The Auburn Equestrian team was down early, but did not quit. The Tigers were down 6-3 after the first half of competition before storming back in the second half.
It was not enough, and the comeback bid fell just short as No. 1 seed Georgia held for a 10-9 win to capture the 2017 SEC Championship Saturday at the Auburn University Horse Center.
“I couldn’t be more proud of our rides from start to finish today,” head coach Greg Williams said. “I thought we rode well enough to beat anybody. Today didn’t end the way we would have liked, but I’m looking forward to our chances at nationals.”
Auburn (9-4) cut the Georgia lead at the conclusion of Flat as the Tigers went 3-2 in the event.
After the flat, it all came down to Reining as the Bulldogs held a slim 8-6 lead with five matches remaining. The Freshman Kara Kaufmann kicked things off for Auburn with an outstanding ride, scoring a 144.5 to earn MOP honors. Junior Alexa Rivard followed with a 142-139.5 win over Graysen Stroud, locking things up at 8-all.
The Tiger performances were not enough to contain Georgia, and the Bulldogs held on and took the next two wins to seal the team victory.
Auburn continues the postseason at the NCEA Championships. The multi-day event is set for April 13-15 in the Extraco Events Center in Waco, Texas.
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