[su_spacer size=”20″] The Georgia equestrian captured the SEC title Saturday afternoon at the Hildebrand Equine Complex in College Station, Texas. It is the first title for the Bulldogs since the event was officially sponsored by the SEC in 2013.

 

“What an incredible day,” said head coach Meghan Boenig. “This team has worked hard to prepare for this all season long and today it all came together. I’m continuously impressed by their dedication and support for one another. They have shown such leadership and incredible work ethic. We still have the toughest part of our season left, so we will enjoy this success, learn from it, and set our sights on the national championship.”

 

Sara Parr (Horsemanship) and Liza Finsness (Equitation on the Flat) were named to the SEC All-Championship Team, each riding to 2-0 records over the course of the weekend.

 

Highlighting the championship meet were Liza Finsness (Equitation Over Fences), Leylan Gleeson (Equitation on the Flat) and Rachel Kolb (Horsemanship) who earned MOP honors.

 

Georgia swept Equitation on the Flat to jump to a 4-0 lead over Texas A&M. Gleeson led the charge, defeating Hannah Williams 161-143. Megan Southam tied Marlena Parker with 154 points apiece before Kylee Arbuckle took the third-straight point with a 159-144 win over Anna Rea. Finsness didn’t let up, outscoring Haley Buchmiller 157-152. In the anchor position for the Bulldogs, Meg O’Mara sealed the sweep with a 159-133 decision over Audrey Gallagher.

 

The Bulldogs dropped a 2-1 decision to the Aggies in Reining. Kyndall Harper set the bar, taking a 146.5-144.5 victory over Ashley Dotson. Lauren Tieche and Sarah Kate Grider rode to a 145-point tie, resulting in no point. Laura Sumrall took a point for the Aggies, followed by another tie between Charley Thiel and Logan Pluhar who each scored 145. The Aggies earned the final point of the event with a winning ride from Hannah Jechow.

 

Georgia edged Texas A&M 3-2 in Horsemanship. Texas A&M’s Rachel Lucht and Avery Ellis were able to secure the first two point of the event. Parr used a 148.5-143 decision to put a point on the board for Georgia. Bailey Anderson followed with a 146.5-134.5 victory. Kolb sealed the event with a MOP-earning, 149-135 win over Pluhar.

 

The Georgia Equitation Over Fences squad used a dominant 4-1 performance to seal the event and ultimately the SEC title. O’Mara set the pace, outscoring Alex Desiderio 166-154. Kylee Arbuckle was up next, defeating Williams 157-133. Gleeson added another point with a 168-161 win over Haley Webster. Parker was able to grab the lone point for the Aggies, before Finsness laid down an MOP-earning 173-153 performance.

 

The Georgia equestrian team will next travel to Waco, Texas for the NCEA National Championship April 16-18 in search of its seventh national title