AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 1 Auburn equestrian team wrapped up its fall home schedule with an 11-8 win over No. 9 South Carolina Friday at the Auburn University Equestrian Center. The win moved the Tigers to 4-1 on the season and 2-0 in Southeastern Conference action.
"We knew South Carolina would come here and ride hard and I was very impressed with them," head coach Greg Williams said. "We did have some mistakes today that can be easily fixed, but we're so happy to close out our fall home schedule with a win in front of our fans."
The Tigers took home three of four Most Outstanding Performer honors. Junior Olivia Tordoff earned her third-straight award in Horsemanship, while classmate Ava Stearns won her third MOP Fences honor of the season. Sophomore Kate Buchanan secured the first MOP of her career in Reining.
Auburn went up 7-3 at intermission following Horsemanship and Fences.
Horsemanship put together a solid showing, going 4-1 over South Carolina (0-5, 0-2 SEC). Sophomore Madison Parduhn picked up her third win of the season, 75.5-74.5. Fifth-year senior Taylor Searles improved to 4-0-0 on the year with a 76-59 win and junior Maddie Spak bested her opponent, 76.5-75.5. Tordoff earned a season-best 78.5 in her MOP win.
Fences opened up with three-straight victories and finished 3-2 vs. the Gamecocks. Freshman Sophee Steckbeck picked up an 83-80 win over Sophie Mitchell before sophomore Ellie Ferrigno topped Nina Columbia, 81-79. Stearns captured her MOP win with an 85-84 edge over Madeline Schaefer.
The Flat corps returned to action following intermission and came away with a 3-2 mark over South Carolina. Fifth-year senior Helen Ulrich put together a 77.5-74 victory and was followed by an 80.5-79.5 win from Steckbeck. Stearns closed out the points for the Tigers, besting Columbia, 80-74.5.
Buchanan secured the lone point for the Tigers in Reining, topping Chloe VanStone, 69-68. Junior Boo Kammerer tied her opponent, 69-69.
The Tigers close out the fall season with a road trip back to Texas. Auburn will face No. 6 Texas A&M on Thursday, Nov. 18 and will conclude the week at No. 8 Baylor Friday, Nov. 19.
#1 AUBURN 11, #9 SOUTH CAROLINA 8
FENCES
Sophee Steckbeck (AU) def. Sophie Mitchell (SC), 83-80
Ellie Ferrigno (AU) def. Nina Columbia (SC), 81-79
Ava Stearns (AU)* def. Madleine Schaefer (SC), 85-84
Alexa Aureliano (SC) def. Emma Kurtz (AU), 84-83
Mackenzie Suffy (SC) def. Meghan Knapic (AU), 81-78
FLAT
Helen Ulrich (AU) def. Caroline Bald (SC), 77.5-74
Sophee Steckbeck (AU) def. Madeline Schaefer (SC), 80.5-79.5
Ava Stearns (AU) def. Nina Columbia (SC), 80-74.5
Sophie Mitchell (SC) def. Ellie Ferrigno (AU), 78.5-75.5
Trinity Hammerschmidt (SC)* def. Emma Kurtz (AU), 79.5-75.5
HORSEMANSHIP
Madison Parduhn (AU) def. Tierney Horton (SC), 75.5-74.5
Taylor Searles (AU) def. Ava Pratt (SC), 76-59
Maddie Spak (AU) def. Sloan Vogt (SC), 76.5-75.5
Olivia Tordoff (AU)* def. Cora Wyers (SC), 78.5-76.5
Alexa Thorpe (SC) def. Jacqueline Frimodt (AU), 77.5-77
REINING
Boo Kammerer (AU) tied Emilia Reutimann (SC), 69-69
Chloe Stephenson (SC) def. Isabella Tesmer (AU), 70-69.5
Kate Buchanan (AU)* def. Chloe VanStone (SC), 69-68
Sloan Vogt (SC) def. Taylor Searles (AU), 67-65.5
Emma Lane (SC) def. Terri-June Granger (AU), 68-65
