July 25, 2006

COLUMBIA, S.C. –
South Carolina Equestrian rounded out its 2006 class with the commitment from Rapid City, S.D. native, Kristina Papendick. Papendick is ranked top five in the nation in horsemanship, western riding and hunter under saddle. With the addition of Papendick, USC concludes its recruiting class with 10 newcomers.

“We are so excited to have Kristina as a Gamecock,” said Duncan. “Her extensive background in all aspects of western riding will make her a key player in the upcoming year.”

At the 2005 Quarter Horse Congress, Papendick finished third in 15-18 Trail and seventh in 15-18 Horsemanship. She was the Reserve Champion in 14-18 Western Riding. In 20044 she was the Youth Western Riding World Champion and a finalist in Western Pleasure, Horsemanship and Trail. She was the 2005 Scottsdale Classic 14-18 All-Around Champion and finished fourth in Western Riding in the 2005 Youth World Show. She was a finalist in Trail at the same competition.

A graduate of Rapid City Stevens H.S., Papendick is a Regents Scholar and was a founder of RADD (Raiders Against Destructive Decisions), which encourages high school students to make good decisions in high school and how to overcome peer pressure.