story by Riata Cummings
Hailing from Syracuse, Utah, Sydney Grover is the 18-year-old daughter of Jeremy and Angie Grover. Sydney has an older brother, Lance, and a younger sister, Morgan, and the family couldn’t be any closer. They enjoy skiing, boating, ATV-ing, trips to the Caribbean, going out to eat, and watching movies together. Sydney is a senior at Clearfield High School where she enjoys her business, art, and math classes. She teaches children how to ride horses in her spare time, and loves doing anything outdoors. She has the spirit of an entrepreneur and would like to own and run her own business one day, working where and when she wants.
Sydney’s mother grew up with horses, as did Sydney. When she was about 10-years-old, she entered in her first rodeo and has been competing ever since. Today she competes in barrel racing and pole bending, barrels being her favorite of the two. Her horses are Tazz, a big dun who has helped her to make many state qualifying times, Lucy who is her “freaky fast” barrel horse, and Missy the smart, gruella pole horse. One of Sydney’s favorite rodeo runs was her at her first high school rodeo, when, despite the intimidating atmosphere, she made a good run and got hooked on the sport.
Rodeo has taught Sydney responsibility, demanding that she sacrifice time to take care of her horses and work on her events. It has taught her to be patient with herself and her horses, working through the constant ups and downs of practices and rodeos. The demanding nature of rodeo has helped her develop time management skills, balancing practice with the other aspects of life. Perhaps one of the most valuable lessons rodeo taught Sydney was how to keep her cool during stressful situations. Competing against the clock on an animal with its own mind can be challenging, and it takes time to learn how to handle the pressure. Sydney’s motto is the Nike slogan, “Just do it”. When she faces an unpleasant, scary, or difficult task, she reminds herself that getting it over with is the only way to effectively handle the situation. The saying also reminds her that great experiences are often on the other side of fear or trial.
Her heroes are her parents, and she looks up to their work ethic and never-quit attitude. They have taught her to be a go-getter and a goal setter, always working for the things she wants and taking advantage of the opportunities around her. Because of her parents support and motivation, Sydney strives to be better every day. She would like to thank her family and friends for their help and support. She is grateful for all the people who have helped her keep her chin up as she travels down the rodeo road.
