In an equestrian matchup Saturday, Oct. 13, between third-ranked Auburn and fourth-ranked Texas A&M, the Auburn women emerged victorious with an 11-9 win over the Aggies.
After coming off a loss to South Carolina, the Tigers used the win to push themselves to 2-1 for the year.
The meet was neck-and-neck the entire time, with each team winning two of the four events.
Junior Christina Lin of Auburn beat Leah Chenelle of Texas A&M with a score of 88-79, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead.
The Tigers went on to score two more points, leading 2-1 over the Aggies in Over Fences, and 2-1 overall.
At halftime, the score was tied 5-5, with Auburn winning 3-2 in Over Fences, and Texas A&M taking Western Reining 3-2.
With the announcer reminding anxious fans "it all comes down to this," every point was critical following the break, as the last two events would determine who would take the win.
The Tigers won Hunt Seat equitation 4-1 over the Aggies, and the three-point margin in that event was the deciding factor in the overall victory.
Auburn lost to Texas A&M in Western horsemanship with a score of 3-2, but had racked up enough points to ensure an overall win over the SEC-newcomer Aggies.
Head coach Greg Williams said he was pleased with how the girls rode.
"We kept ahead in the game with tremendous rides from our Hunt Seat riders," Williams said. "We have tremendous leadership from several of our upperclassmen, so how well we can move forward is unlimited at this point."
One upperclassman providing leadership was Lin. The junior won the Most Outstanding Player award for equitation over fences, as well as Hunt Seat equitation, with a high score of 84.
"Coming into this meet, I was more than determined to make up for some lost ground since we fell short to South Carolina last weekend," Lin said. " I really wanted to give it my hardest to help my team out the best I could."
Lin said the win means so much for the team.
"The spirit all the girls have right now is unbeatable," she said. "Being able to beat the defending national champions proves that we are in this for the long haul. It would be great to keep our momentum going as we get ready to host one of our biggest competitors, Georgia, in a few weeks."
The coaches have clear-cut expectations now they've been through enough practices and meets to assess the talent level as a team, Williams said.
"The task from now until April, when our national championships are, is identifying which players are going to consistently perform to those expectations with all of the different opponents, horses and conditions they will face," Williams said.
Auburn will face Georgia Friday, Nov. 9, at 3 p.m. at the Auburn University Horse Center.
Admission is free, and the first 300 fans will receive an orange Auburn Equestrian bandana.
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