Auburn Equestrian Takes Down Top-Ranked SMU 15-5 at Home
For most of this equestrian season, SMU has stood alone as the nation’s only undefeated team.
Saturday, the Mustangs tasted defeat for the first time, with Auburn serving extra helpings.
How the Meet Went
A quick glance at the meet’s head-to-head matchups suggested there would likely be one or two rides favoring each team, but with the majority being tossups between evenly-matched riders.
Riding at home seemed to give the Tigers that extra spark to take more than their share of those tossup points.
The meet started with Equitation on the Flat, which Auburn dominated. The first point of the day went to SMU, but the remaining four were won by Auburn’s Mary-Grace Segars, Ellie Ferrigno,
Ava Stearns, and Emma Kurtz. Kurtz’s ride was also judged the Most Outstanding Performance in the event.
The 4-1 advantage on the Flat foreshadowed how the meet was gonna go.
Soon after, the Reining points started posting, and again, the Tigers were reluctant to share. Auburn’s Caroline Buchanan, Isabella Tesmer, Alexia Tordoff, and Kate Buchanan won their points, with Tordoff taking MOP honors.
The 8-2 halftime score displayed on the scoreboard was met with smiles from the standing-room-only Auburn crowd.
The second half resumed with Equitation over Fences. This event has been the capstone of most Auburn victories this season, and Saturday was no different. Needing only three points to secure the day, Auburn’s Fences squad did one better, with Sophee Steckbeck, Segars, Kurtz, and Stearns all winning their rides. Strearns would also win Auburn third MOP of the day.
With the meet’s outcome a foregone conclusion, the remaining attention turned to Horsemanship. This event has been the Mustang’s bread-and-butter all season, with them averaging nearly four points out of five every time they take the saddle.
Even against SMU’s best squad, Auburn proved up to the task.
Auburn’s Tordoff, Maddie Spak, and Madison Parduhn all took points, giving Auburn the 3-2 advantage in the event.
So after all the points were awarded, Auburn stood triumphant with an eye-opening 15-5 victory over the nation’s #1 team.
What This All Means
Saturday’s meet shows that riding at home gives every team an extra boost that just can’t be recreated on the road. The horses are more familiar. The fans are more supportive. Everything just seems to go smoother.
The meet also served as a nice break from SEC competition, allowing the Tigers to make their case to be among the sport’s top tier of teams.
Up Next For Auburn
The Tigers will complete their regular season next Friday, hosting #6 South Carolina at 3 PM Central. The day will also feature Auburn Equestrian’s senior class, with its riders and their families being honored following the meet.
With a win, Auburn would secure the #1 seed in the SEC Tournament. Should Auburn lose next Friday, Texas A&M would likely take the #1 seed, making Auburn the #2 seed.
Scoresheet
SMU 5 - Auburn 15
FENCES:
Sophee Steckbeck (AU) def Taylor Madden (SMU): 78-0
Mary-Grace Segars (AU) def Devin Seek (SMU): 79-77
Augusta Iwasaki (SMU) def Ellie Ferrigno (AU): 81-80
Emma Kurtz (AU) def Elli Yeager (SMU): 81-77
*Ava Stearns (AU) def Alex Pielet (SMU): 82-79
FLAT:
Emma Engel (SMU) def Sophee Steckbeck (AU): 74-71
Mary-Grace Segars (AU) def Madigan Eppink (SMU): 76-73
Ellie Ferrigno (AU) def Hensley Humphries (SMU): 80-78
Ava Stearns (AU) def Miranda Seade (SMU): 79-75
*Emma Kurtz (AU) def Taylor Madden (SMU): 76-74
HORSEMANSHIP:
*Mallory Vroegh (SMU) def Olivia Tordoff (AU): 76.5-73.5
Alexia Tordoff (AU) def Megan Waldron (SMU): 78-71.5
Maddie Spak (AU) def Alexa Black (SMU): 75.5-75
Madison Parduhn (AU) def Nya Kearns (SMU): 77.5-70.5
Lily Anderson (SMU) def Caroline Fredenburg (AU): 73.5-72.5
REINING:
Caroline Buchanan (AU) def Chalyce Head (SMU): 70.5-68.5
Dani Latimer (SMU) def Olivia Marino (AU): 68-66.5
Isabella Tesmer (AU) def Taylor Zimmerman (SMU): 68-67.5
Alexia Tordoff (AU) def Maria Richards (SMU): 71.5-66.5
Kate Buchanan (AU) def Lily Anderson (SMU): 66-65.5
*Event MOP"