Hot on the heels of a top-10 win over Georgia a week ago, No. 5 Texas A&M equestrian easily trotted past Dartmouth in a Friday Jumping Seat-only competition, 6-2, before handling UC Davis on Saturday, 13-4.
Friday’s face-off marked the second meeting of all time between the Maroon and White and the Big Green. Last season’s matchup was one Dartmouth hoped to forget, a 10-0 trouncing from A&M.
The Aggies came out hot in the Flat event, leaving with what turned out to be an insurmountable 3-1 advantage. The event’s highlight was sophomore Kate Egan’s 86-point performance on CJ, which won the Glen Gardner, New Jersey native her first career most outstanding player honors in Flat.
Senior Maeve O’Donovan rode for a score of 80, and freshman Londyn Samlaska scored an 81 to earn A&M its other two points in the event.
To keep spirits high heading into a full competition on Saturday, the Aggies picked up three quick points in Fences to finish off the Big Green.
Freshman Grace Defoe saddled up for her first ride of the season, and the Perrysburg, Ohio product scored an event-high 88 on North. The big-time finish earned Defoe MOP honors for the first time in her career.
Freshman Grace Shipan equalized Defoe’s score of 88, and sophomore Nicole McMillion’s 85-point finish put the cherry on top of the Aggies’ rout.
On Saturday, A&M took on UC Davis in a battle between the two Aggies for the third time in program history and the first time since 2022, improving its record to 3-0 with a dominant 13-4 victory and a raw score of 1524-1428.
With Horsemanship up first, the Maroon and White had a hot start, galloping to a 3-1 lead. Senior Ellie Gerbandt nabbed the highest score in the event, with a 75 atop Teddy to win her matchup. Seniors Hanna Olaussen and Millie Landon also claimed points for A&M, with scores of 72.5 and 74, respectively.
At the same time, UC Davis fought back a bit in Flat, splitting the points 2-2. Fifth-year Devon Thomas, fresh off winning MOP against Georgia, had A&M’s best performance as she maneuvered Sparky around for an 88. UC Davis senior Marin Gilliland equaled Thomas’s score on Misty to win her one-on-one matchup.
The Maroon and White’s performance on Fences put the competition out of reach and secured a third-straight A&M victory. Thomas showed up again with an 86 on JJ to earn a point. Junior Alexa Leong and sophomore Alida Treuting also won their matchups to secure an 8-4 advantage heading into the final event.
A&M officially secured the win with a pantsing of UC Davis in Reining, sweeping all five matchups. Senior Mattie Gustin led the way with a 72-point performance on Colonel.
A&M will look to keep the winning streak alive as it heads to Burleson to take on TCU on Thursday, Feb. 27.
