BISHOP, Ga. – The top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs defeated the fifth-ranked SMU Mustangs 11-8, securing the seniors’ final win at the UGA Equestrian Complex on Friday.
“It’s always great to come out here and compete,” head coach Meghan Boenig said. “It’s always a little emotional watching the seniors ride knowing it is the last time on home turf. Having said that, it is not the last time of the season so looking forward to what they will continue to do in and out of the arena.”
Georgia (8-1, 4-1) took a 3-2 win over SMU in Equitation Over Fences. Senior Addy Cord rode to a season and event-high, 86, over the Mustang’s Hayley Banas 80 to put the Bulldogs on the board first. Tied 2-2 going into the last rotation, sophomore Ali Tritschler anchored the Bulldogs’ victory in the first event with a score of 80 to top SMU’s Brett Burlington score of 79.
Click below for photo gallery:
https://bulldawgillustrated.smugmug.com/2018-Spring-Spots-Photos/2018-Equestrian/EQ-UGA-vs-SMU-March-2-2018/
Senior Payton Anderson posted a score of 80 to defeat SMU’s Michaela Dinger to clinch the sweep in Horsemanship. Two more Georgia seniors, Bailey Anderson and Sammie Johnson, added to the uncontested 5-0 win. Senior Bailey Anderson trotted to her sixth MOP honor of the season with an event-high score of 75.5 over the Mustangs’ Ashley Mauney, 71. Sammie Johnson earned Georgia’s final point with a score of 74, providing the Bulldogs an 8-2 lead over the Mustangs going into the final two events.
After SMU tied the meet at two, Tritschler earns her first MOP honor with a season-high score of 90 over SMU’s Vivian Yowan, 82, to lock in the Bulldogs’ 3-2 win in Equitation on the Flat. Sophomores Maddy Darst and Grace Bridges contributed scores of 87 and 85, respectively, for two more Georgia points.
Georgia dropped four points to SMU in Reining. Three Bulldogs, Annabeth Payne, Kyndall Harper, and Julia Spreng, each earned scores of 67.5 to end the day. The Bulldogs’ early lead guaranteed a win over the SMU Mustangs 11-4.
Up next, Georgia heads to College Station, Texas for the final regular season meet to take on third-ranked Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday, March 10.