The No. 9 Texas A&M (3-3) equestrian team claimed their first conference victory Saturday against No. 5 Georgia (2-3), 11-7.
An early and rainy morning marked the beginning of a three-game stretch at the Hildebrand Equine Complex. The new facility had never played host to SEC opposition and was sure to have pleased the riders as well as the fans, keeping everyone dry with the covered arenas.
Competition kicked off with equitation over fences. The Aggies started off strong, topping the Bulldogs 3-2. Leading the way was freshman Alex Desiderio with a team-high 81-point performance. It was Desiderio’s third straight week to post a high score for the Aggies. Senior Leah Chenelle beat out Georgia’s Megan Southam for the deciding point. A&M led coming out of the first set for the first time this season against an SEC team.
A&M carried the momentum into the Horsemanship category, claiming four of five possible points.The Aggies led 7-3 going into the second half of competition.
Equitation on the flat began and ended with ties, nullifying two points. A&M’s Marlena Parker and Haley Buchmiller matched scores with Georgia’s Megan Southam and Leyla Gleeson, leaving only three points to be claimed. The Bulldogs were able to shorten the distance between the teams by dishing out a solid performance. Anna Rea scored a set-high 81 to give A&M the only point of the category. Aggies led 8-5 going into the final ride of the day.
Georgia began to close the gap in the final reining competition. The Aggies started off deferring two points and once again found themselves with only a one-point lead and their backs against the wall. The two teams took their final rides and A&M was able to steal the final three points, securing their first SEC victory of the season.
The Aggies will go on winter break and return to action Jan. 30 at the Hildebrand Equine Complex.