Auburn Equestrian Captures 13-6 Win at South Carolina

A perfect Horsemanship performance paves the way for Auburn’s second SEC win.

Auburn Elvis | Nov 4, 2022

Auburn Equestrian Captures 13-6 Win at South Carolina /

Auburn equestrian continued its season Friday with a key SEC road meet at South Carolina. The Gamecocks’ team has shown marked improvement this season and figured to make Auburn’s last away meet of the fall a challenge.

How the Meet Went

The day began with Equitation on the Flat and Horsemanship riding simultaneously.

On the Flat, both Auburn and South Carolina posted strong scores, but the Gamecocks collected the majority, winning the event 3-2. A pair of Auburn sophomores, Mary-Grace Segars and Sophee Steckbeck, got the Tigers on the board.

This wasn’t an ideal start, but Auburn could live with it considering what was happening in the Western ring.

All five of Auburn’s Horsemanship riders outrode their head-to-head opponents and swept the event 5-0. “Point Auburn” quickly followed the announced scores from seniors Olivia Tordoff and Maddie Spak, junior Madison Parduhn, as well as freshmen Alexia Tordoff and Caroline Fredenburg.

The 7-3 halftime score had Auburn in control with a little breathing room if they needed it.

They didn’t.

The second half opened with Equitation Over Fences, and Auburn’s squad once again proved to be among the nation’s best. Senior Ava Stearns and junior Ellie Ferrigno joined Steckbeck and Segars in the winner’s circle, with all four notching points for the Tigers.

The 4-1 Fences result was enough to win the meet for Auburn, but the Tigers Reining team wasn’t quite done.

The event began with junior Isabella Tesmer drawing a tie with her opponent, followed by points from junior Kate Buchanan, and Alexia Tordoff. The 2-2 total in the event brought the meet to a close, and made Auburn’s 13-6 victory official.

The Tigers Remain Atop the SEC Standings

The win over South Carolina keeps Auburn undefeated in conference play. Georgia and Texas A&M are each 1-1, but the Bulldogs enjoy the head-to-head tiebreaker, having defeated the Aggies at home in October.

The Tigers remain in control of the SEC race, and are seeking to defend their SEC crown for a fifth-straight season.

Up Next for the Tigers

Auburn returns home for an SEC showdown with Texas A&M, Friday, Nov. 11. The meet will begin at 3 PM central at the Auburn Equestrian Center. The Aggies have split wins against Georgia and South Carolina previously this fall.

The Scoresheet Auburn 13 - South Carolina 6

FENCES:
Sophee Steckbeck (AU) def Natalie Jayne (SC): 84-74
Jordan Allen (SC) def Emma Kurtz (AU): 86-65
*Ava Stearns (AU) def Alexa Aureliano (SC): 89-79
Mary-Grace Segars (AU) def Madeline Schaefer (SC): 88-70
Ellie Ferrigno (AU) def Sydney DeGrazia (SC): 77-75

FLAT:
Trinity Hammerschmidt (SC) def Ava Stearns (AU): 86-83
Emily Giorgio (SC) def Emma Kurtz (AU): 70-64
Mary-Grace Segars (AU) def Jordan Allen (SC): 81-77
*Madeline Schaefer (SC) def Ellie Ferrigno (AU): 89-86
Sophee Steckbeck (AU) def Natalie Jayne (SC): 80-78

HORSEMANSHIP:
Madison Parduhn (AU) def Carly Jenkins (SC): 76.5-75
Alexia Tordoff (AU) def Kendie Herlocker (SC): 74-71.5
Maddie Spak (AU) def Alyssa Jipping (SC): 75.5-73
*Olivia Tordoff (AU) def Tierney Horton (SC): 76-61
Caroline Fredenburg (AU) def Alexa Thorpe (SC): 72.5-70

REINING:
Isabella Tesmer (AU) tied Emilia Reutimann (SC): 72.5-72.5
Kate Buchanan (AU) def Chloe Stephenson (SC): 72-69.5
Emma Lane (SC) def Caroline Buchanan (AU): 72-71
Alexia Tordoff (AU) def Chloe VanStone (SC): 70.5-65.5
*Mary Margaret Coats (SC) def Olivia Marino (AU): 72-70.5

*Most Outstanding Performance in the Event