The equestrian team bested the Georgia Bulldogs in the Southeastern Conference championship by a final score of 11-9 in Blythewood, S.C.
Auburn won the hunt seat competition 6-4 and dominated the western with a raw final score of 1447.5-1305.5.
This is the second consecutive SEC title for the Tigers under the direction of head coach Greg Williams.
"It feels incredible," Williams said. "Coach Neubarth and Coach Helfer have helped our squad so much. It goes to show that if you can win the SEC, you can definitely win the national championship."
Two riders Williams credited for helping Auburn take home the title were senior western rider Mary Casey and junior hunt seat Maggie McAlary.
Casey competed in the horsemanship competition and edged out Bulldog rider Dana Wilson by a score of 148-146.
MacAlary, along with sophomore teammate Lindsay Portella and junior Grace Sochee, brought home three points in the flag portion of the competition.
"I have been riding since I was a little girl," Casey said. "It feels so good to win. If we keep having good rides and keep doing what we are doing, we can win it all."
McAlary said a change of horses made all the difference regarding her success in the flag competition.
"In warm-ups I had the chance to ride the horse that Auburn brought to the competitions," McAlary said. "I didn't have the best of runs with this horse, so during the competition I used the horse that UGA brought down, and I had a great ride."
At halftime of the competition, Auburn had a 6-4 lead over the Bulldogs. The second portion of the competition started with Georgia winning the equitation of fences competition by a final score of 3-2. Although she didn't win this competition, McAlary earned two MVP awards for her riding scores.
Auburn won the title with a 3-2 victory in the reiner session. Juniors Jillian Fuller, Kristin Hansen and sophomore Indy Roper earned the points needed to defeat UGA and win the conference title. This victory helps qualify the Tigers for the NCAA Equestrian National Championships.
Auburn will venture to Waco, Texas, April 14-16 to compete for a national championship.
The team has a winning record in both western and hunt seat competitions. The western riders have an 11-4 overall record, while the hunt seat riders have a total record of 15-4.
There are two types of competitions for the national championship, and Auburn will send one hunt seat team and one western team to fill both brackets.
"I have been riding for 17 years, and it feels so amazing to be an SEC champion," McAlary said.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
