Coach Greg Williams would prefer his team not be first in the rankings.
"It's always better to go into nationals at second or third and fight for first," said Williams, coach of the Auburn Equestrian team. "It's tougher to go in at first and fight to keep it."
Even so, he said he's confident in both his older athletes and nine incoming recruits.
"We've got some great seniors and some great juniors," Williams said, "and the girls we recruited are proven winners. Some we've been watching win all over the country."
Williams said it's tough for a team to be effective when it's lacking mature leadership, but added that it's not something the Tigers are dealing with.
Maggie McAlary, senior and double All-American on the hunt seat, said she's excited to be a part of leading the team to a possible second national championship.
"We had a great fall season," McAlary said, "and I'm looking forward to nationals and the SECs."
After winning the national championship last year, McAlary said there's a lot of expectation going into the spring season.
"Everyone's already anticipating us doing well again," McAlary said, "and obviously we want to win a second championship, so I feel like that pushes us as well. We don't have to be ranked first because in a head-to-head competition, we always do really well."
As for Auburn's recruits, McAlary said she's set the best example by doing her best for herself and the team.
"Just leading by example," McAlary said. "We have a really good record, so anyone coming onto the team is going to want to keep the good name of the team that we started."
She said she's also excited about some of Auburn's recruits.
"There's a lot of talent coming onto the team," McAlary said. "I'm sure with the coaches they'll really be able to flourish."
McAlary said when the Tigers compete they don't see themselves as seniors or juniors, but as teammates.
"It's not like seniors or juniors--we're very together," she said. "Us seniors, we kind of incorporate everyone's opinions and how they feel, so the juniors now have a feel for how to lead the team. We try to make it about everyone."
One of the team's juniors, western rider and double All-American Indy Roper, says she feels ready to step up.
"It's a great position to be in," Roper said. "I just hope I can encourage people to keep working hard and stay where we're at right now. We have a lot of momentum."
Roper has a plan to make the nine recruits feel at home with the Tigers.
"We're extremely close," Roper said, "but when girls come in we're extremely open to get to know them. We have 40 girls on the team, and I could tell you something about each of them. They're very fortunate that they're going to come into such a close team, so they're going to have to work hard and mesh with us."
Roper said there are people who work with the team better than others when they get to Auburn.
"You have to be willing to be a teammate," Roper said. "We look at it as not English or western but a whole team. They have to be willing to be supportive of all the other girls. It's a huge transition for a freshman because when we do compete it's totally individual, but you're not winning or losing for yourself, you're winning or losing for Auburn."
Roper said she's excited about going into the second half of the season high in the rankings.
"We don't look at it like we have a target on our back," Roper said. "We just keep pushing. It gives us a lot of confidence. Our team knows we're an extremely talented team."
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