AUBURN, Ala. – Three members of the No. 2 Auburn equestrian team were awarded Rider of the Month honors for their performances in February from the Southeastern Conference.
Senior Maddie Spak was recognized for her efforts in Horsemanship, while sophomore Sophee Steckbeck and freshman Alexia Tordoff earned the award in Fences and Reining, respectively. The three helped the Tigers go 2-1 over three meets, including a 15-5 win over No. 1 SMU on February 24.
Tordoff's award goes with her NCEA Rider of the Month announced Wednesday.
The Powell, Ohio native went 3-0-0 in Reining to help the Tigers finish 2-1 overall as a team. She was awarded three Most Outstanding Performer honors and averaged a 72.5 over the three meets. Tordoff kicked off the month with a 73.5-69.5 victory on the road at then-No. 4 Texas A&M (Feb. 4). That score was a career high and her four-point win secured her first MOP of the season.
She and the Tigers returned to the Plains for a pair of Top 5 match ups, starting with a win over rival and No. 5 Georgia. Tordoff earned a 72.5-65.5 victory against the Bulldogs and was awarded MOP for ride.
Tordoff closed out the month with a 71.5-66.5 MOP win over No. 1 SMU, helping the Tigers down the top-ranked team, 15-5. Behind her performance, the Auburn Reining corps went 4-1-0 overall in the event against the Mustangs.
Spak was awarded Horsemanship Co-Rider of the Month for the third time this season. The Waukesha, Wisconsin native went 2-0-1 on the month for the Tigers to improve to 9-0-1 on the year.
Highlighting her month were back-to-back 75.5 scores at home to help the Tigers down Georgia and SMU. She bested her Bulldog opponent by 1.5 points, guiding Auburn to a 4-0-1 mark in the event.
Against the Mustangs, Spak edged her opponent with a 75.5-75 victory. She opened the month with a tie at Texas A&M.
Spak averaged a 72.6 on the month and her two 75.5s tied a season high.
Steckbeck of Clarksburg, New Jersey earned the first monthly honor of her career. She went undefeated in Fences for the Tigers in February, improving to 8-2-0 on the year.
She opened the month with back-to-back 86s to tie a season best. She was part of the Fences crew that went unbeaten (4-0-1) vs. Georgia, besting her opponent by 16 points (86-70).
Steckbeck scored a 78 in the event against the Mustangs and kicked off the month with an 86-84 win on the road at Texas A&M.
The Tigers return to action on Friday, March 3 as the team hosts nationally-ranked South Carolina at the Auburn University Equestrian Center. The meet is slated for 3 p.m. CT and will be the team's Senior Meet.
Three Tigers earn SEC Rider of the Month accolades
