AUBURN, Ala. – Members of the No. 1 Auburn equestrian team found a wealth of success away from the Plains this past semester.
Representing the Hunter Seat side of competition was a group of freshmen in Emma Kurtz, McKayla Langmeier, Meghan Knapic and Jessica West
Kurtz, who hails from Hudson, Ohio, earned Grand Champion and Best Junior Rider on a Horse at both the Capital Challenge Horse Show (Sept. 28-Oct. 7) and the Pennsylvania National Horse Show (Oct. 10-19). In addition, she came in 10th in the Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Finals (Oct. 13).
Kurtz, who is 3-1-0 in Hunter Seat action this year for Auburn, added a fourth-place finish in the WIHS Junior Equitation Finals and earned sixth in the ASPCA Maclay Finals. She also took home the Iris McNeil Sportsmanship award at the National Horse Show.
Langmeier, an East Granby, Conn., product, most recently came in first in the second phase of the United State Equestrian Federation U25 National Championship (Nov. 30). To add to that, she finished sixth in the USEF Junior Jumper Championship and seventh in the Washington Junior Equitation Finals.
Highlighting her semester away from Auburn was her participation in the FEI Jumping Nations Cup held in Opglabbeek, Belgium, Sept. 6-9. Representing the United States, she and her team finished first in the consolation round.
Langmeier concluded the fall portion of the Auburn schedule with a 7-0-0 mark in Hunter Seat, picking up four wins in Equitation Over Fences with three in Equitation on the Flat.
Knapic and West both earned ribbons in junior hunters throughout the indoor season.