AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 3 Auburn equestrian team hosts No. 2 Texas A&M Saturday in a crucial Southeastern Conference match up. The Tigers (7-2, 3-1 SEC) and the Aggies (9-1, 5-0 SEC) will go head-to-head at 10 a.m. CT at the Auburn University Equestrian Center.
"This is a really big meet for us this weekend and we're looking forward to having a great crowd out there on Saturday," head coach Greg Williams said. "Texas A&M is a team that has been clicking all year and we took a loss at their place in the fall. We need to be on top of our game Saturday and coaches Mary Meneely and Jessica Braswell have been doing a great job making sure that we are."
The meet will be the team's final home meet of the regular season and the squad will recognize seven during intermission. Auburn will honor fifth years Terri-June Granger, Taylor Searles and Helen Ulrich as well as seniors Ellie Becker, Peyton Hall, Meghan Knapic and Jessica West.
"We're excited to celebrate this group," Williams said. "Some of the best riders to ever come through the program will be recognized on Saturday and it's going to be a great day."
AUBURN LINEUP
Auburn will have a wealth of experience in the lineup this weekend on the road highlighted by four fifth years, two seniors and four juniors.
Western will be led by a trio of fifth years in Taylor Searles, Deanna Green and Terri-June Granger. Searles and Green will ride in both Horsemanship and Reining, while Granger is set to compete in Reining.
Searles leads the team with a 9-0-0 mark in Horsemanship with a 6-2-0 record in Reining. This will be just the second meet back for Green. Joining the pair in Horsemanship will be juniors Olivia Tordoff and Maddie Spak. Tordoff is currently riding a seven-match winning streak with six MOPs. Sophomore Madison Parduhn, who is 8-1-0 in the event, will also ride.
Also competing in Reining will be sophomores Isabella Tesmer and Kate Buchanan. The duo are each coming off wins against Delaware State.
The Jumping Seat side will be led by senior Emma Kurtz as she is set to compete in Fences and Flat. Joining her in both events will be junior Ava Stearns, sophomore Ellie Ferrigno and freshman Sophee Steckbeck. Steans has a team-best 10-2-0 mark in Fences and leads the squad with nine wins in Flat.
Senior Meghan Knapic will ride Fences for the Tigers, having eight wins in the event. Fifth year Helen Ulrich is down for Flat and heads into the weekend with a 7-1-0 mark.
AUBURN-TEXAS A&M SERIES
Auburn leads the all-time series, 23-7, against the Aggies, winning the 14 of the last 16 meetings. The squad is 10-0 overall at home against TAMU.
The two teams last met in November where the Aggies captured a 10-6 victory over Auburn.
UP NEXT
Auburn caps the regular season on the road, traveling to rival and No. 4 Georgia. The Tigers and Bulldogs will square off on Friday, March 4, at 1 p.m. CT in Bishop, Georgia.
