Top-Ranked Auburn Equestrian Falls on the Road to Rival Georgia
Did you ever have one of those days you were excited about, you’d planned how everything was gonna be great, but then one thing started going wrong, and then another, and then another until pretty much the whole day was ruined?
Auburn Equestrian just had one of those days.
Lost Opportunity
Coming into today's meet everything was lined up perfectly for the Tigers. They had retaken the top spot in the national rankings, and they were one win away from securing the top seed in the SEC Tournament. The only thing standing between Auburn and an undefeated spring was a Georgia team that had been winless in conference play since the fall.
But on Friday, that same Georgia team rode lights-out and pulled off a stunning upset.
How the Meet Went
The meet started with Equitation Over Fences. Auburn boasts one of the nation’s most talented sets of riders for this event, but against Georgia, senior Emma Kurtz was the only Auburn rider to score a point.
The 1-4 Fences results was Auburn's worst showing in the event since a 0-4 loss to Texas A&M in the fall.
As Auburn’s Fences squad was taking its lumps, things were going a lot better for their Horsemanship teammates. All-Americans Olivia Tordoff, Deanna Green, and Taylor Searles, along with longtime starter Maddie Spak, gave Auburn the 4-1 advantage in this event. Tordoff’s ride was the best of the event, earning her Most Outstanding Performance honors there.
So at the halftime break, the meet was tied 5-5, but then things soon got worse for Auburn.
In Equitation on the Flat, Auburn managed to take two points with a strong ride from Ava Stearns and the event’s MOP-winning ride from Ellie Ferrigno, but here again, Georgia had the superior overall unit, winning the event 3-2.
As the meet’s last event began, Auburn still had a path to victory, but the Bulldogs’ Reining team quickly closed the door on any comeback attempt. All five Tiger riders were denied points, ending the meet in a 7-13 defeat for Auburn.
How Did This Happen?
Afterward, the question most Auburn fans have is “how could this talented Auburn team lose so badly to a Georgia group that had been struggling to get recent wins?”
Auburn head coach Greg Williams summarized his thoughts saying, “We rode poorly today and just couldn't get things to go our way. We had so many opportunities to make sure we came out with a win. Georgia hosted a great meet and rode really well."
This meet felt a lot like Auburn’s fall defeat at Texas A&M. In both losses, Auburn’s Fences and Reining squad were soundly defeated. Going forward, Williams and the rest of Auburn’s coaching staff will need to address those groups’ mistakes and inconsistencies.
What’s Next for Auburn?
From here, Auburn will turn its attention to the SEC Championships, which the Tigers will host. The two-day tournament will be held at the Auburn Equestrian Center on Friday and Saturday, March 25 and 26.
The #1 seed, Texas A&M will face off against the #4 seed, South Carolina, while 2-seed Auburn will get a rematch against 3-seed Georgia.
When that Friday rolls around, the Tigers sure hope it will end better than this one did.
The Box Score
Auburn 7, Georgia 13
FENCES
Jordan Toering (UGA) def. Ava Stearns (AU), 83-77
Catalina Peralta (UGA)* def. Sophee Steckbeck (AU), 90-86
Hayley Mairano (UGA) def. Meghan Knapic (AU), 88-83
Rachel McMullen (UGA) def. Ellie Ferrigno (AU), 86-85
Emma Kurtz (AU) def. Emma Reichow (UGA), 85-84
FLAT
Ceci Bresch (UGA) def. Helen Ulrich (AU), 90-82.5
Jordan Toering (UGA) def. Sophee Steckbeck (AU), 89-87
Hayley Mairano (UGA) def. Emma Kurtz (AU), 93.5-89.5
Ava Stearns (AU) def. Sophia Pilla (UGA), 84-80
Ellie Ferrigno (AU)* def. Nora Andrews (UGA), 89-80
HORSEMANSHIP
Olivia Tordoff (AU)* def. Leah Anderson (UGA), 77-75.5
Deanna Green (AU) def. Kendall Gill (UGA), 73.5-72.5
Maddie Spak (AU) def. Grace Himes (UGA), 77.5-76.5
Taylor Searles (AU) def. Sara Lewis (UGA), 76.5-64.5
Jillian Stopperich (UGA) def. Madison Parduhn (AU), 75.5-74
REINING
Jax Bound (UGA) def. Boo Kammerer (AU), 72-69.5
Lindsay Guynn (UGA)* def. Isabella Tesmer (AU), 72-68
Caitlin Lyons (UGA) def. Deanna Green (AU), 67.5-0
Isabella Hehr (UGA) def. Taylor Searles (AU), 71.5-71
Courtney Blumer (UGA) def. Terri-June Granger (AU), 70.5-69.5