“This was a very successful day for us,” said head coach Meghan Boenig. “We were able to take seven of the eight MVPs which says a lot about how well our riders performed. There were several high scores and we rode with consistency throughout the day. We wanted to approach today with a national championship mentality and I think we did that. We have a long ways to go, but it is definitely a step towards where we want to be. We also want to thank UT-Martin for being great hosts.”
Georgia vs. UT-Martin
Highlights of the meet against the Skyhawks included MVP rides by Bailey Anderson (Horsemanship), Liza Finsness (Equitation Over Fences) and Kylee Arbuckle (Equitation on the Flat).
Georgia started the day taking a 3-2 lead over UT-Martin in Equitation Over Fences. Megan Southam rode to an 82-80 point victory. Arbuckle followed, defeating her opponent 84-76 and was awarded MVP honors. Finsness used an event-high score of 85 to earn her point for the Bulldogs. UT-Martin picked up the final two points of the event.
In Horsemanship, the Skyhawks took the first point before Sammie Johnson answered with a 72.5-70 decision. Paige Stawicki rode to a 68.5-point draw with Cora Rogaski. Georgia earned the last two points with an MVP ride from Anderson and strong ride from Sara Parr who scored 75 and 73 respectively. At the half, the Bulldogs led the Skyhawks 6-3.
The Bulldogs bested the Skyhawks 3-2 in Equitation on the Flat. Meg O’Mara scored her point with a 79-74 decision. UT-Martin took the next point, followed by a win from Arbuckle who was named MVP with a score of 88. The Skyhawks picked up their second point of the event, but Georgia sealed the win with a 76-74 victory from Finsness.
Leading UT-Martin 9-5, Georgia entered the final event of the day. The Skyhawks took the first point in reining, but Lauren Garmon answered with a 71-67 win over Maddie Williams. The Bulldogs earned the final three points as Kyndall Harper, Lauren Tieche and Lindsey Cheek each rode to victories. At the conclusion of the competition, Georgia topped UT-Martin 13-6.
Georgia vs. Kansas State
Georgia earned all four MVP honors in the meet against Kansas State: Megan Southam (Equitation Over Fences and Equitation on the Flat), Paige Stawicki (Horsemanship) and Lauren Garmon (Reining).
The Bulldogs handed the Wildcats a 4-0 loss in Equitation Over Fences. Southam set the pace with an 83-79 victory over Taylor Schmidt and earned MVP honors. Finsness scored an 81 to tie with Kansas State’s Alexis Graves. Gleeson used a 79-69 victory to put another point on the board for the Bulldogs. Georgia took the final two points with an 80-70 decision from Arbuckle and an 83-81 victory from O’Mara.
Georgia and Kansas State rode to a 2-2 draw in Horsemanship. Stawicki used an event-high score of 75.5 to defeat Kansas States’s Danielle Kemper and was awarded MVP honors. The Wildcats earned the next point. Anderson outscored Sydney Anson 71.5-65.5 and earned a point for Georgia. Kansas State picked up the next point, followed by a 75-point tie between Parr and Paige Kemper. Heading into the second half of competition, Georgia led Kansas State 6-2.
Georgia completed a perfect 5-0 sweep in Equitation on the Flat. Initiated by an MVP-earning ride from Southam, the Bulldogs earned the next four points with scores of 84 and above.
The Bulldogs sealed the 14-4 win over the Wildcats with a 3-2 decision in Reining. Harper used a score of 71.5 to defeat Brynn Critcher. Tieche matched Harper’s score to take the next point. Kansas State picked up a point before Garmon put up a 71.5-68, MVP-earning ride. The Wildcats then took the final point of the event.
The UGA equestrian team will be back in action next weekend when they return home for another dual-meet weekend. The Bulldogs will face South Carolina on Saturday, Feb. 7 followed by Delaware State on Sunday, Feb. 8. Both meets will begin at 10 a.m. ET and admission is free.