngest of three children born to Joe and Cindy Painter and she brings a very successful rodeo pedigree to the arena.

"My parents have just encouraged me ever since I was little girl," Painter said. "They had me on horses before I could even walk, and they have helped me practice almost every day of my life and have always been there to support me and help me to get better."

Painter comes from an athletic family. Painter's dad, Joe, was a college national champion at Black Hills State and still competes on occasion and her mom, Cindy, played volleyball for the Yellow Jackets. Older sister Jessica was a 2002 and 2003 National High School Finals champion, providing her younger sister with plenty of incentive.

"Jessica kind of left me some big shoes to fill," Painter said. "But it's good pressure I think and has helped to motivate me. She is a great sister and has helped me all the way through."

Older brother P.J., who now rodeos at Black Hills State, has also served been inspirational and, in fact, Painter will join her older brother on the rodeo team at Black Hills State this fall.

"I'm really looking forward to rodeoing with P.J. for one year at Black Hills before he graduates," she said.

Painter hopes to close out her high school rodeo career with her first national championship.

"I can't even describe how awesome that would feel since that has been one of my goals ever since I was little," she said. "It would be amazing."