WACO, Texas – The National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) saw seven meets in the sixth week of spring competition, the majority happening on Saturday.
 
There were no single discipline competitions, only an exhibition.
 
No. 1 TCU improved to 11-0 and went through conference action undefeated as they defeated Baylor on Friday. No. 8 UT Martin throttled Minnesota Crookston on Friday and No. 5 South Carolina had a dominant win over South Dakota State at home. On Saturday, No. 7 Oklahoma State beat Fresno State and No. 4 Georgia defeated SDSU. No. 3 SMU squeezed past No. 6 Auburn by a point to close out Saturday’s action. In a lone Sunday meet, No. 7 OSU defeated No. 9 UC Davis in a tiebreaker.
 
DUAL DISCIPLINE
No. 1 TCU Closes Out Conference Play Undefeated, Beats Baylor
(3/1) WACO, Texas – The No. 1 TCU equestrian team wrapped up conference play with a 12-7 win over Baylor at the Willis Family Equestrian Center on Friday afternoon. The Horned Frogs advanced to 11-0 for the first time in program history.
 
Ella Bostwick earned the Fences Most Outstanding Performer honors and Giorgia Medows claimed both western MOP's in Reining and Horsemanship.
 
FENCES
The meet began in the Fences arena where the Frogs tied the Bears 2-2. Bostwick won her dual on Donny 89-87 finishing with the highest score of the event. Ashleigh Scully earned the second point winning 87-86 on Puzzle.
 
REINING
In the western arena, the Reining team ramped things up with a 4-1 over Baylor. Kaylene Cunningham took home her fifth win of the season with a 71.5-68 on Penny.  Medows claimed the second point of the event bringing home the MOP with a 71.5 ride on Raymond. Jessica McAllister won her dual on Bear 69-68.5 moving to 30-10-3 on the season. Mattie Dukes was the final point of the event with a 67.5-66.5 on Floyd.
 
FLAT
After the half, TCU fell to Baylor 3-2 in Flat. Sydney Berube and Bostwick earned the only two points for the Frogs in the event with an 84 and 87, respectively.
 
HORSEMANSHIP
Back in the western arena the Horsemanship team won 4-1. Shea Graham won 73-71.5 on Bentley moving to 9-1-1 on the season. Dukes won her eleventh straight dual this season with a 74.5-72 win on Lola. Medows brought home the MOP of the event with a 75.7-69.5 victory on Zeke before McAllister wrapped things up with a 73-72 win on Mister.
 
No. 8 UT Martin Turns Away Minnesota Crookston on Senior Day
(3/1) MARTIN, Tenn. - It was a successful Senior Day all around for the University of Tennessee at Martin equestrian team as the No. 8 ranked Skyhawks put together a dominant 18-1 triumph over Minnesota-Crookston.
 
UT Martin swept all four MOP’s and produced six career- or season-high scores today in the regular season finale. Kate Mills (fences), Sophia Sundem (flat), Mia McAfoos (horsemanship) and Kate Davis (reining) each received MOP medals in their respective events to help the Skyhawks improve to 4-1 in Eastern College Athletic Conference competition.
 
Mills’ 86-point MOP effort in fences was good enough for her sixth win of the season while Sydney Hott’s 85 points earned her a team-best seventh victory in the event. Elizabeth Becker established a season-high with 85 points on the way to her fourth win in 2023-24 while Gabby Adams (83 points) and Haley Kane (77) notched their fourth and fifth wins of the season, respectively.
 
In flat, Sundem set a career-high with 88 points as part of her MOP ride – which also served as her team-best seventh win and second MOP of the season. Hott’s season-best 86 points resulted in her fifth win in 2023-24 while Becker (third win of the season with 81 points) and Kane (fourth triumph of the year with 76 points) also contributed.
 
McAfoos brought home the first MOP of her career courtesy of a 76-point performance, her sixth horsemanship win of the season. Bailey (season-high score for her team-best seventh victory) and Ava Newson (career-best tally on the way to her third win of the season) each compiled 75.5 points while Emma Schaefer didn’t follow too far behind with a 75 that gave her five wins on the season. Davis’ 73 points – her fourth triumph in 2023-24 – completed the sweep in the event for UT Martin.
 
Davis’ 70 points in reining was not only a season-high score but also good enough to be awarded her second MOP in 2023-24. Logan Putvinski was responsible for a team-high 70.5 points while delivering her seventh win of the season while Schaefer’s 68 points resulted in her team-high eighth victory in 2023-24. Aubrey Malone secured her third win of the season with 66.5 points while Bailey’s score of 67 tied her head-to-head competitor.
 
Following the meet, the Skyhawks’ eight seniors – Hott, Ava Laplante, Natalie Marques, Mannetta McAvaddy, Emmy Reed, Schaefer, Sundem and Bridget Vieau – were all honored as part of Senior Day festivities.
 
No. 4 Georgia Honors 16 Seniors in Dominant 16-3 Win over SDSU
(3/2) BISHOP, Ga. - The No. 4 Georgia Bulldogs took on South Dakota State University Saturday for the final meet of the regular season, honoring 16 seniors for their contributions to the program. In a dominant performance, the Bulldogs rode to a 16-3 victory over their opponent, securing wins in all four events.
 
Claiming a win over No. 5 South Carolina in their most recent matchup, UGA has moved up to the No. 4 spot in the NCEA rankings.  Auburn (6-4, 2-3 SEC) and Texas A&M (7-2, 4-1 SEC) will face off on March 9 after which the seeding for the SEC Championship will be determined.  The championship is set to take place March 29-30 in College Station, Texas.
 
Highlighting the meet were Georgia's three Most Outstanding Performer riders — junior Catalina Peralta (Flat), senior Hannah Jane Lucas (Reigning), sophomore Tessa Brown (Fences) and junior Jillian Stopperich (Horsemanship).
 
“What an incredible end to our senior meet today, to see the strength of the rides, the MOP’s, the emotion,” Georgia head coach Meghan Boenig said. “These ladies have really done something incredible with the culture that they have established in this team. It has been a long time since I’ve felt anything like this, in this role. Their challenge is to not end today with that. We’ve got the postseason to keep that role going. I’m incredibly proud of the resilience, the hard work and the discipline that the ladies exemplify every time they go out. We’re going to miss this group entirely too much.”
 
Georgia showed out early in Flat, leading the day 5-0 in the first leg of the contest.  Senior Jordan Toering put the Bulldogs on the board first with a score of 85, supported by 89 points from event MOP Peralta, 86 from Senior Sophia Pilla, 87 from Sophomore and 87 from Isabella David to sweep the event.
 
Continuing their dominant performance in Reigning, the Bulldogs added four points to their score on the day, further extending the lead over the Jackrabbits. With a tie from junior Jax Bound to push the point on her ride, graduate Caitlin Lyons, sophomores Raegan Shepherd and Shelby Lynch and Lucas moved the score to 9-0 at the half. Lucas won MOP honors for her one-point victory over her opponent to secure the event sweep.
 
The Bulldogs put nine unanswered points on the board at the conclusion of Flat and Reining before continuing their control of the score in the second half.
 
Taking on the Fences arena, Georgia earned three points to SDSU’s two, moving the score on the day to 12-2. The points for the Bulldogs were awarded to senior Emma Reichow, freshman Tessa Downey and sophomore Brown for their rides. Brown defeated her counterpart 87-75, securing MOP honors.
 
Georgia won out in Horsemanship 4-1. The victory in this event was secured by points from junior Jordan Davis, graduate Grace Himes, junior Austin Layer and Stopperich. Stopperich’s ride to a 76.5 over her opponent’s 71.5 earned her the MOP honor for this event.
 
Today’s meet marked the conclusion of Georgia’s regular season at the UGA Equestrian Complex. The Bulldogs were proud to honor their 16 seniors for Senior Day with the support of today’s spectators.
 
No. 3 SMU Defeats No. 6 Auburn, 9-8
(3/2) AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 3 SMU equestrian team defeated No. 6 Auburn 9-8 at the Auburn University Equestrian Center on Saturday.
 
With Saturday's win, SMU marks the first team to defeat Auburn at the Auburn University Equestrian Center since 2017.
 
The Mustangs move to 8-4 on the season, including a 2-0 season sweep over the Tigers.
 
Two Mustangs – Elli Yeager (Fences) and Nya Kearns (Horsemanship) – earned Most Outstanding Performer (MOP) honors.
 
The meet started with the Flat and Reining occurring simultaneously, with SMU winning the Flat 3-1.
 
The Mustangs got out to a quick start on the Flat, taking three points and winning the event. Taylor Madden scored first, posting an 83.5 to defeat Auburn's Mary-Grace Segars. Augusta Iwasaki scored next for SMU with her 79.5-76 victory over Sophee Steckbeck. For the event-winning point, Elli Yeager scored a 79 to beat Avery Glenn.
 
Taylor Zimmerman captured another SMU point in Reining. The graduate student earned a 68.75-68.25 win against Auburn's Olivia Marino.
 
The Mustangs entered halftime leading 4-3.
 
The second half saw Fences and Horsemanship coincide, with SMU taking Horsemanship 3-2.
 
Hannah Hoch got SMU started in the second half, scoring with an 84.5 in Fences against Segars. Yeager earned her second win of the day and an MOP with her event-high score 91.5 over Ellie Ferrigno's 85.5.
 
SMU secured the victory by earning three points in Horsemanship. Kearns kicked off the event with an MOP ride of 75.5 to beat against Auburn's Alexia Tordoff, with Alexa Black following with a 72 to defeat Brooke Jolstad. Lily Anderson then capped off the SMU victory with her 74.5-74.25 win over Madison Paraduhn.
 
No. 7 Oklahoma State Scorches Fresno State in Final Regular Season Conference Meet
(3/2) FRESNO, Calif. - Oklahoma State equestrian rides a nine-point first half en route to beating Fresno State, 14-6, at Fresno’s Student Horse Center on Saturday.
 
The Cowgirls won four or more points in three of the four events in what was their most complete effort of the season. Fourteen points is the most OSU has scored in a meet since Oct. 15 of last season against Baylor.
 
With the win, OSU swept the regular season series against Fresno State and improved to 5-6 overall. OSU also raised its conference record to 4-2. Fresno State dropped to 3-8 overall and 1-6 in Big 12 competition.
 
Head coach Larry Sanchez and the Cowgirls are now 15-3 overall against the Bulldogs, with eight wins coming in the last 10 meetings.
 
“I’m very proud of the way we rode today,” Sanchez said. “This was a good road win for us and we need to keep this confidence going into UC Davis tomorrow.”
 
The Cowgirls made a statement early, completing a clean sweep in Horsemanship and earning a 4-1 team record in Fences to complete the first half. It was the first time this season the Cowgirls swept Horsemanship and the fifth time this season OSU claimed the team advantage. Likewise, it’s the sixth time this season that Fences held most points in the event.
 
OSU put up consistently high scores in all five Horsemanship rides, never falling below 74.5 points. Peyton Baxter led the way, earning a career-high 76.5 as the fifth rider. Her score was the highest of any rider on the day, and it earned Baxter the first MOP of her career.
 
Claire McDowall’s 75-66 win over Aubrey Gerdes was the largest margin of victory on the day in Horsemanship and gave her the ninth win of her season. She leads all Cowgirls in each individual event in wins. June Roberson, Maddie Fussell and Alana Tietz also contributed to the sweep.
 
Grace McReynolds continues to shine in Fences, as she scored a career-high 88 points in another win. Her performances led to another MOP, her second in as many meets and the third of her career. McReynolds is 4-0 in the spring season, and her average point differential between wins is over 20.
 
Riley Hogan and Sydney North, who sit at No. 1 and No. 2 in career wins among active Cowgirls, added wins to their respective totals. Bella Holway earned her fifth win of the season with an 84-79 win over Molly Stewart.
 
Due to weather conditions in Fresno, there was an extended delay at the conclusion of the half. Reining started after the intermission, followed by Flat.
 
Fresno State obtained the team majority in Reining, 4-1. Tristan Bagby scored the lone point for the Cowgirls in the event with a 71.5-65 win over Julianne Kelley. Bagby’s hot streak continues as she remains undefeated in spring with four wins.
 
With a 10-5 lead entering Flat, McReynolds mathematically clinched the meet with an 86-62 victory. Hogan added another victory to make it 14 combined wins for the season between Fences and Flat. Her 87-81 victory over Taylor Holstead led to her fourth MOP of the season and second in Flat. In total, Hogan now has nine career MOPs.
 
Hannah Dodd continued to thrive since being inserted into the starting lineup, making it now four consecutive wins in the spring. Ella Reinauer scored the final point of the afternoon to fashion the final score.
 
No. 7 OSU Wins in Tiebreaker over No. 9 UC Davis
DAVIS, Calif. - Oklahoma State’s seventh-ranked equestrian team closed the regular season with a 10-10 victory via tiebreaker over No. 9 UC Davis at the UC Davis Equestrian Center on Sunday.
 
OSU claimed the tiebreaker advantage by just 1.25 points. The win propelled OSU to a 6-6 record heading into postseason competition. OSU concludes the spring season 4-1 overall, including two ranked wins and two conference wins. UC Davis drops to 4-6.
 
Head coach Larry Sanchez and the Cowgirls remain undefeated against the Aggies at 4-0. Sunday’s win also signifies Sanchez’ 110th victory over a non-conference opponent.
 
“Well, it sure was a close one today, but a win is a win,” Sanchez said. “I could not be more proud of where we are at as a team at this point in the season. We’re looking forward to the Big 12 Championships.”
 
Due to weather conditions in Davis, Fences competed first, followed by Flat and Horsemanship. Reining concluded the day’s action.
 
Grace McReynolds got the scoring started for the Cowgirls with her fifth win in Fences of the spring. She wraps up the regular season on a five-ride winning streak. McReynolds is the fourth Cowgirl this season to win five-straight rides in an event and the first on the Jumping Seat side.
 
Bella Holway and Sydney North each came away with a victory. All three wins came from 80-plus point performances. With her win, North moved into a tie for fourth most wins in Fences by a Cowgirl since 2012.
 
OSU took the team advantage in Horsemanship, 3-2. June Roberson, Maddie Fussell and Peyton Baxter stayed undefeated on the weekend as the squad picks up its sixth team lead this season. Roberson earned her first MOP of the season with an event-high 76 points. It’s the second MOP of her career.
 
Fussell’s win moved her into the top eight in Horsemanship wins. She sits at 24 career wins and is tied with Ty Paris for the most as a Cowgirl since 2012.
 
The Cowgirls once again took a 3-2 team advantage in Flat. In the spring season, the Flat squad scored three or more points in all but one meet.
 
North headed the charge for OSU, matching a career-high 87 points in her ride. North claimed her second MOP of the season and sixth of her career.
 
Hannah Dodd and Riley Hogan claimed the other two points for the Cowgirls. Dodd is 5-0 in the spring and joined McReynolds as the fifth rider this season to go on a five-ride win streak. She will be the only Cowgirl entering postseason action with an undefeated record.
 
Hogan now has 38 career wins between Fences and Flat. She sits six wins behind Lauren Halvorson for a spot on the top 10 in career wins for a Cowgirl since 2012.
 
In Reining, Emma Filiatreau scored the crucial 10th point with a 71.5-70 win over Kendal Scheiner. Filiatreau broke a three-ride losing skid in earning her seventh win of the season.
 
Despite losing six rides as a unit, OSU’s Western squad secured the tiebreaker points by earning just .5 more points in competition than UC Davis.
 
About the NCEA
A non-profit corporation, the NCEA is a governing body to advance the sport of equestrian. The NCEA is responsible for the development and administration of equestrian rules and guidelines. Equestrian is subject to all NCAA policies and procedures in the same manner as other sports. In 1998, Equestrian was identified and adopted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Committee on Women's Athletics (CWA) as an emerging sport for women at the Division I and II levels.
 
NCEA competitions are in a head-to-head format, and schools may choose to compete as a single or dual discipline team (Jumping Seat and Western). Each discipline has two events: in Jumping Seat, Fences and Flat, and in Western, Horsemanship and Reining. Teams can have five riders per event, with horses assigned by random draw at the start of the competition. Riders from opposing teams compete on the same horse, and whichever rider receives the higher score earns one point for her team. The level of difficulty is demonstrated by the accuracy of the pattern and how the competitor uses the horse to the best of her ability.
 
To stay up to date all year long on all things NCEA Equestrian, follow the organization on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @NCEA_Equestrian and @ncea_eq.