The A&M equestrian team claimed the conference opener 10-6 and move to 2-0, 1-0 SEC on the season. The Aggies took advantage of the long-awaited competition after the Gamecocks ended their championship aspirations early in 2015.

“We knew we had to bring our best in every event,” head coach Tana McKay told 12thman.com. “On the road in the SEC, nothing is given. We didn’t take anything for granted, and the girls worked really hard today. We still have some things we need to work on for another tough test against Auburn, but overall I am very happy with how we competed today.”

True to last season’s trend, the Aggies struggled in the Hunt Seat categories as they fell 1-4 in the Over Fences competition. They were, however, able to overcome their difficulties against the Gamecocks in Flat, which ultimately decided the meet.

A&M slid past the South Carolina 3-2 as they were led by MOP-honored Alex Desiderio, who scored a competition-high 84 over Sydney Smith to put the Aggies ahead. A&M ultimately lost the Hunt Seat competition 4-6, scoring 720 points to South Carolina’s 766.

The Gamecocks were shut out in their Horsemanship battle as the Aggies were led by sophomore Sarah Orsak, who toppled Paige Stopperich 74.5 -73.5 in her MOP efforts. The Aggies clinched the win 3-0 and skimmed by the Gamecocks in Reining to take the Western competitions 6-2, scoring 696.5 points to their opponent’s 694.

The Aggies return to action in two weeks as they take on No. 1 Auburn at 10 a.m. CST in Alabama.