Nov. 10, 2017
AUBURN, Ala. -- The No. 3 Auburn equestrian team fell to No. 1 Georgia, 12-8, Friday night at the Auburn University Equestrian Center. The Tigers drop to 2-2 on the year and 0-2 in the Southeastern Conference.
"We were just poor horsemen today," head coach Greg Williams said. "We are really good riders, but when we try to overdo it, we lose focus and do not perform the way I know we can. We had some big errors that put us in the penalty box. We have had great practices and are the type of riders that can adjust to different horses, but we just didn't do that today. We rode with expectation and didn't guard the horse."
The Tigers had two juniors earn MOP honors for their rides in Ashton Alexander (Flat) and Betsy Brown (Reining).
Auburn bested the Bulldogs in Equitation on the Flat to kick off competition, 3-2. Junior Hayley Iannotti opened with an 80-69 win over Grace Bridges before Alexander topped Maddy Darst, 77-69. Classmate Caitlin Boyle scored a team-best 86 points in her victory over Sydney Hutchins.
With their wins, Iannotti and Boyle moved to 5-0 on the season in the event.
Alexander and Boyle picked up a pair of points for the Tigers in Equitation Over Fences in the second half of the meet. Alexander scored 92 points for her MOP ride, marking the highest score by any Tiger this season. Boyle's 88 points outscored Hayley Mairano's 76 to give the Hampshire, Ill., product her fourth win in the event this year.
Juniors Blair McFarlin and Brown had wins in Reining to cap the day. McFarlin's third win of the season came with a 61-54.5 victory over Jordan Carpenter. Brown's MOP performance was the final ride of the day as the Waxhaw, N.C., native edged Graysen Stroud, 70-69.5 It was her second 70-point performance of the season.
Picking up a win in Horsemanship was freshman Deanna Green as she defeated Anna Hutlas, 72-70. The victory pushed Green to 4-1 overall to lead all Tiger student-athletes in the event.
The Tigers close out the fall portion of the 2017-18 season on the road, taking on No. 9 South Carolina in Blythewood, S.C. Auburn and the Gamecocks will face off Friday, Nov. 17, at 12 p.m. CT.
#1 GEORGIA 12, #3 AUBURN 8
Equitation on the Flat
Hayley Iannotti (AU) def. Grace Bridges (UGA), 80-69
Ashton Alexander (AU) def. Maddy Darst (UGA), 77-69
Caitlin Boyle (AU) def. Sydney Hutchins (UGA), 86-78
Addyson Cord (UGA)* def. Becky Kozma (AU), 89-82
Madison Newman (UGA) def. Gia Rinaldi (AU), 89-84
Equitation Over Fences
Emma Mandarino (UGA) def. Taylor St. Jacques (AU), 85-83
Ashton Alexander (AU)* def. Sydney Hutchins (UGA), 92-78
Ali Tritschler (UGA) def. Gia Rinaldi (AU), 85-55
Caitlin Boyle (AU) def. Hayley Mairano (UGA), 88-76
Maddy Darst (UGA) def. Hayley Iannotti (AU), 85-55
Horsemanship
Deanna Green (AU) def. Anna Hutlas (UGA), 72-70
Graysen Stroud (UGA) def. Kelsey Jung (AU), 72.5-71.5
Bailey Anderson (UGA)* def. Lauren Diaz (AU), 75-65
Madison Anger (UGA) def. Kara Kaufmann (AU), 72-65.5
Sammie Johnson (UGA) def. Taylor Searles (AU), 71.5-61
Reining
Kyndall Harper (UGA) def. Alexa Rivard (AU), 69.5-68
Blair McFarlin (AU) def. Jordan Carpenter (UGA), 61-54.5
Annabeth Payne (UGA), Terri-June Granger (AU), 65-64
Julia Spreng (UGA) def. Savannah Ostner (AU), 66-62.5
Betsy Brown (AU)* def. Graysen Stroud (UGA), 70-69.5
* - Denotes Most Outstanding Performer
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