The No. 1 Auburn equestrian team secured a decisive 14-6 victory against No. 10 UT Martin on Saturday, improving Auburn's season record to a perfect 4-0. Auburn won all four events against the Skyhawks, going 8-2 in Jumping Seat and 6-4 in Western.
“I was really happy with how we performed today,” said head coach Jessica Braswell. “Coaches Emma Kurtz and Mary Meneely have the team executing at a high level. Winning all four events on the road is always our goal, and I’m very proud of the team for getting it done. UT Martin had a great group of horses for us to ride, and it was overall a solid day.”
New talent shined brightly for Auburn, with junior Lauren Hall and freshmen Sadie Berkhout and Catie Reachard all earning their first career wins. Freshman Michelle Fumagalli continued her strong season in Reining, securing another victory. Additionally, freshman Ariana Marnell made her debut in the Fences competition.
“The freshmen are starting to settle in,” Braswell said. “I think they rode really well today and are beginning to get more comfortable with the experience. We are going to need them throughout the year, so I’m excited to see their hard work start to pay off.”
The competition began with the Fences event, where Auburn quickly got an edge, finishing with a 4-1 mark. Sophomore Avery Glynn, improved to 4-0-0 in the event, winning 88-86 over Gabby Adams. Senior Mary-Grace Segars then overcame her opponent by 10 points, earning an 87. Steckbeck followed this with a season-best score of 90, securing herself the honor Most Outstanding Performer. Ellie Ferrigno closed the Fences event with an 88-87 victory.
The Horsemanship segment saw Auburn continue its success, winning 3-2. After UT Martin claimed an early point, junior Alexia Tordoff delivered a season-high score of 77.5 to shift momentum back to the Tigers. After her performance, Tordoff took home the Most Outstanding Performance honor. Hall's victory marked her career debut win, scoring a personal-best 74.5.
Auburn maintained its momentum with a strong showing on the Flat with a 4-1 win. Ferrigno opened on the Flat with a 78-68 victory. Berkhout secured the first win of her career, 80-74. Glynn followed with another 80, improving to 3-0-1 in the event this year. Segars then finished Jumping Seat action with a 3 point lead, 78-75.
Despite an initial setback where UT Martin took the first point, Auburn rallied and obtained a 3-2 in Reining, sealing the team win. Reachard earned her first career win, 69.5-67.5. Fumagalli moved to a 3-1-0 in the event, edging out Aubrey Malone by half a point. Tordoff closed out the meet with a 71.5-64 win.
Looking ahead, Auburn will continue on the road, striving to maintain its undefeated record in a rematch of last year’s NCEA quarterfinals against No. 4 Oklahoma State. The Tigers and the Cowgirls will go head-to-head at 12 p.m. CST, on Nov. 1, in Stillwater, Okla.
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Grace is a Sophomore majoring in Speech Language Hearing Sciences. She joined the Plainsman in the spring of 2024.
