WACO, Texas – The National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) saw nine meets in the first week of competition, starting out the Spring portion of the season.

01/ 28 - No. 6 SMU defeats No. 7 UC Davis to start the Spring Slate 

DALLAS (SMU) – No. 6 SMU Equestrian earned its first win of the spring season against No. 7 UC Davis, finishing with three MOPs and a score of 15-5 on Wednesday at the Dallas Equestrian Center.

In Fences, the Mustangs took a quick lead over the Aggies, posting a 4-1 mark. The first win came from Caroline Signorino after she scored an 80 against UC Davis' Sabine Close. Freshman Schuyler Dayner put up an 85 while riding Emil, securing her point. Aedan Mooney claimed victory over the Aggies' Cavan Smith after posting an 81. The final Fences win belonged to Augusta Iwasaki. The All-American logged a score of 88 on Cora to take the victory and the MOP. The honor is Iwasaki's third straight.

SMU also found success in Horsemanship, posting an event score of 4-1. Shaelyn Boutelle defeated UC Davis' Laura Kate Holliday 74.5-69. While riding Moe, Jayna Lagace scored a 75.5 to secure the point for SMU and her first MOP of the season. Lagace extends the Mustangs' Horsemanship MOP streak to 23 straight honors, dating back to the 2024 season opener against TCU. Senior Alexa Black earned her point after posting a mark of 74.5. For the final win, Ava Blyth logged a 74.5 against the Aggies' Kylie Jacobson's 73.

Going 3-2 on Flat, the Mustangs strengthened their lead. All three wins came from riders who already claimed a victory in Fences. Aedan Mooney threw down a score of 72 to nab her point. On her winning ride on Captain, Iwasaki recorded an 88. Finally, Signorino posted a 73 on Charlie for her second victory of the meet.

In Reining, freshman Madison Rafacz remains undefeated (5-0-1), nabbing the third MOP of her collegiate career. Addi Schmersal and Makenna Bomke both posted scores of 70 to earn their points. Siena Krueger logged a 70.5 to best UC Davis' Ada Hirschfeld.

With Rafacz and Lagace garnering both Western honors, SMU has swept the Western MOPs in every competition in the 2025-2026 campaign. After winning the last three meets, the Mustangs now own a record of 3-3 this season.

NEXT UP

The Mustangs will be back in action at the Dallas Equestrian Center against No. 3 South Carolina on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2026, at 10 a.m. CT.

01/29 - No. 3 South Carolina tops Baylor for a road win

WACO, TX – No. 3 Gamecock Equestrian picked up a win on the road to open up the spring slate, taking down Baylor 10-7.

HOW IT HAPPENED 

The day got started in Fences, with the Gamecocks taking things 3-1. Despite a tie as a result, Bella Primavera brought in season-high of 87 on Red to start things off. Amira Kettaneh then picked up the first point of the day, taking down Emma Covarrubias 88-85 on Cool. For her ride, Kettaneh picked up her fourth MOP of the season. Natalie Jayne won her point 86-82 on Florio, and Grace Rabb rounded things out with a win on Lennox, 87-84.

Reining followed, with Baylor edging out the Gamecocks 2-1. The event started out with two ties, with Gamecocks Emily Patton (69.5) and Olivia Cardi (72) being part. Gracie Mae Stingle earned the lone point for South Carolina on Floyd, taking down Britt McIlnay 68-66.5.

On the Flat, the Gamecocks fell in a close 3-2 battle. Sarah Rabb earned her point on Puzzle, defeating Caroline Robelen by six, 88-82. Mary Hunter Millet then took down Lauren Jorgensen 83-78 on Petey.

The day wrapped up in Horsemanship, with the Gamecocks taking things 4-1. Jordyn Humbert got the points rolling with her 74.5-72 win on Layla, while senior captain Carly Jenkins took her point 75.5-71.5 on Vegas. Alexis Potts then defeated Taylor Smith 75.5-75 on Gracie to remain undefeated on the year. Lillian Laney took the last point of the day and for the Gamecocks with her 75-74.5 win on Houdini.

UP NEXT

The Gamecocks will face SEC foe No. 4 Texas A&M on Friday, Jan. 29. Fans can follow along with in-meet updates on X and Instagram, @GamecockEQ.

01/29 - No. 8 TCU opens the spring slate with a win over No. 7 UC Davis 

FORT WORTH – Commencing its spring season, the eighth-ranked TCU equestrian team avenged a fall defeat with a 14-4 victory over No. 7 UC Davis on Thursday at John Justin Arena at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

This is 15th time TCU has competed at FWSSR, and the program now boasts a record of 13-2 overall at the event.

Earning MOP honors for TCU were Lily Muzzy in Fences and Piper Keller in Horsemanship.

TCU rolled out of the gates early, opening up a 7-3 lead after the Jumping Seat events. The success would continue for the Frogs in Western, taking a 7-1 advantage to secure the victory.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Frogs started fast, taking four of the five Fences points to open up a 4-1 lead. Lily Muzzy, Lex Lipacis, Jordyn Scelsa and Lilly Goldstein all were the point scorers for TCU, and Muzzy earned her team-leading third MOP of the season.

TCU closed out the Jumping Seat events strong, posting a 3-2 win on the Flat to take a 7-3 lead into the break. The wins were earned by Hanna Dolan, Victoria Zahorik and Goldstein, and it marked the first career win for Dolan.

Reining went to the Frogs 3-1, giving the home team enough points to secure the meet before the final event began. Anna Clausen, Cassie Hacking and Lannie-Jo Lisac all earned TCU points during the event, and Clausen win marked her first career victory.

Closing out the meet, the Horned Frogs did not surrender a point and took Horsemanship 4-0. Earning the victories were Tatum Keller, Calla Thomas, Piper Keller and Peyton Statt, with Piper Keller earning MOP accolades. Sydney Feager drew her point during the event.

FROG FACTS

• TCU is now 6-1 all-time against UC Davis.
• Thursday's meet marked TCU's 14th consecutive meet against a ranked opponent.
• The 10-point victory was TCU's largest of the season.
• The Horned Frogs have also won nine straight at its annual meet at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.
• Lily Muzzy earned her third MOP of the season in Fences, the most by any TCU rider so far this season.
• Jordyn Scelsa earned her 20th career victory in Fences.
• Hanna Dolan earned her first career victory on the Flat.
• Anna Clausen earned her first career victory in Reining. Her 70.50 was a career-high score.
• Piper Keller was named Horsemanship MOP for the first time in her career. Her 77.5 was also a new career high.

UP NEXT

TCU has a short turnaround before hitting the road for the first time in 2026 to face South Dakota State and Delaware State in Brookings, S.D., on February 6 & 7.

01/30 - No. 5 Texas A&M Defeats No. 3 South Carolina at Home

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION – The No. 5 Texas A&M equestrian team defeated No. 3 South Carolina, 13-6, on Friday morning at the Hildebrand Equine Complex.

The Aggies (4-3, 2-2) jumped out to an early lead over the Gamecocks (5-3,1-3) by taking Flat, 3-2. Kate Egan led the Maroon & White with a score of 85 on Sparky, followed by a pair of points from Nicole McMillion (80.5) and Devan Thomas (83.5). 

Texas A&M extended its advantage in Horsemanship posting a 4-1 performance to take a 7-3 lead into the half. Points came from Meagan Braun (75.5), Kendall Dirksen (75.5), Kaylynn Heitman (76) and Ady Kallay (74.75).

Following the break, the Aggies and Gamecocks tied in Flat, as Texas A&M earned points from Grace DeFoe (85.5) and Grace Shipman (83.5).

The Maroon & White closed out the meet with a dominant 4-1 showing in Reining to secure the 13-6 victory. Gracie Casebolt garnered MOP honors for her ride of 71 on Tank, winning her matchup by six points. Isabelle Gonzalez (70.75), Mattie Gustin (71) and Moriah McQueen (72) earned the remaining points for the Aggies.

Next Up

Texas A&M hits the road Saturday, Feb. 7, to face Georgia at the UGA Equestrian Complex.

How to Follow 

To learn more about Texas A&M equestrian, go to 12thMan.com or follow @AggieEquestrian on X and Instagram. 

01/30- No. 2 UGA tops UTM in away Spring opener

MARTIN, Tenn. – The second-ranked University of Georgia equestrian team defeated UT Martin, 13-5, on Friday at the Ned McWherter Ag Complex in Martin, Tennessee.

Fast Facts

• The Mane Dawgs swept Fences for the second time this season. Sophomore Ella Witt tied her career high, riding to a score of 86. Tessa Downey earned her second MOP of the season for her 87-point performance.
• In Horsemanship, Abbey Zawisza led the way in scoring for Georgia, riding to a 76.5. UT Martin's Ruby Gunderson received MOP honors for her performance in the discipline.
• Junior Parker Cliff started the Bulldogs off strong in the Flat with a 87. Ella Duffy received her first career MOP nod, after an 85-point performance.
• Georgia wrapped up competition in Reining. Raegan Shepherd was the top scorer for the Mane Dawgs, riding to a 70.5. Claire Carpenter of UT Martin was awarded MOP for the event.
• Up Next
  Georgia will return home to Bishop to take on fifth-ranked Texas A&M on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 11 a.m.

 01/30 - Sweet Briar dominates No. 5 Bridgewater to open the Spring 

SWEET BRIAR, Va. - The single-discipline Sweet Briar College NCEA team (3-3, 2-2 ODAC) took down the No. 5 single-discipline Bridgewater College Eagles (3-3) today, 8-1, at the Harriet Howell Rogers Riding Center.

The Vixens went undefeated on the flat, nabbing four points with one tie.

First-year Hallie Nelson (Duette, Fla.) earned an 83 on Emmett to best Willow Wright by four points, while senior Maggie Booth (Marietta, Ga.) totaled a 75 on Aate for a two-point victory over her Eagle competitor.

Senior Wyette Felton (Canton, Ga.) scored in the 80s, earning an 85 on Trey for a 19-point win over MacKenzie Bingham. Sophomore Gracie Robertson (Mocksville, N.C.) secured a 20-point margin of victory against Margaret Brown thanks to her score of 79.

Points were scored for Sweet Briar during the fences portion of the meet by Felton, first-year Sadie Swift (Leonardtown, Md.), Nelson and senior Naomi Dachis (Franklin Lakes, N.J.).

Swift, Nelson and Dachis also totaled scores in the 80s with an 82, 85 and 87, respectively. Nelson and Dachis also recorded double-digit margins of victory, as Nelson bested Piper Harris by 17 points and Dachis took down Sabrina Forbes by 21 points.

Felton scored a 77 on Phantom to edge out Madeleine Granger.

Highlights

• Dachis earned MOP honors over fences and Felton claimed the title on the flat. 
• This marks the first MOP honor for Felton in flat competition this season and the second for Dachis in fences. 

What's Next

The Vixens will welcome No. 2 Lynchburg to campus on Feb. 20th.

01/31- No. 6 SMU defeats No. 3 South Carolina to close the weekend 

DALLAS (SMU) – No. 6 SMU Equestrian dominated No. 3 South Carolina 12-7 on Saturday at the Dallas Equestrian Center, sweeping the Western MOPs and earning its fourth consecutive victory.

Starting off strong, the Mustangs went 3-2 in Fences. The first point came from All-American Augusta Iwasaki, scoring an 82 against the Gamecocks' Amira Kettaneh. Aedan Mooney followed suit, taking the point for SMU after logging a mark of 76. Senior Hannah Hoch secured the final win, posting an 82 for her ride on Cora.

SMU was elite on Flat, claiming four of the five points. Genevieve Johns threw down a score of 79 to secure her win. Caroline Signorino bested South Carolina's Natalie Jayne 78-77, Signorino's third victory of the week. Aedan Mooney found success on Flat as well, defeating Mary Hunter Millet 69-58. Rounding out her 4-0 week, Iwasaki posted a score of 74 to earn another point for the Mustangs.

In Horsemanship, Violet Shetler won her point after recording a new personal best of 79. Senior Alexa Black also brought a high score for the Mustangs, nabbing her victory with a 78.5. Ava Blyth tied with the Gamecocks' Lillian Laney after both riders posted scores of 73. Jayna Lagace won her second MOP of the week, putting up a mark that ties for the fifth-highest Horsemanship score in NCEA history, an 80.

The Mustangs grabbed an additional two points in Reining. Madison Rafacz continues her streak of being undefeated (6-0-1), logging a score of 74 for the win. Sara Beth Filiatreau secured the other Reining point, also recording a 74 and taking home the MOP.

SMU has now had 24 straight Horsemanship MOPs, dating back to the 2024 season opener against TCU. Additionally, the team has swept the Western MOPs in every single meet this season for a total of 14.

UP NEXT
The Mustangs will hit the road to take on No. 5 Texas A&M on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 1 p.m. CT in College Station, Texas.

01/31 - No. 1 Auburn defeats UT Martin for a road win 

MARTIN, Tenn. – The No. 1 Auburn equestrian team opened the spring portion of the 2025-26 season with a road win at UT Martin, defeating the Skyhawks 11-8 Saturday afternoon in Martin, Tennessee.

“I’m proud of the team for coming away with a win on the road,” head coach Jessica Braswell said. “I want to give a lot of credit to UT Martin for being strong competitors and putting on a great meet in tough conditions.”

Auburn (6-1) captured three of the four Most Outstanding Performer honors on the day. Freshman Caroline Olsen earned MOP in Fences, while juniors Avery Glynn and Brooke Jolstad took the honor in Flat and Horsemanship, respectively.

Jumping Seat went first on the long day of competition, going 7-3 vs. the Skyhawks between Fences and Flat.

Fences opened up with a 4-1 mark, starting with an 83-82 win for sophomore Ariana Marnell. Olsen followed with a meet-best 87 points in her seven-point MOP victory. Sophomore Kate Hagerty and freshman Emily Jurnovoy closed out the event with wins as Hagerty bested her opponent, 85-75, and Jurnovoy picked up the first win of her career, 86-79.

The next event had the Tigers go 3-2 on the Flat. Olsen continued her winning ways, scoring an 89 to best Shelby Davis’s 82. The Skyhawks took the next two points before Glynn put down another 89 for the Tigers to win by six at take MOP. Marnell sealed the event victory with a 75-74 edge.

Horsemanship continued Auburn’s winning ways and went 3-1-1 overall.

Highlighting Horsemanship for the Tigers was the MOP ride from Jolstad. She set a career high with a 78 to defeat her opponent’s 71.5. Junior Callie Hogg picked up a 72.5-70.5 win and senior Caroline Fredenburg’s 75.5 bested Ruby Gunderson’s 73.5. Senior Alexia Tordoff finished off Horsemanship with a 75.5 to match her opponent’s score.

Reining got a point from Tordoff to close out the full day. She topped Abby Tibbits, 69.5-66.5, for Auburn’s lone win in the event.

“Fences and Horsemanship continue to lead the way for us and be our most consistent events,” Braswell said. “Flat is coming along and getting stronger and all our mistakes in Reining today are fixable. We’re excited to get back to work Monday to prepare for a big SEC contest on the road at South Carolina.”

The Tigers continue February on the road, traveling to SEC rival No. 3 South Carolina. Auburn and the Gamecocks will face off on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 10 a.m. CT in Blythewood, South Carolina at One Wood Farm Equestrian Center.

01/31 - No. 9 Fresno State tops No. 7 UC Davis to start off Spring

FRESNO, Calif. - The No. 9 Fresno State equestrian team earned a 13-5 win over No. 7 UC Davis at the Student Horse Center on Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs earned their third win this season against a ranked opponent.

Fresno State swept the western Most Outstanding Performer honors as Aubrey Gerdes earned the award in the horsemanship and Shelby Robinette did in the reining.

How It Happened
In the fences, UC Davis took the first two points but Fresno State bounced back to win the final three. Paris Mahoney earned the first point with an 82-73 win, the largest margin of victory on the day. Sage Lindvall picked up her point with an 80-77 win and Paloma Primavera earned her point with a 78-77 edging.

The Bulldogs swept the horsemanship 4-0 with a tie by Emma Hanson. Shelby Robinette scored a 75.5 to earn the first point. Hailey Olson, Abby Goddard and Aubrey Gerdes also picked up their points. Gerdes scored a career-high 77 to her opponent's 69, earning her the MOP for the event.

Fresno State led 7-2 at the intermission.

The Bulldogs took the reining, 3-1-1. Goddard stayed undefeated on the day with a 72.5-71.5 win to start off the event. Robinette also picked up her second point of the day with a 74-69.5 ride, earning her the MOP. Adrianna Runzo earned the last point in a 73.5-73 edging. Alana Becker tied in her ride with a 71, and the lone Bulldog loss in the event was a 74-73.5 edging.

Fresno State won 3-2 in the flat to close out the afternoon. Meagan Mejia and Autumn Bradbury opened with two-straight wins. Mahoney earned her point with a 76-73 showing for the last Bulldog point of the afternoon.

Notable

• Fresno State defeated UC Davis for the third-straight meeting
• Fresno State remains undefeated against UC Davis at home
• Fresno State moves to 3-1 at home on the season
• Aubrey Gerdes earned her second horsemanship MOP of the season
• Gerdes scored a career-high 77 in her win
• Shelby Robinette earned her first reining MOP of the season
• Abby Goddard earned both her horsemanship and reining points for third time this season
• Paris Mahoney was undefeated in both the fences and flat on the day, for the second time this season and first time since the season opener
  Up Next
  Fresno State returns home next Saturday, February 7 to host Minnesota Crookston at 10 a.m. PT.

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.

- collegiateequestrian.com