No. 4 Texas A&M equestrian faced off against No. 1 Auburn in its final match of the season at the Hildebrand Equine Complex. Despite it being Senior Night for the Aggies, the Tigers would come out on top to spoil the affair for the Aggies in an 11-9 win.
Rocky start in Fences
Auburn came out strong in the Fences competition, taking a 4-1 advantage. Points from freshman Kate Hagerty, senior Mary-Grace Segars, graduate Ellie Ferrigno and sophomore Avery Glynn dominated the competition, with scores of 91, 82.5, 88.5 and 86, respectively. The only point the Aggies secured was from junior Alexa Leong, who scored an 87 on JJ.
Keeping it competitive in the Flat
The Fightin’ Farmers continued to battle it out with the Tigers, despite a 2-3 loss in the Flat competition. Freshman Grace Shipman and 5th-year Devon Thomas nabbed two points in a tight fight, with scores of 83.5 and 86 on CJ and Sparky. But the Tigers maintained the upper hand, with senior Sophee Steckbeck, Ferrigno and freshman Ariana Marnell securing the win in the Flat competition for the Tigers, with scores of 85, 88 and 85, giving Auburn a 7-3 lead over the Aggies in the Jumping seats.
Another close loss in Horsemanship
No matter what the Aggies did, it seemed like the Tigers would one-up them. In the Horsemanship discipline, Auburn closed out with another 3-2 win over A&M. The junior duo of Caroline Fredenburg and Alexia Tordoff along with sophomore Brooke Jolstad, edged out close wins to secure three points for the Tigers, with scores of 75.25, 77.5 and 70.75 on Max, Red and Sally. The Aggies didn’t go down without a fight, as junior Meagan Braun and senior Hanna Olaussen got two points for the Aggies, with scores of 73.5 and 76 on Gravy and Roscoe.
A win in Reining
The Aggies were able to pull closer to the Tigers in Reining, 4-1. Senior Lauren Hanson, sophomore Anna Harris, junior Gracie Casebolt and senior Mattie Gustin secured four points for the Aggies, with scores of 69.75, 69.5, 71 and 72 on Gus, Indie, Colonel and Tank. Junior Caroline Buchanan earned a final point for the Tigers, with a score of 69.75 on Shorty.
Despite a valiant effort by the A&M, winning the Western total 6-4, Auburn came out on top, with a final score of 11-9.
A&M will travel to Mill Spring, North Carolina to compete in the SEC Equestrian Championship from March 28-29 at the Tryon International Equestrian Center.
