They say all good things come to an end, and that was clear for the Texas A&M equestrian team’s No. 1 national ranking.
The Aggies were edged by No. 2-ranked Oklahoma State 9-8 on Saturday, March 12 at the Hildebrand Equine Complex. With the loss, A&M will likely lose its top spot in the National Collegiate Equestrian Association Top 10.
However, from an individual standpoint, graduate Rhian Murphy and senior Hayley Riddle garnered Most Outstanding Performer honors within their events.
The Cowgirls struck first with a 3-2 victory in Fences, as junior Kaitlyn Lovingfoss and senior Grace Boston tacked on points for the maroon and white after winning their events 78-75 and 76-72, respectively.
The Aggies tied things up at the break by winning the category of Horsemanship 2-1, as Riddle and junior Cori Cansdale won their events with scores of 79.5-77.5 and 76.5-67.5, respectively.
Oklahoma State secured a 6-4 overall victory in Jumping Seat with a 3-2 win in Flat, where Murphy and senior Nicole Leonard won their events 87-84.5 and 86-78, respectively.
The Reining competition ended in a 2-2 tie, locking up a 4-3 victory in Western discipline for the Aggies. Graduate Marissa Harrell and sophomore Keesa Luers recorded points for A&M by winning their events 75.5-69.5 and 76-74.5, respectively. Despite the victory, the Aggies, now 17-13 versus Oklahoma State all-time, fell to the Cowgirls by a point.
“It’s a disappointing result, but we knew we were up against a really tough team,” coach Tana McKay said. “You expect nothing less when you’ve got the No. 1 and No. 2 team in the country going at it. Even when we were in the Big 12, Oklahoma State has always been a really tough team.”
With the regular season complete, the Aggies now look ahead to postseason play, as they will begin the SEC Championship on March 25-26 at the Auburn University Horse Center in Auburn, Ala.
Within postseason play, McKay said the team hopes to give the seniors a successful final send-off.
“What these seniors have done for the team over the last four or five years is unmatched,” McKay said. “We can’t thank them enough. It’s about the wins and losses, but it’s also more about these kids, what they’ve learned, the teammates they’ve become and the young adults they will be after they graduate. We’ve got a great group, and we’re gonna miss them.”
