Saturday morning, Texas A&M equestrian defeated No. 5 SMU in an impressive 11-9 win on the road. The Aggies move to 6-2, 2-1 SEC as the Mustangs fall to 3-2, 1-0 UEC.
“I am very proud of how the team closed out the day,” head coach Tana McKay told 12thman.com. “We knew SMU was going to be tough, but the girls competed hard. We have another short week… but I am very proud of the team today.”
In what was sure to be a close competition, A&M had no room for error. However, the day opened with the Aggies conceding a 4-1 loss in equitation over fences. SMU’s Sylvia de Toldeo added to her team-leading wins total by topping junior Kai DeVoglaer. Junior Rachael Hake scored the lone point in her MOP efforts with a 90-85 victory over Nora Gray.
The Aggies exchanged punches with the Mustangs in reining and equitation on the flat. Sophomore Haley Franc led off the Reining competition with a71-60 win over Jaclyn White of SMU. Junior Madison Bohman earned a team-high seven wins over Casey Bibbs, 71-68.5 to round off a 3-2 reining victory for the Aggies.
In equitation on the flat, senior Anna Rea earned MOP honors after notching an 80-78 victory over Nora Gray. Junior Alex Desiderio continued to shine this season with a 74-70 defeat of Sylvia de Toledo. The efforts weren’t quite enough and the Mustangs took the Flat competition 3-2.
The Horsemanship division has held some of A&M’s most impressive performances. The Aggies pulled off the season’s fourth 5-0 shutout led by Junior Bailey Cook in her 69.5-67.5 victory over Michaela Dinger. Junior Avery Ellis topped Hannah McCain, 75.5-68, earning her second consecutive MOP honors and sealing the deal for Texas A&M.
The Aggies return to action February 10 as they play host to No. 8 South Carolina. The meet is slated to kickoff at 11 a.m. in the Hildebrand Equine Complex, in College Station.