COLLEGE STATION – No. 4 Texas A&M Equestrian upset second-ranked SMU, 11-9, Saturday at the Hildebrand Equine Complex.
With the win, the Aggies move to 6-2 on the year while SMU suffered their first loss of the 2018-19 campaign and is now 6-1.
“I am very proud of the team today,” head coach Tana McKay said. “Knowing that you are going up against an undefeated team is never easy and SMU had some momentum. We had our work cut out for us, and they didn’t make it easy on us. I am proud for how they rode and worked together as a team. We are looking forward to hitting the road for another tough road meet against Georgia.”
In the meet’s first event, Equitation over Fences, Haley Redifer secured the lone point for the Aggies by defeating Kelsie Brittan, 82-68.
In the Western arena, Texas A&M dominated Horsemanship, 4-1. Kamiah McGrath scored first for the Aggies, defeating Mallory Vroegh, 74-71. Alex Albright topped Aubrey Alderman, 72.5-66, before Sarah Orsak edged out Ashley Mauney, 73.5-72.5. Katie Conklin earned Most Outstanding Player (MOP) honors with a 74.5-72 victory over Megan Waldron.
In Reining, the Aggies won the event, 3-2, as the Maroon & White started strong, winning the first three points. Kalee McCann knocked off Jill Pfisthner 73-72.5, followed by Marissa Harrell’s 73.5-70 victory over Madison Steed. Ashton Dunkel concluded the scoring by defeating Aubrey Alderman, 72-71.
Texas A&M won the day’s final event, Equitation on the Flat, 3-2. Caroline Dance earned the first point and MOP honors as she matched her career high with a score of 90 against Nora Gray’s 86. The Aggies tallied another point when Rhian Murphy defeated Tali DeJong, 75-70. In the winner-take-all final ride, Brianna Peddicord secured the Aggie victory with a dominating 81-68 victory over Haley Zimmerman.
The Aggies return to action against No. 3 Georgia on Saturday, Feb. 9. The meet is slated to begin at 10 a.m. at the UGA Equestrian Complex in Bishop, Ga.
To learn more about Texas A&M Equestrian, log on to 12thMan.com or follow @AggieEquestrian on Twitter and Instagram.