AUBURN, AL (EETV) – The first-ranked and undefeated Auburn Equestrian team cantered into a packed-out Auburn University Equestrian Center on Saturday morning to face off in an intense matchup against the second-ranked Texas A&M Aggies. Saturday’s marquee matchup featured the top two NCEA programs in a battle of the best collegiate riders.
Auburn’s very own SEC Rider of the Month in jumping seat, Ellie Ferrigno (Gr.), and the jumping seat riders began their flatwork patterns for the Flat event to kickstart the Tigers’ push for another SEC win. Ferrigno earned a score of 81 to not only earn a point for the Tigers, but also earn Most Outstanding Performer honors in the Flat event.
MG Segars (Sr.) and Sadie Berkhout (Fr.) both posted competitive scores of 69.5 and 74 to take home two more points for the Tigers, which was enough to counter the Aggie’s offensive push. Auburn took home the Flat event win with a score of 3-1.
Even with an early event win for the Tigers, the Aggies made some noise of their own as the Reining event was underway.
Auburn western riders such as Olivia Bradley (Gr.) and Michelle Fumagalli (Fr.) both earned a point in each of their respective rides in the Reining event. The Tigers would only take home two points in the event as Texas A&M’s Lauren Hanson, Isabelle Gonzalez, and Mattie Gustin led the Aggie’s competitive drive toward an event win with scores of 69.75, 70, and 72.5 in each of their rides.
The Tigers dropped the Reining event to the Aggies with a score of 2-3, as both teams headed into halftime with the overall score at 5-4.
With the Fences and Horsemanship events still on the line, the Tigers set their sights on taking both event wins to provide a final push towards another Auburn win.
Jumping seat riders took to the Fences event with Auburn completing a sweep of the Aggies, going 5-0 in the event, putting the Tigers one step closer to a massive program win.
Auburn’s Kate Hagerty (Fr.) had a standout performance scoring a 90.5 to take home the Most Outstanding Performer honors in the Fences event.
With Horsemanship underway, the Tigers showed no signs of slowing down as Auburn’s western riders entered the arena for their final rides of the afternoon.
Another SEC Rider of the Month in western, Alexia Tordoff, finished off the Horsemanship event for the Tigers with her score of 77 for an event high, earning her Most Outstanding Performer honors in Horsemanship.
Auburn sweeps the Horsemanship event with a score of 5-0, to not only seal the second-half sweep, but the 14-5 match win as well.
Saturday’s program win solidifies Auburn’s position as the top program on the NCEA podium, and the top program in the Southeastern Conference.
The undefeated and undisputed first-ranked Tigers will make their way to Bishop, Georgia, to take on the University of Georgia Bulldogs for another SEC matchup on Friday, November 22nd at 1:00 PM Central.
