The No. 1 Auburn equestrian team continues to dominate as they took on No. 2 Texas A&M on Saturday afternoon. Auburn out-performed the Aggies in front of over 1,000 Auburn fans, leaving the final score 15-4.
“A huge win for us today,” said Auburn head coach Jessica Braswell. “Texas A&M is a really good team and I am so proud of how we competed. I want to thank the Auburn Family for showing up today. We had a huge crowd and our team really fed off that energy. We absolutely love competing in front of our fans.”
It is no doubt that the Tigers have secured their spot at the top. This was Auburn’s sixth competition against a top 10 ranked opponent this season. The Tigers are now sitting on a 6-0 overall record, including two conference wins.
Auburn showcased their youths today, as five of the six freshmen competing brought home wins in their categories.
“Our six freshmen did a great job pulling in big rides,” Braswell said. “The experience from our upperclassmen has been so solid and they have really helped the freshmen build confidence.”
Auburn entered the day on the Flat. Senior Mary-Grace Segars and fifth year Ellie Ferrigno started with two wins. Auburn finished the day going 3-1-1 on the Flat.
The Tigers held a small lead 5-4 following the Flat and Reining portions of this competition. Coming out of intermission, the Tigers secured all 10 points between Fences and Horsemanship.
“Going 10-for-10 in the second half is a testament to the work these guys have put in,” said Braswell.
Auburn came up victorious in Fences, Flat and Horsemanship, allowing Texas A&M just one point between the three events.
The Tigers excelled in the Fences sweeping A&M with an overall score of 438.5 and 5 points. Kate Hagerty and her horse Bebe, led the group with a score of 90.5. She was followed by Kate Egan with a score of 87.5-82 and fifth year Ellie Ferrigno, 85-78.5. This performance earned Hagerty the first MOP award of her career.
The Horsemanship lineup followed in Fences lead with another sweep. Sophomores Sydney Swallom and Brooke Jolstad kicked off this portion, winning their matchups. Freshman Abby Eddy followed, scoring a 74.75 for her first career point. Alexia Tordoff finished it off with a score of 77, taking MOP for the second time this year.
The Tigers came into this matchup just one day after Ferrigno and Tordoff were named SEC riders of the month for October. With pressure to perform, these two did not fall short in their events. Ferrigno, who continues to improve in the flats section, scored 81 points for Auburn. Tordoff also brought home the highest score in Horsemanship with 77 points.
The Tigers will now look ahead to Friday, Nov. 22 at Georgia. This will be the final competition of Auburn’s fall portion of the season.
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Madelyn Marsh is a freshman from Castroville, Texas, who is majoring in journalism. She joined The Plainsman in fall 2023.
