AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 1 Auburn equestrian team returns to the Plains this weekend, hosting a pair of opponents in No. 10 UT Martin and South Dakota State at the Auburn University Equestrian Center, Feb. 8-9.
UT Martin and SDSU will face off Friday at 11 a.m. CT before the Tigers and the Skyhawks go head-to-head at 3 p.m. CT the same day. Auburn and the Jackrabbits will cap the weekend Saturday at 11 a.m. CT and the meet will be the program's annual Alumni Meet.
"I'm really looking forward to this weekend, especially welcoming our alumni back home," head coach Greg Williams said. "I'm anxious for them to see the place and to be proud of what their hard work in the past has accomplished for the future. We're also looking forward to a great crowd this weekend because this team just performs at a different level in front of their fans.
PROMOTIONS
On Saturday, the first 100 fans will get an Auburn equestrian mason jar and the day will also serve as Kid's Day in addition to the annual Alumni Meet.
The Kid's Zone will be up all weekend, featuring a bounce house, yard games, coloring station and pony rides.
Admission to all Auburn equestrian meets is free.
AUBURN LINEUP
The Auburn (7-0) lineup boasts seven seniors, one junior, four sophomores and two freshmen.
Seniors Caitlin Boyle and Hayley Iannotti with freshmen Emma Kurtz and McKayla Langmeier will be mainstays in the Equitation on the Flat lineup, while sophomore Taylor St. Jacques is slated to ride against UT Martin and senior Ashton Alexander will go vs. the Jackrabbits. Alexander and Iannotti lead the squad with six victories in the event so far.
Alexander, Iannotti, Kurtz and St. Jacques are in both Equitation Over Fences lineups. Langmeier is set to compete vs. the Skyhawks Friday with Boyle going against SDSU Saturday.
The lineups in both Western events will remain the same both Friday and Saturday for the Tigers.
In Horsemanship, the squad is led by seniors Lauren Diaz and Kelsey Jung and sophomore Kara Kaufmann. Diaz stands at 6-1 on the year in the event and has three MOPs so far. Jung has five victories with one MOP and Kaufmann is 5-1-1 in the event for the squad. Sophomores Deanna Green and Taylor Searles will also represent the Tigers in Horsemanship. Searles boasts five wins as well.
Three seniors will lead the Reining corps on the weekend. Ali Fratessa has a team-best six wins in the event for the squad, while Blair McFarlin is 4-2-1 with two MOPs. Joining the pair in experience is senior Betsy Brown. Green is second on the team with five Reining wins and classmate Terri-June Granger boasts three so far.
UP NEXT
Auburn hits the road again for a Southeastern Conference showdown against No. 4 South Carolina. The Tigers and the Gamecocks will face off, Feb. 16, in Blythewood, S.C, at One Wood Farm.