AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 1 Auburn equestrian returns to action this weekend, traveling to Fresno, Calif., for a pair of meets against nationally-ranked opponents. The Tigers open the trip Friday, Feb. 1, with Equitation on the Flat and Horsemanship vs. No. 9 Delaware State. The squad finishes the rest of the meet vs. the Hornets Saturday, Feb. 2, and then caps the weekend against host and No. 10 Fresno State the same day.
"We are so glad to be on the road and back at it," head coach Greg Williams said. "The team came back from break and went right to work. This is the week we start the climb harder and faster to finish the semester at peak performance."
AUBURN LINEUP
The Auburn (5-0) lineup for both Hunt Seat and Western will be mixed a bit throughout the weekend. The lineup will only feature four riders per event vs. Delaware State, while the squad will boast a five-person lineup per event against Fresno State.
In Equitation on the Flat, seniors Ashton Alexander and Hayley Iannotti will lead the charge as they each will compete in both contests. Joining the pair against the Hornets and the Bulldogs will be freshman McKayla Langmeier. Alexander and Iannotti have four wins a piece in the event, while Langmeier has three.
Freshman Emma Kurtz will ride in Flat vs. the Hornets Friday, while senior Caitlin Boyle and sophomore Taylor St. Jacques will go vs. the Bulldogs Saturday.
Kurtz, Boyle and St. Jacques are slated to represent the Tigers in both meets in Equitation Over Fences. Alexander will go vs. the Hornets, while Iannotti and Langmeier will compete vs. the Bulldogs.
Seniors Lauren Diaz and Kelsey Jung with junior Kara Kaufmann and sophomore Taylor Searles are set to compete in Horsemanship in both contests. Diaz leads the squad with a perfect 5-0 record, while Kaufmann stands at 4-0-1 in the event. Sophomore Deanna Green will join the quartet vs. Fresno State Saturday.
Seniors Ali Fratessa and Blair McFarlin will lead the Reining squad in both meets with sophomores Terri-June Granger and Green joining them. Fratessa has a team-best four wins on the year, while McFarlin and Green each have three. Senior Betsy Brown will compete vs. the Bulldogs for the Tigers.
UP NEXT
The Tigers return to the Auburn University Equestrian Center for a tri-meet, Feb. 8-9. Auburn will welcome UT Martin and South Dakota State to the Plains.
