Grossnickle Finishes Up Collegiate Career
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Anthony [email protected]
"My mom had horses when I was young, but my two older brothers wouldn't have anything to do with the sport," Grossnickle, a Lakeland Christian Academy graduate, said. "When I came along, she was set on me loving horses, and I did. At 18 months old, I was riding with her. I fell in love with it, and haven't stopped."
Her love for the sport sent her all over the country riding as a junior rider, eventually helping her land a spot on the University of South Carolina equestrian team.
Over the weekend, the senior competed in the 2009 Varsity Equestrian National Championships on the campus of Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
As a fourth-seeded rider in horsemanship, Grossnickle had her competition end early with a first-round loss to Kansas State's Alyssa Freeman, the No. 5 seed.
"I knew the judges going into the competition, and had shown for them before on my own circuit," Grossnickle said. "I never really had a good showing for them, so I wasn't too optimistic."
As a team, the Gamecocks placed sixth in the Western bracket and third in Hunt Seat.
"Our team is really close," she said. "We have one of the smaller teams, which makes us pretty close. We really support each other. Some of the other teams are so big that they don't even know each other."
As a senior, Grossnickle qualified for the national tournament with a 9-2-1 record, which included four MVPs, which are awarded to the top rider at each competition.
"I had a very, very good senior year," Grossnickle said. "My junior year was a little down, but I also had pretty good sophomore and freshmen seasons."
On top of riding, Grossnickle will graduate in May with a degree in retail management, which she plans to put to use.
"My parents own a winery in Michigan (Forty-Five North Vineyard & Winery), so I plan to go work there," she said.
And even while attending the winery, she still plans to take some time out for her lifelong love.
"My horses all over right now," she said. "I'm going to keep my amateur and non-professional cards and keep riding."[[In-content Ad]]
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"My mom had horses when I was young, but my two older brothers wouldn't have anything to do with the sport," Grossnickle, a Lakeland Christian Academy graduate, said. "When I came along, she was set on me loving horses, and I did. At 18 months old, I was riding with her. I fell in love with it, and haven't stopped."
Her love for the sport sent her all over the country riding as a junior rider, eventually helping her land a spot on the University of South Carolina equestrian team.
Over the weekend, the senior competed in the 2009 Varsity Equestrian National Championships on the campus of Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
As a fourth-seeded rider in horsemanship, Grossnickle had her competition end early with a first-round loss to Kansas State's Alyssa Freeman, the No. 5 seed.
"I knew the judges going into the competition, and had shown for them before on my own circuit," Grossnickle said. "I never really had a good showing for them, so I wasn't too optimistic."
As a team, the Gamecocks placed sixth in the Western bracket and third in Hunt Seat.
"Our team is really close," she said. "We have one of the smaller teams, which makes us pretty close. We really support each other. Some of the other teams are so big that they don't even know each other."
As a senior, Grossnickle qualified for the national tournament with a 9-2-1 record, which included four MVPs, which are awarded to the top rider at each competition.
"I had a very, very good senior year," Grossnickle said. "My junior year was a little down, but I also had pretty good sophomore and freshmen seasons."
On top of riding, Grossnickle will graduate in May with a degree in retail management, which she plans to put to use.
"My parents own a winery in Michigan (Forty-Five North Vineyard & Winery), so I plan to go work there," she said.
And even while attending the winery, she still plans to take some time out for her lifelong love.
"My horses all over right now," she said. "I'm going to keep my amateur and non-professional cards and keep riding."[[In-content Ad]]
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