Feb. 23, 2017
AUBURN, Ala. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" The No. 4 Auburn equestrian team heads to No. 8 South Carolina for its first road meet of the spring season. The meet is set for 9 a.m. CT at OneWood Farm in Blythewood, S.C., Feb. 25.
"South Carolina has been very good at home and I think we match up very well with them in all the events," head coach Greg Williams said. "They have some new horses this season that we'll have to figure out, but I think we're ready for that challenge. We're looking forward to this being a good meet and we're anxious to get on the road. This final stretch of the season is important in preparing us for the postseason."
AUBURN LINEUP
The lineup for the Tigers (5-3, 2-2) against USC (5-5, 1-4) features a large amount of underclassmen with nine sophomores and two freshmen earning 15 of 20 starting spots.
In Equitation Over Fences senior Hunt Seat rider Ashley Foster will start, leading the team with an 8-1 record in the event. Sophomores Caitlin Boyle, Hayley Iannotti, Alex Ladove and Ashton Alexander will follow against the Gamecocks.
Senior Tory Hoft will look for her ninth win of the season in Equitation on the Flat. Foster along with Iannotti, Alexander and Boyle will join her.
The Horsemanship corps has experienced a lot of success this season and will be led by senior Hannah Stephens and sophomores Lauren Diaz and Megan Rauh. Freshman Horsemanship powerhouse Kara Kaufmann will also start against USC with a 7-0-1 record in her first season with the team. Joining the group is freshman Drew Rogers, picking up her first start in the event this year.
The Reining roster features experienced competitor Alexa Rivard followed by sophomores Betsy Brown, Blair McFarlin and Ali Fratessa. Diaz, a major force in the Horsemanship, will ride double for Auburn starting her fifth meet in the Reining event.
AUBURN-SOUTH CAROLINA SERIES HISTORY
The Gamecocks hold slight lead in the series vs. Auburn with an 18-17 overall record. South Carolina edges the Tigers in regular season meets competed in Blythewood, standing at 8-5 overall.
Auburn had a successful season last year against the Gamecocks, defeating SC in all three meetings. Auburn beat South Carolina on the road for just the fifth time in the series history last October. The teams last met in a semifinal match at the SEC Championships.
UP NEXT
The Tigers will close out their regular season traveling to No. 2 Baylor (March 3) and No. 1 Texas A&M (March 4). Auburn will host the 2017 SEC Equestrian Championship, March 24-25, at the Auburn University Horse Center.
For the latest on Auburn equestrian, follow @AuburnEQ on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AuburnEQ.