The No. 8 Texas A&M equestrian team faced off in a rematch against the No. 1 and SEC opponent Auburn on Saturday.
The first match was held in College Station on Nov. 9 with an 11-9 loss. With redemption in mind, the Aggies traveled to Auburn but fell short in a close battle, making their record 2-4 in conference.
Katie Conklin, in Horsemanship, extended her win streak to three with a score of 72-71.5. Teammate Hayley Riddle added the second point for this category by defeating her opponent 76.5-76 along with earning the Most Outstanding Player (MOP) award. These two contributed the two points for the Aggies which brought them to a 2-2 in Horsemanship.
In the next event of Fences, Hayden Stewart, Haley Redifer and Grace Boston all defeated their opponents, which gave the Aggies a lead of 3-2 in the division and 5-4 overall going into the halfway point. Redifer highlighted the Fences category with earning her fourth consecutive MOP award and winning 86-71 against her opponent. Stewart also had a notable day with a season high and victory 87-84. To finish off this division and giving A&M the lead was Boston with a 77-72 win.
In Reining, Darby Gardner, Lisa Bricker and Courtney Yohey all earned wins in their event. Gardner, with her personal best, won with a 71.5 to 70.5 score. Bricker followed with a 71-70.5 victory. With a score of 68.5-65, Yohey rounds out the wins. Bringing the Aggies to a 3-2 in the category and 8-6 overall.
Only one point was scored in the Flat portion. Hayden Stewart beat her competitor 83-75. The Aggies went 1-4 in this division which made the score of 9-10.
“I could not be more proud of this group,” head coach Tana McKay told 12thman.com. “They rode smart and left it all in the arena.”
A&M will be on the road again on March 27. They will compete against South Carolina in the SEC Championship at UGA Equestrian Complex in Georgia.