No. 1 Auburn set to host the 2026 SEC Equestrian Championships

AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 1 Auburn equestrian team will host the 2026 SEC Championships, welcoming No. 2 South Carolina, No. 3 Georgia and No. 5 Texas A&M to the Auburn University Equestrian Center, March 27-28. Admission to the two-day event is free.

“We couldn’t be more excited to host this event this weekend,” head coach Jessica Braswell said. “It’s going to be a beautiful weekend and what a better chance for the Auburn fanbase to come out and support this team. Having our fans and being at home will be a big advantage for us.”

The Tigers (9-2) are the No. 1 seed and will take on No. 4 seed Texas A&M Friday at 3 p.m. CT. The Gamecocks (No. 2 seed) and the Bulldogs (No. 3 seed) will open the day at 10 a.m. CT. The winners from the first day will advance to the championship meet that is slated for 11 a.m. CT on Saturday. The entire weekend will be streamed on SEC Network+.

“The team has been practicing really well and coaches Emma Kurtz and Mary Meneely have done a great job keeping momentum going,” Braswell said. “I think we’ve gotten better and better in each meet this spring and are really working on consistency. The key on Friday will be bringing that consistency in all four events. We’ve got to execute at a high level.”

FAN INFORMATION
Admission to the 2026 SEC Championships is free both days. The Kid’s Zone will be open during Auburn-only contests and will feature pony rides, a bounce house and more!

In addition, food trucks and concessions will be available for purchase and the SEC Championship merchandise table will feature hats, shirts and more.

For more information on the championships, please visit HERE.

AUBURN AT THE SECS
Auburn has seven Southeastern Conference titles and has claimed six of the last seven SEC crowns.

The program’s first SEC championship came in 2016 when the Tigers topped Georgia at the UGA Equestrian Complex. The league began sponsoring the sport in 2013.

The last time the Tigers hosted the conference meet was in 2022. Auburn bested Texas A&M in the championship meet, 11-8.

Prior to the SEC, Auburn had won three Southern Equestrian Conference titles.

AUBURN LINEUP
The Auburn lineup will be very familiar as the team has found consistency this spring.

The Jumping Seat corps will feature four riders competing in both Fences and Flat. Junior Avery Glynn and freshman Caroline Olsen leads the way as each have 18 wins on the season. Glynn is 10-1-0 on the Flat and 8-3-0 in Fences, while Olsen is 10-1-0 in Fences and 8-3-0 on the Flat.

Joining the pair in both events will be sophomores Kate Hagerty and Ariana Marnell. Marnell is coming off an MOP performance in Fences in the regular season finale and is 8-4-0 in the event. She also has six wins on the Flat this season. Hagerty is fourth on the team with seven wins in Fences so far.

Glynn and Marnell were recently named SEC Riders of the Month for March in Flat and Fences, respectively.

Sophomore Sadie Berkhout will compete on the Flat for the squad and enters the weekend with a 6-4-0 record in the event. Freshman Emily Jurnovoy is set to ride in Fences, having three wins in her short season so far.

The Western crew will be led by a wealth of upperclassmen as senior Alexia Tordoff and junior Callie Hogg will ride in both Horsemanship and Reining. Tordoff has 14 wins this season with eight coming in Horsemanship. Hogg has 11 total on the year with six in Reining.

Senior Caroline Fredenburg and juniors Brooke Jolstad and Sydney Swallom are set to ride in Horsemanship with Tordoff and Hogg. Fredenburg and Jolstad also have eight wins this year in the event, while Swallom has seven.

Reining will be led by Tordoff, Hogg and senior Caroline Buchanan. Buchanan is coming off an MOP performance in the regular season finale and was named SEC Rider of the Month for March.

Sophomore Michelle Fumagalli and freshman Sofia Tieche will also ride in Reining. Tieche has won back-to-back meets to up her season win total to six. Fumagalli has four wins for the squad this year.

UP NEXT
The postseason continues at the 2026 NCA Championships, April 16-18. The three-day tournament will be held at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida.