AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 1 Auburn equestrian team is set to conclude the regular season on the road, traveling to rival and No. 6 Georgia Friday, March 4. The Tigers (8-2, 4-1 SEC) and the Bulldogs (6-4, 1-4 SEC) will face off in Bishop, Georgia at 1 p.m. CT.
"This is a big rivalry match up and a big meet to end the regular season," head coach Greg Williams said. "Georgia is the defending national champion and this will be a big weekend for us. The key is to keep our emotions in check and control what we're able to control. We need to trust ourselves and we'll be fine."
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 9-0-1 mark in Horsemanship with a 7-2-0 record in Reining. Green is 2-0-0 in Horsemanship for the squad and is competing in just her third meet of the season. Joining the pair in Horsemanship will be juniors Olivia Tordoff and Maddie Spak. Tordoff is currently riding an eight-match winning streak with seven MOPs. Sophomore Madison Parduhn, who is 8-2-0 in the event, will also ride.
Also competing in Reining will be junior Boo Kammerer and sophomore Isabella Tesmer. Tesmer is second on the team with five wins this season, while Kammerer has four for the squad.
The Jumping Seat side will be led by senior Emma Kurtz as she is set to compete in Fences and Flat. Kurtz is second on the team with 19 total wins this season, having 10 in Fences and nine in Flat.
Joining her in both events will be junior Ava Stearns, sophomore Ellie Ferrigno and freshman Sophee Steckbeck. Stearns has a team-best 11-2-0 mark in Fences and leads the squad with 10 wins in Flat.
Senior Meghan Knapic will ride Fences for the Tigers, having nine wins in the event. Fifth year Helen Ulrich is down for Flat and heads into the weekend with a 7-2-0 mark.
AUBURN-GEORGIA SERIES
Georgia leads the series, 30-22, with an 11-6 record in Georgia.
Auburn is on a 10-meet win streak that includes victories over Georgia in the 2021 SEC Championship title match and in the 2018 and 2019 national championships matches.
The two teams last met in the 2021-22 season opener as the No. 1 Tigers bested the then-No. 2 Bulldogs, 13-7, in Auburn.
UP NEXT
The postseason kicks off with the 2022 SEC Championship, March 25-26. Auburn is set to host the two-day meet at the Auburn University Equestrian Center.
