The No. 3 Auburn equestrian team earned another strong result at home, defeating Berry College 7-3 in a single-discipline meet Friday afternoon at the Auburn Equestrian Center. The Tigers secured the win in the jumping seat-only competition by claiming a 4-1 on the Flat and a 3-2 in Fences.
The Tigers took control early, winning four of five Flat rides, before sealing the victory with three hard-fought points in Fences.
“I was very happy with the team and the way they rode today,” Braswell said. “We were able to mix up the lineup a little bit, and Molly Segars on Fences came through at the end with a huge ride with the 92, which was the highest score over Fences today. That was a pretty big pressure situation, so it was great to see that from her.
The Tigers came out strong in Flat, earning four points to Berry’s one. Sophomore Kate Hagerty led the way, riding Gigi to an 87-85 victory over Berry’s Devon Ansley. Her performance secured Auburn’s second Flat point of the day but also earned her the first Most Outstanding Performer honor of her career in the event.
“Kate Hagerty was the MOP on the Flat, and it was her first career Flat MOP today. She rode beautifully in both events. Ariana [Marnell] had her first career MOP in Fences as well. I honestly thought they all rode great. Coach Emma Kurtz and I talked about it after, and we really would not have changed the way they rode today, so [I’m] very pleased with where they are.”
Several Tigers joined Hagerty in contributing key points. Baylee McKeever, competing in her first ride of the season, delivered an 86-79 victory over Berry’s Willa Akins. Kate Parker added her first Flat point of the year with a confident 84-72 win against Haley Wilson, and Sadie Berkhout edged out a narrow 78-75 victory aboard Herbie to secure Auburn’s fourth point in the event.
Although Berry managed to take one matchup, Meaghan Kursman’s 86-85 win over Auburn’s Charlotte McLaughlin, the Tigers’ control in Flat set the tone for the rest of the meet.
In Fences, Auburn continued its momentum despite facing strong rides from Berry. Freshman Ariana Marnell picked up her first career MOP honor, topping Emily Sudderth 90-83. Hagerty carried her success from Flat into Fences, posting an 89 on Georgie to earn her second win of the meet.
The meet came down to the moment where senior Molly Segars capped the meet with the highest score of the day. Facing Devon Ansley in a close matched final ride, Segars turned in a 92-88 performance to clinch Auburn’s third Fences point and secure the 7-3 overall victory.
Berry picked up two wins in the event, with Willa Akins edging Berkhout 83-82 and Kursman defeating Mckeever 79-77. But the Tigers’ ability to answer back in high-pressure situations like these ultimately carried them to the finish.
Looking ahead, Auburn opens conference competition at No. 4 Texas A&M on Oct. 24 at 1 p.m. CDT at the Hildebrand Equine Complex in College Station, Texas.
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