WACO, Texas – The National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) saw three sets of meets in the Dual Discipline Conference Championship weekend.
 

3/26-28 - The Dual Discipline Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship

QUARTERFINAL: Delaware State Hornets Defeat Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles 12-7

HARRINGTON, Del. - Conference No. 4 Delaware State started off the conference championship weekend with a victory over the Golden Eagles of Minnesota Crookston. The ECAC bracket seedings had the Hornets as No. 4 and the Golden Eagles as No. 5, and they spent the quarterfinal battling it out to determine who would go against No. 1 UC Davis in the Semi-Finals. 

The day started with Reining, seeing the Hornets getting two points. The first was from Anna Payne on Sky with a score of 62, and the second from Claire Andrews with a 66.75 on Baby. 

In Fences, there were three points to be had for DSU. The first went to Grace Magnum for her 73 point ride on Todd to best her opponent. Second came from Kendall Very on Simon with an 83.5. And the final Fences point was won by Lily Kosal with her 79.5. 

On Flat, the Hornets managed three more points. First, Melissa Acker rode Tillie to a score of 82.5 for the win of her point. Then, Lily Kosal earned an impressive score of 87 for the point aboard Sandaro. And to round out the flat, Kendall Very earned her point with a 75.5 on Cali. 

For Horsemanship, four more Hornets brought their points to the hive. Madison Wojcek stole the first point with a score of 73 on Felon, Claire Andrews earned a 72 for the point on Cinch, Hallie Prater won her point with a score of 72.5 aboard Finn, and Paityn Holm cleaned up with another 72.5 on Phil. 

Lily Kosal (Flat) and Hallie Prater (Horsemanship) each earned an MOP for this Tournament Quarter-Final meet.

SEMI-FINALS: Aggies Edge Hornets; Advance to ECAC Championship Match

HARRINGTON, Del. — The top-seeded UC Davis equestrian team secured its spot in the conference title match on Friday, fending off a late surge from No. 4 Delaware State to earn a 10-9 victory in the ECAC Semifinals. After earning a first-round bye as the No. 1 seed, the Aggies relied on a dominant showing in the Jumping Seat events to hold off the Hornets and advance to Saturday's championship round.

The Aggies set a strong tone early in Fences, claiming the discipline 3-2. Sabine Close delivered a standout performance aboard Gino, riding to an event-high 86.5 to secure her point and earn herself MOP honors. Lauren Kolbe remained clinical on Cici, posting an 81.5 to take her matchup, while Chloe Fares capitalized on her ride aboard Todd, scoring a 57.5 to defeat her opponent (0) and round out the Aggie scoring.

The momentum stayed with UC Davis as they moved to the Flat, where they once again outscored the Hornets 3-2. Carmen Gonzalez posted a clinical 86 aboard Tito to take her point, while Cavan Smith secured her point with an 83 aboard Elton. Lauren Kolbe delivered a dominant 79.5 on Todd to defeat her opponent by a 9.5-point margin, sweeping her Jumping Seat matchups for the day and thus earning herself MOP honors.

In the Western arena, the Aggies faced a tough battle in Horsemanship, with Delaware State claiming the event 3-2. Eliza Plum provided a spark for Davis, scoring a 73.5 on Felon to win her point, while Laura Kate Holliday showed her composure on Wilson, posting a 73 to defeat her opponent.

The meet was decided in Reining, where the two teams battled to a 2-2 draw to protect the Aggie lead. Ada Hirschfeld earned a crucial point for the Aggies with a 66.75 on Lyle, while Mya Clader delivered under pressure to snag the final point needed to seal the overall victory, earning herself MOP honors. Avery Adamson fought to a gritty 68.25 – 68.25 tie to ensure the Hornets could not complete the comeback, allowing the Aggies to advance with the 10-9 final score.

SEMI-FINAL: SDSU ADVANCES TO ECAC FINALS WITH ONE-POINT WIN

HARRINGTON, Del. — South Dakota State earned its first-ever berth in the finals of the ECAC Equestrian Championship with a 10-9 victory over third-seeded UT Martin during semifinal action Friday at Quillen Arena on the Delaware State Fairgrounds.

The second-seeded Jackrabbits improved to 6-7 overall in head-to-head competitions this season. SDSU also avenged losses to UT Martin in the semifinal round of the league tournament each of the last three seasons. The two squads previously split their regular season matchups this season.

SDSU will face top-seeded UC Davis in the championship round at 9 a.m. Eastern Time (8 a.m. Central) on Saturday. UC Davis defeated host and fourth-seeded Delaware State, 10-9, in Friday's other semifinal.

The Jackrabbits recorded their biggest advantage in flat, winning four of the five matchups contested, with all four of the victorious SDSU riders scoring 80 or more points. Senior Juliana Gullo was awarded Most Outstanding Performer honors in the event after tallying an average of 88 points from the two-judge panel (87-89) for her winning ride on Cali.

Other winners for SDSU in flat were Sierra Elliot (80.5 average), Kayla Scherer (80) and Heidi White (80).

Gullo added a victory in fences, posting an average of 80.5 with scores of 84 and 77 to edge UT Martin's Kat DeGenova by two points. Isabelle Malick also was victorious in fences for SDSU, taking home MOP honors with an event-high average of 87 (88-86) aboard Simon.

SDSU picked up two points in each of the Western events, including another MOP performance from Adisyn Kuxhaus in reining. A senior from Pierre, Kuxhaus finished with an average of 67 points (67.5-66.5) to get past the Skyhawks' Elise Mason with 64.75 points on Thor.

Maryn Mead earned the other reining point for SDSU with a final score of 68 on Wally.

In horsemanship, Anna Minich (73.5) and Hannah Dutton (73.25) came through with point-producing rides for the Jackrabbits. Grace Gerbus (68.5-71) tied with UTM's Ruby Gunderson with an average of 69.75 aboard Maverick.

CHAMPIONSHIP: UC DavisTakes Home ECAC Title

HARRINGTON, Del. —  No. 9 UC Davis equestrian has claimed the 2026 ECAC Championship title, defeating South Dakota State in the Championship Final on Saturday afternoon at the Delaware State Fairgrounds.

The victory caps off a perfect conference season for the Aggies, who went undefeated through the regular season before sweeping their way to the title. This marks the third ECAC Championship in program history and serves as the definitive exclamation point on a historic run where UC Davis won every single conference meet of the season to cement their status as the premier program in the league.

The Aggies jumped out to an early lead in Fences, securing the discipline 3-2. Sabine Close put Davis on the board first with a 75 aboard Cici, followed by Lauren Kolbe who delivered a 78.5 on Gino to take her point. Anna Donovan anchored the event with a massive 89—the highest score of the discipline—aboard Cooper to defeat her opponent by 23.5 points and clinch the third point for the Aggies. 

In Flat, the Aggies fought to a 2-2 draw to maintain their advantage. Carmen Gonzalez delivered a standout performance, scoring a 78 aboard Choco to defeat her opponent by 16 points. Anna Donovan continued her stellar championship weekend by posting an 80 on Sandaro to claim the second Aggie point of the event. 

The momentum stayed with UC Davis as the meet moved to the Western side, starting with a dominant 4-1 statement win in Horsemanship. Eliza Plum set the tone with a 75 on Wilson, while Katya Dundas secured a 73.75 on Maverick. Laura Kate Holliday rode a 74.25 on Felon to take her point, and Kylie Jacobson sealed the event victory with a 75 aboard Ellie Mae.

UC Davis officially clinched the championship in Reining, battling the Jackrabbits to a 2-2 draw to maintain their overall lead. Avery Adamson earned a crucial point for the Aggies with a 61.5 aboard Julip, while Mya Clader delivered under pressure on Tully, posting a 65.5 to secure the final point needed to seal the title. Ada Hirschfeld added to the gritty team effort by fighting to a 66.25-66.25 tie on Waldo. With the final 10-9 victory, the Aggies finish the 2026 conference slate undefeated and officially bring the ECAC trophy back to Davis.

3/27-28 - The Southeastern Conference Championship

SEMI-FINAL: Georgia Defeats South Carolina, 11-9, to Advance to SEC Championship Finals

AUBURN, Ala. – The third-seeded Georgia equestrian team defeated the second-seeded South Carolina, 11-9, to advance to the finals of the 2026 SEC Equestrian Championship at the Auburn University Equestrian Center in Auburn, Alabama.

Fast Facts

• South Carolina edged out the Bulldogs 3-2 in Flat. Freshman Kingsley Dey earned the first point for Georgia, riding to a score of 82. The final point of the event was captured by junior Parker Cliff, who also defeated her opponent with a score of 82.

• In Reining, Georgia defeated the Gamecocks 4-1. Senior Shelby Lynch won her point with a score of 68.33. Avery Taylor and Kennedy Buchanan added two points to the Georgia total, with scores of 69.5 and 71.5. Raegan Shepherd captured the final point in the event, extending the Bulldogs' lead to 6-4 at the end of the first half.
• The Gamecocks took the win in Fences 3-2. Sophomore Ella Witt captured the first of Georgia's two points with a 77.67-point performance. Junior Liza Cram rode to a new career high score of 80 to secure the point over her opponent.
• In the final event of the meet, Georgia took the win in Horsemanship 3-2. Senior Kendall McClintock rode to a stellar score of 75.5 to outscore her opponent. Abbey Zawisza earned her eighth victory of the year, after her 70.5-point win. Freshman Ava Hathaway secured the win for Georgia, riding to a score of 70.5 to capture the final point of the meet.
• Two Georgia riders were recognized as the Most Outstanding Performers in their respective disciplines. Senior Kendall McClintock earned her first career MOP nod, after her score of 75.5 in Horsemanship. Junior Kennedy Buchanan was recognized as the MOP in Reining for her 71.5-point ride, her second of the season. 
• With Friday's semifinal win, Georgia advances to Saturday's Championship Meet for the first time since the 2020-21 season.

SEMI-FINAL: Texas A&M Upsets No.1 Seed Auburn, Advanced to SEC Championship Final

AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 4 seed Texas A&M equestrian team advances to the SEC Championship final for the fifth consecutive season with an 11-8 upset over No. 1 seed Auburn in semifinal action Friday afternoon at the Auburn University Equestrian Center.

The Aggies (6-5, 4-4) jumped to an early lead in Reining, earning four points behind rides from Isabelle Gonzalez(69.33), Mattie Gustin, Anna Harris (70.33), and Moriah McQueen (69.5). Gustin posted a 71.5 on Mr. Boaz to earn MOP honors, her third of the season and eighth of her career.

The Maroon & White extended their lead with a 3-2 victory in Flat making the score 7-3 going into the break. Kate Egan led the charge with a team high and personal best score of 87.67 on Corvich, while Nicole McMillion (85.67) and Grace Shipman (81.33) secured the rest of the points for Texas A&M.  

Following the half in Horsemanship, Meagan Braun and Ady Kallay (72.5) each earned points to further the Aggies' lead. Braun's ride of 75.33 on Olive secured her first career MOP honor.

The teams split Fences, with the Maroon & White earning points from Logan Thomas (77) and Alida Treuting (87) to secure the 11-8 victory over the Tigers (9-3, 4-3).

CHAMPIONSHIP: Texas A&M Makes History with First SEC Championship Title

AUBURN – Texas A&M equestrian made program history Saturday, capturing its first SEC Championship in a dramatic 10-10 tiebreak victory over Georgia on raw score, 1638.17-1632.82, at the Auburn University Equestrian Center.

The Aggies (7-5, 5-4) opened strong with a 4-1 win in Reining behind rides from Gracie Casebolt (69), Isabelle Gonzalez (70.33), Anna Harris (70.83), and Moriah McQueen (66.83). 

The Maroon & White added a pair of points in Flat from Kate Egan and Nicole McMillion (85.33) to take a 6-4 lead at the half. Egan's ride of 88.67 on Major set a new team high and personal best and garnered her third career MOP honor.

In Fences, Egan (87.33) and Alida Treuting (80.33) each picked up points to keep the momentum going.

Texas A&M rounded out the meet in Horsemanship with points from Meagan Braun and Ady Kallay (75.33) as each earned points to further the Aggies' lead. Braun earned back-to-back MOPs during the tournament with her ride of 75.67 on Chopper securing the raw score victory for the Maroon & White.

The title marks Texas A&M's first conference championship since its Big 12 titles in 2006-07 and 2010-11.

ALL-CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM:
Horsemanship – Meagan Braun (TAMU)
Reining - Kennedy Buchanan (UGA)                                                                        Fences – Alida Treuting (TAMU)
Flat – Nicole McMillion (TAMU)

3/27-28 - The Big 12 Conference Championship

SEMI-FINAL: Cowgirl Equestrian Defeats Baylor, Advances to Big 12 Championship Final

STILLWATER, Okla. — Oklahoma State's top-seeded equestrian team held off fourth-seeded Baylor, 11-9, Friday afternoon at Pedigo-Hull Equestrian Center to advance to the Big 12 Championship final.

With the victory, the Cowgirls advance to their 10th consecutive Big 12 Championship final and will face No. 3 seed TCU. Oklahoma State and the Horned Frogs will meet in the conference championship for the sixth straight season, with the Cowgirls winning each of the previous five matchups.

The win improved OSU to 7-3 overall, including a 5-2 mark in Big 12 play. The Cowgirls extended their winning streak over Baylor to 19 and remain a perfect 23-0 against the Bears in Stillwater.

The meet came down to Reining, where Oklahoma State carried a narrow 8-7 lead into the final event. Ava Bush opened the rotation with a 72.33-69.67 victory to push the Cowgirls ahead 9-7. Baylor responded with back-to-back points to tie the score at 9-9, while Katie Ramsey's ride was under review.

Emma Filiatreau, who was named Big 12 Reining Rider of the Year earlier in the week, delivered a pivotal ride to give OSU a 10-9 advantage. The junior scored a 71.5 to improve to 8-1-1 on the season and move within one win of 30 for her career. Ramsey's score ultimately sealed the victory, as she defeated Baylor's Sadie Peters, 67.67-65.33, to clinch the meet.

Oklahoma State opened the day with a strong showing in Fences, jumping out to a 3-0 lead behind points from Ellie DuPuis, Bella Holway and Blake Rowan. Rowan led the group with an 84.33, improving the freshman to six wins on the season. Holway followed with an 82.33-55 victory, while DuPuis secured a 77.66-69.66 win. Baylor closed the event with two points to trim the OSU lead to 3-2.

The Cowgirls seized control in Horsemanship, taking the event 4-1 to make their lead at the break, 7-3. Sheridan Baringer and Bella D'Onofrio highlighted the event with wins of 76-45.33 and 74.5-56.17, respectively. D'Onofrio extended her winning streak to seven, while Baringer earned her fifth victory of the season. Alana Stanton added a 75.66-74.17 win to move to 6-4, and Jalyn McElmurray capped the event with a 73.17-72.83 victory.

Flat went in favor of Baylor, 4-1, as the Bears trimmed Oklahoma State's lead heading into the final event. Gable Gering provided the lone point for the Cowgirls, turning in a strong 75-63.33 victory to give the sophomore her first win of the season.

Baylor's performance in Flat trimmed Oklahoma State's lead to 8-7, putting the pressure on the Cowgirls heading into Reining. OSU responded by taking the event, 3-2, behind points from Bush, Filiatreau and Ramsey to secure the 11-9 victory.

The Cowgirls compete in the Big 12 Championship Saturday, where they will face a familiar foe in TCU

SEMI-FINAL: No. 3 TCU Downs No. 2 Fresno State, Advances to Big 12 Championship

STILLWATER, Okla. – For the sixth consecutive season, the TCU equestrian team will compete for a Big 12 Championship after taking down the No. 2 seed Fresno State, 13-7, on Friday at Pedigo-Hull Equestrian Center.

TCU took three of four events in the victory after a fast start.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The meet opened in Horsemanship, with TCU storming out of the gates to take a 4-1 lead. Picking up the victories for the Frogs was Tatum Keller, Sydney Feager, Calla Thomas and Peyton Staat, with Staat earning an event-high 76.

Fences went much like Horsemanship, with the Frogs earning four points to take a commanding 8-2 lead at the break. The point scorers in the first Jumping Seat event were Maggie Dumrauf, Lilly Goldstein, Lily Muzzy and Lex Lipacis.

After the break, TCU's western crew got to work with three points in Reining. Thomas, Cassie Hacking and Kaylene Cunningham added to the tally to clinch the meet for TCU.

To close out the meet, Fresno State earned three points to trim the deficit on the Flat. Salvaging points for TCU was Lex Lipacis and Madi Lo Porto, as the score was cemented at 13-7.

FROG FACTS

• TCU now leads the all-time series against Fresno State 24-12.
• TCU is also 5-0 against Fresno State in the Big 12 Championship.
• The Horned Frogs advanced to their sixth consecutive Big 12 Championship meet.
• Lex Lipacis earned a career-high in Fences with an 87.66.
• Peyton Staat's 76 was a career-high in Horsemanship.
• Madi Lo Porto stretched her win streak on the Flat to three.
• Cassie Hacking extended her winning streak to six in Reining.

CHAMPIONSHIP: Cowgirl Equestrian Defeats TCU To Clinch Their Sixth Consecutive Big 12 Championship 

STILLWATER, Okla.- The Oklahoma State Cowgirls defeated The TCU Horned Frogs 14-5 in the Big 12 Championship Final to clinch their sixth consecutive Big 12 Championship Title. 

In the first round of competition, OSU narrowly defeated Baylor 11-9 in order to make it to Championship Saturday. 

Starting off the day, Fences and Horsemanship competed simultaneously, both taking home a 4-1 win against the Horned Frogs. In the Horsemanship, each Cowgirl consistently scored at least a 73.67, the high score and MOP going to Junior Jayln McElmurray, scoring a 77 and defeating her opponent by 1.5 points. In the Fences arena, the lowest score tallied by the Cowgirls was a 77, the MOP and high score going to Freshman Blake Rowan with an 88- 72 win. 

After the half, the Horned Frogs trailed 8-2 with the Reining and Flat to still compete. Once again, the Cowgirls dominated both events with a 3-2 win in Reining and a 3-1 win in Flat. The Horned Frogs took the MOP and high score with Freshman Cassie Hacking’s 72.5-72 win. Each Cowgirl scored above a 68 in each ride, with a 73 being tallied by Ava Bush. 

In the Flat pen, the Cowgirls took the first point with McKenzie Carreras 74.67 - 71.33 win. The rest of the unit followed suit, with the high score and MOP going to Sophomore Gable Gering, garnering a 81.33 and tying with her opponent. 

Head Coach Larry Sanchez has won 12 Big 12 Championship Titles, this being his sixth consecutive, this time on home turf. The Cowgirls await their seeding in the National Championship in Ocala April 15th-19th. 

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.
 

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