Auburn Equestrian Wins Fourth-Straight SEC Title, Defeating Texas A&M 11-8
They did it again.
If Auburn Equestrian doesn’t watch out, they might just make a habit out of all this winning.
Auburn came into Saturday's SEC Championship Final the lower seed, but it was obvious from the start the Tigers knew they were the favorites.
The Tigers jumped out to an early lead, then fought off a strong Aggie comeback to take the meet 11-8, and win a record fourth-straight conference title.
How the Meet Went
The beautiful, windy day on the Plains began with Auburn’s Equitation on the Flat team racing to an early lead.
In an event that focuses on riding a series of maneuvers with grace and precision, the Auburn squad, led by senior Emma Kurtz and her MOP ride, just seemed smoother, more accurate, and more poised than their counterparts. The judges agreed, and Auburn won the event 4-1.
In the next event, Horsemanship, it was the Aggies’ turn to grab some momentum. Several Auburn miscues, coupled with strong A&M rides, produced a surprising 3-1 result for Texas A&M.
With a narrow 5-4 halftime lead, Auburn knew they would have to finish strong in the remaining two events if the day would be theirs.
Auburn’s Equitation Over Fences riders responded with a series of victories that came close to winning the meet right then and there. Freshman Sophee Steckbeck’s MOP ride was the highlight of a 4-1 points explosion that put Auburn a single point away from the SEC title.
The Aggies made a final push in Reining, but they could not forestall defeat with Auburn’s lead so great. By the second point in the event, Auburn had gained the best-of-twenty needed to guarantee the overall win. However, the Aggies would get the better of the event, taking it 3-2.
So while A&M settled for a moral victory, the kind of victory that gets you an SEC trophy was being enjoyed by the home team, and several hundred of their fans.
An Important Win for a Dominant Program
Over the past four years, Auburn has dominated both the SEC and college equestrian. Much of the Tiger’s reign over the sport has come due to a roster loaded with All-Americans.
Yet even with so much talent, Auburn has had its share of disappointing losses. None was bigger than last season’s ending. After a perfect run through the regular season, a first-round loss to Baylor in the national championship tournament showed that even Auburn’s loaded roster can be beaten if enough mistakes are made.
This trend continued this season as the Tigers were upset multiple times against opportunistic teams that made Auburn pay for making too many mistakes.
But after Saturday’s hard-fought victory, the 2022 team can say that when it mattered, they limited their mistakes enough to retain the SEC crown another year.
One Goal Remains
With the conference title secured, Auburn Equestrian now turns its attention to the final goal: the National Championships in Ocala, Fl, April 14-16.
As they were in the SEC tournament, Auburn will be the 2-seed in Ocala. The top seed will go to #1-ranked Oklahoma State, who won the Big 12 title on Saturday.
But Auburn proved this weekend that being underdogs on paper doesn’t make them underdogs in the saddle.
If the Tigers continue riding well and limiting their mistakes, the trees in Toomer’s Corner might be due for another rolling this Easter weekend.
The Boxscore
Auburn 11 - Texas A&M 8
Fences
Emma Kurtz (AU) def. (TA&M), 247 - 245
Ava Stearns (AU) def. (TA&M), 253 - 218
Ellie Ferrigno (AU) def. (TA&M), 265 - 262
Devon Thomas (TA&M) def. Meghan Knapic (AU), 258 - 236
Sophee Steckbeck (AU)* def. (TA&M), 271 - 256
Flat
Emma Kurtz (AU)* def. (TA&M), 268.5 - 258.5
Ellie Ferrigno (AU) def. (TA&M), 245 - 202
Sophee Steckbeck (AU) def. (TA&M), 225.5 - 200
Nicole Leonard (TA&M) def. Helen Ulrich (AU), 210.5 - 186.5
Ava Stearns (AU) def. (TA&M), 257.5 - 206.5
Horsemanship
Olivia Tordoff (AU) def. (TA&M), 231 - 224
MacKenzie Chapman (TA&M)* def. Taylor Searles (AU), 229.5 - 220
Deanna Green(AU) tied Hanna Olaussen (TA&M), 228 - 228
Hayley Riddle (TA&M) def. Maddie Spak (AU), 226.5 - 218.5
Ella Petak (TA&M) def. Madison Parduhn (AU), 224 - 222
Reining
Taylor Masson (TA&M) def. Isabella Tesmer (AU), 214.5 - 214
Deanna Green (AU) def. (TA&M), 211 - 207
Keesa Luers (TA&M) def. Taylor Searles (AU), 206.5-192.5
Boo Kammerer (AU) def. (TA&M), 210.5 - 0
Emmy Lu Marsh (TA&M)* def. Terri-June Granger (AU), 216 - 214
*Event MOPs