The pressure is mounting, but the Texas A&M equestrian team shows no sign of slowing anytime soon. They have the help of individual riders, such as junior Kaci Fisher, who recently competed solo in Oklahoma for the AQHA Collegiate Horsemanship Challenge. Fisher went on to win the Reserve Championship in the event.
“Kaci is definitely a team player,” assistant head coach Caroline Cramer said. “I think she is also a great competitor — she always keeps the horse’s best interest as her first priority. That’s definitely going to be a huge asset when you’re riding horses that you don’t know. She definitely is understanding which helps with her adaptability with strange mounts which gave her an upperhand in Oklahoma.”
No. 3 Texas A&M equestrian (4-1) will travel to the east coast to compete in a double-header meet with host Delaware State (2-2) and former Big 12 Conference foe Kansas State (2-2). A&M’s first match in Felton, Delaware, starts Friday morning at 9:30 a.m. against Kansas State, and they finish the road trip against the Hornets of Delaware State at 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning.
Fisher’s Reserve Championship run for the AQHA challenge has been the latest edition of the Aggies recent success in equestrian. The Aggies’ last win as a team meet was the upset against the then-No. 2 Auburn Tigers on Nov. 6. The highly anticipated match was close, tied 7-7 going into the final event. However, the Aggies were able to edge out the Tigers in a near sweep in reining, winning 4-1 to finish off Auburn by an 11-8 score.
“Coming off an SEC win at home has been a huge success for us,” Ashley Dotson said. “We’ve always been a really strong reining team. Even if it comes down to, ‘reining has to win,’ we’re always up to the challenge. I think it gives the underclassmen some motivation. Working up to being a senior, I’ve always respected how well we’ve always done and I wanted to continue that.”
However, a week before the upset win over Auburn, the Aggies faced the defending national champion South Carolina Gamecocks. Despite the overlaid pressure to compete against the reigning national champions, the Aggies struck quick with a 4-1 start to the match. A tie in horsemanship and a 3-2 win for A&M in the flat paved the way for the Aggies to ultimately finish off the Gamecocks with a sweep in reining to win outright, 14-5.
“I just feel like the teamwork those past two meets was unreal,” Alex Desiderio said. “Even the side notes, everyone was just so peppy and everyone gave it their all and was so confident. I feel like everyone came together as a team more than we have been in the past and it’s just making us more positive. When you walk into the room, your confidence is higher because you know you’re whole team is rooting for you.”
The Aggies will use their recent momentum to finish out 2015 before heading on holiday break, then return to action at home in late January against No. 1 ranked Georgia.
