Halfway Home: A Look at Significant NCEA Storylines, Performers in Midseason Rewind

With the fall slate of Division I equestrian wrapped up, a glance at where things stand and who stood out through the first few months of competition.

The first half of the NCEA season has wrapped up and it's been an exciting battle thus far. A full rundown of where things stand and key performers in below. / Photos courtesy of Oklahoma State, Auburn, TCU and Georgia equestrian social media.

The final National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) dual discipline events of the fall semester recently wrapped up – and what a few months of action it has been. 

Top teams have been unseated. Programs have rallied after lackluster starts. And several riders have stepped up in a big way. 

As the winter pause gets started, a look back at where things finished in the NCEA during the first half of the schedule and some things to keep an eye on when the competition resumes in January. 

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No one is safe

Auburn opened the 2024-25 campaign as the No. 5 team in the NCEA dual discipline rankings. After one week of competition, the Tigers were atop the polls, going on to earn six straight wins and appear as the early frontrunner in the national title race. 

Enter Georgia. 

The Bulldogs opened the year with back-to-back losses before rattling off five straight wins of their own, including an 11-9 victory in Week 10 over Auburn to close the fall schedule. 

While the Tigers remained the top team in the NCEA dual discipline rankings to wrap up the first half of the year, Georgia certainly made a statement their Southeastern Conference rivals are not invincible. The Bulldogs have now taken two of the last three meetings between the programs.

Of course, the early results across the sport have proven no team is ready to separate itself from the rest of the field just yet. 

With a 5-3 record, TCU, the preseason No. 1, already has as many losses as all of last year. SMU, the two-time defending dual discipline champion, has started the year with a 3-4 mark and has four matches decided by eight or more points, with a 2-2 record in those situations.  

Texas A&M (5-2) and Oklahoma State (5-3) each have five wins to remain in the top five, while UT Martin is off to a 4-0 start in the East Coast Athletic Conference but three losses outside of league action. No doubt the parity across the NCEA dual discipline is extremely high right now.

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Best match of the first half: Texas A&M at Georgia (Oct. 19)

This one was a tightly contested battle in the Peach State as the Aggies took fences 3-1 and reining 3-2. The Bulldogs easily got the win in flat by a 4-1 margin, and the teams split horsemanship 2-2, resulting in a 9-9 tie. 

It all came down to the raw score, with Georgia edging the Aggies by a mere 18 points (1592.5-1574.5) to take the contest. That moment proved to be a launching point for the Bulldogs as it was the start of their five-match win streak to close the first half. The two teams will meet for a rematch in College Station on February 14. 

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Midseason Honor Roll: Jumping seat

Avery Glenn, Auburn – Not a bad first half for the sophomore as she went a combined 10-1-1 between the two jumping seat events, including a 6-0 mark in fences. Glynn also earned three Most Outstanding Performance (MOP) honors, two in flats and one in fences. 

Gabby Adams, UT Martin –  Another sophomore on the list who is refusing to slump. After falling in the season-opener, Adams wrapped up the fall schedule with six straight wins on the flat, including a career-high 93-point ride against Oklahoma State. She has three MOPs so far. 

Hannah Steele, South Dakota State – Perfection, plain and simple. The senior finished the fall with an unblemished record, going a combined 8-0 between fences and flats, with a pair of MOPs in fences. 

Ellie Yeager, SMU – The senior is aiming for a strong conclusion to her career and so far, so good. On the flat, Yeager is 5-2 but has already claimed four MOPs. 

Riley Hogan, Oklahoma State – It’s another big start for the senior as she’s pulled together a combined 13-3 overall record between fences and flats while earning a total of five MOPs.  

Honorable Mention – Augusta Iwasaki, SMU; Tessa Brown, Georgia; Ellie Ferringno, Auburn; Amira Kettaneh, South Carolina; Lauren Kolbe, UC Davis; Paloma Primavera, Fresno State; Brooke Brombach, Texas A&M. 

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Midseason Honor Roll: Western

Nya Kearns, SMU – At this point, what can be said about Kearns that has been stated? The graduate student continues to be a force in horsemanship, with a 7-0 start to the year and MOP honors five times already. Kearns has cleared more than 50 career wins and 25 career MOPs.

Alexa Tordoff, Auburn – The dual event Western rider is doing her thing, securing a 9-3-2 overall record between the two events, including a 6-1 mark in horsemanship. She’s also earned a trio of MOPs along the way. 

Mattie Gustin, Texas A&M – An All-American last year, Gustin is aiming for a repeat with a 5-1-1 start to the year in reining and one MOP on her record. 

Shea Graham, TCU – Graham’s final year of eligibility has had its ups and downs so far, but the veteran dual event Western competitor remains among the NCEA’s best. She’s 6-1 in reining and a combined 9-5 between the two events, with a pair of MOPs. 

Shaelyn Boutelle, Georgia – The big stage has not unnerved this rookie. Boutelle’s first season in Athens has gotten off to a hot start as she’s put together a 5-1-1 mark in horsemanship with a pair of MOP honors to show for it. 

Honorable mention – Kendra Lee, Fresno State; Alexis Rutledge, Baylor; Emma Riggs, South Dakota State; Isabelle Gonzalez, Texas A&M; Elsie Mason, UT Martin.