For the first time in the history of the program, the Auburn equestrian team is the champion of the SEC.
The No. 1 Tigers clinched the title with a 11-7 win over No. 2 Georgia in Bishop, Georgia, Saturday, in the SEC title round.
The SEC didn't sponsor the event until 2013, but prior to that Auburn had claimed three Southern Equestrian Championships: once in 2004, another in 2010 and again in 2011.
“Winning the SEC is such an honor that it’s hard to put in words,” said coach Greg Williams. “This team is so good and I’m so proud of them. We have great senior leadership and all the underclassmen have really bought into this program. Everyone has done an incredible job and this is very special.”
Auburn advanced to the title round by defeating South Carolina on Friday, and Georgia reached the final match by topping Texas A&M.
The Tigers started out the day with a strong performance in Horsemanship, where senior Griffin Knight keyed a 4-0 Auburn lead by capturing her 12th win of the season — and the 35th of her career, which set an Auburn record in Horsemanship. Junior Hannah Stephens scored a 152 in the event — the highest score of the day — to bring home Most Outstanding Player honors.
Junior Ashley Foster and Boyle took home wins in Equitation over Fences. Foster's 166 points earned her MOP honors, and Boyle's 174 were enough to notch her team-leading 13th win of the year. Her efforts in the event were enough for Boyle to be named to the All-SEC Championship Team.
Auburn edged Georgia in Equitation on the Flat as Foster, Boyle and senior Elizabeth Benson each claimed wins, with Benson's 13th win of the year setting an Auburn single-season record.
“This is unbelievable,” Benson said. “We had a disappointing finish my freshman year at the SEC Championship so to win the SEC title my senior year with this group of girls is awesome.”
In Reining, senior Allie Dusha and sophomore Alexa Rivard tacked on a pair of wins for the Tigers. Dusha's victory earned her MOP honors.
Auburn will look to take home some more hardware as the Tigers will compete in the NCEA national championships in Waco, Texas, April 14-16.
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