AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 2 Auburn equestrian team is set to cap the 2021 fall season on the road, traveling to No. 4 Texas A&M and No. 3 Baylor. The Tigers take on the Aggies Thursday, Nov. 18, at 1 p.m. CT before heading to Waco for a contest against the Bears on Nov. 19 at 11 a.m. CT.
"We're facing two incredibly talented and tough teams on the road in Texas," head coach Greg Williams said. "We've been tested already this year so I'm confident our team is going to be ready to face whatever challenges come our way this week.
"Baylor has become more uniformed on both sides of competition and is a really balanced team," Williams said. "Texas A&M is riding well in all facets, but especially on the Jumping Seat side. It's going to be a big test for us to close out the fall."
AUBURN LINEUP
Not much will change for the Auburn lineup to conclude the first half of the season.
Senior Emma Kurtz, junior Ava Stearns, sophomore Ellie Ferrigno and freshman Sophee Steckbeck will lead the Jumping Seat squad and compete in both Fences and Flat against both teams. Stearns is coming off NCEA and SEC Fences Rider of the Month honors after going 6-0-0 in the event in October.
Ferrigno is second on the team with five wins in Fences, while Kurtz and Steckbeck each have four in both Fences and Flat.
Joining them in Fences will be senior Meghan Knapic. She's also second on the team with five wins in the event. Fifth year senior Helen Ulrich is set in Flat to compete against Texas A&M Thursday following back-to-back wins against Lynchburg and South Carolina. Freshman Anna Maria Mayes is slated to ride in Flat at Baylor.
The Western corps will be guided once again by graduates Taylor Searles and Terri-June Granger.
Searles is down for both Horsemanship and Reining. She leads the team with a 5-0-0 mark in Horsemanship and is coming off an SEC Rider of the Month honor. She also stands at 4-1-0 in Reining.
Auburn will compete the same lineup in Horsemanship over both meets. Joining Searles will be juniors Maddie Spak and Olivia Tordoff as well as sophomores Jacqueline Frimodt and Madison Parduhn. Tordoff is enjoying a three-match winning streak and three-straight MOPs, while Spak and Parduhn each picked up wins against South Carolina.
Granger will help Searles guide the youthful Reining corps. Junior Boo Kammerer and sophomore Isabella Tesmer will ride in both meets for the Tigers and each have two wins on the year. Sophomore Olivia Marino will go against TAMU, while classmate Kate Buchanan is down to compete at Baylor.
AUBURN-TEXAS A&M SERIES
Auburn leads the all-time series, 23-6, against the Aggies, winning the 14 of the last 15 meetings. The teams are locked in a 6-6 tie in meets competed in Bryan-College Station.
The Tigers last traveled to the Aggies to kick start the 2021 spring season, winning 14-6 on the road.
AUBURN-BAYLOR SERIES
Auburn stands at 12-3 in the all-time series with Baylor and are 4-2 in meets competed in Waco during the regular season.
Friday's match will be the first between the teams since Baylor snapped Auburn's three-year winning streak last April. The Bears edged the Tigers, 8-7, in the 2021 NCEA Championship quarterfinals.
UP NEXT
The Tigers will take a couple months off before returning to competition in the spring. The squad kicks off 2022 with a Jumping Seat-only quad meet. Auburn will host SUNY New Paltz, Sewanee and Dartmouth at the Auburn University Equestrian Center, Jan. 28-29.
