Bicoastal NCEA Competition Produces Sister vs. Sister Showdown

South Carolina’s visit to California over the weekend created a unique moment as the Primavera sisters squared off in an unlikely head-to-head competition.

Paloma Primavera, left, and her sister, Bella, middle, competed against each other during South Carolina's visit to Fresno State over the weekend. Bella, a junior for the Gamecocks, pulled out the 82-80 win. | Courtesy of the Primavera family

Bella Primavera had joked all week about the possibility. But really what were the odds? 

As February transitioned into March, the South Carolina equestrian team was scheduled to make a trip to California for a pair of matches against UC Davis and Fresno State. And for the first time in her collegiate career, the Aptos, Calif., native was going to get the chance to ride in front of friends and family back on the West Coast. 

The visit also meant Bella, a junior rider for the Gamecocks, would be competing against Fresno State and her sister, Paloma, a freshman for the Bulldogs. But a true head-to-head competition seemed improbable at best. While both sisters ride in fences, the odds of them being selected through the random draw process to face each other were unlikely. 

Fate clearly had other intentions. 

“Since we were going across the country, I was like, ‘Well, I might as well go against my sister, right?,’” Bella joked. “So when the draw came out, I can’t say I was too surprised. I know my family was really surprised but I had a feeling it was going to happen.”

Happenstance pitted the Primavera sisters against each other in a real life showcase of sibling rivalry that left their parents, Cam and Karen, along with more than a dozen friends and family who had come out to support the girls a bit stunned. 

“We were excited just to have (Bella) on the West Coast and have the teams go against each other. We were nervous about them going, but I thought the odds were low enough that it wouldn’t be a problem. Unfortunately, my youngest daughter called me that morning and said, ‘You’ll never believe who I drew,’” Karen said. “I just got a sick feeling in my stomach because I knew someone was going to win and someone was going to lose in that situation.”

UPDATE: @GamecockEQ's Bella Primavera has won the first ever Pasta Primavera Bowl®* defeating her sister, Paloma, 82-80.

*totally not a thing, but it should be https://t.co/c7WwfGV4UA pic.twitter.com/3YpDx6LUDi

— College Equestrian Expert Auburn Elvis (@AuburnElvis) March 1, 2025

Over the course of their respective lives, horses have become the passion for both Primavera girls. Following a pony ride at a local county fair when she was just 4 years old, Bella was bit by the equine bug. She did trail rides weekly to start, then a summer camp, followed by regular lessons. Paloma soon followed, and the sisters, while learning at the same barn, forged their own respective paths with different trainers. 

As industry competitors, they were often entered in the same class, but against 20-30 other riders, never head-to-head. Except once. 

At the start of their respective riding journeys, the pair signed up for a competition at a local county fair, taking part in the walk-trot category. They were the only two riders to show. 

On that day, Paloma came out victorious. Almost two decades later, Bella evened the scoreboard.

“It’s still the greatest moment of my career and I still hold it against her,” Paloma joked about the county fair win. “It was totally payback when she beat me on Saturday.”

To be fair, the younger Primavera sister didn’t make it easy. 

Both girls had to ride Duke, a Fresno State horse that Paloma is responsible for caring for at the barn. While she’s ridden him in practice, the pair have never competed at a meet before. 

Paloma was the first to go, posting an 80-point score. Moments later, Bella responded with an 82. 

“I knew that my score was good, but I knew my sister well enough to know that it would be easily beatable,” Paloma said. “Duke, the horse we were on, is a really good horse. I knew it was going to be hard for her to mess up – which unfortunately, she didn’t.”

Added Bella: “Not only did I get the pleasure of riding against her, but we both got the chance to kind of show off a little bit and prove how brilliant we can ride under pressure. It was really gratifying to be able to do that.”

The Primavera cheering section was loaded for last Saturday's showdown between South Carolina and Fresno State. | Courtesy of the Primavera family

The showdown capped a highly anticipated weekend of competition in California. The Primavera family had rented an AirBnb for the large contingent of onlookers to stay at and even printed personalized gear with both teams logos on it.

Cam had jokingly called it the Primavera Super Bowl, comparing the moment to when the Kelce brothers faced off in Super Bowl LVII and their parents had to wear split loyalty attire. 

The matchup proved to be the tightest ride of the fences competition as every other showdown was decided by three or more. It also proved to be crucial in the overall outcome as South Carolina squeezed out an 11-9 overall victory to take the meet. 

Now, the moment gets to live on forever in Primavera family lore, something that will undoubtedly be a point of conversation for years to come. 

“It’s going to be argued at Thanksgiving dinner for as long as I’m alive I’m sure. And it’s probably going to be incorporated into wedding speeches and things of that nature,” Cam joked.