BRYAN, Texas – The fourth-ranked Texas A&M equestrian team (4-2, 0-2) hosts No. 1 South Carolina (3-0, 2-0 SEC) in the Aggies’ first-ever home Southeastern Conference meet and the final show of the fall season, Friday at the Brazos County Expo Complex.
The meet will begin at 2 p.m. with equitation over fences and horsemanship competing simultaneously. Equitation on the flat and reining will follow at 4:15 p.m.
The Aggies are 3-0 at home this season and are on the hunt for their first SEC victory. Last weekend the team upended Fresno State at the BCEC with a 17-6 win over the Bulldogs. A&M swept the Most Outstanding Player (MOP) awards, bringing the season haul to 15 out of a possible 20, while the Aggies went 6-0 in equitation on the flat.
The top-ranked Gamecocks are fresh off an 11-8 upset victory at No. 1 Georgia that knocked the Bulldogs down to a No. 3 national ranking after sitting atop the chart since the preseason. SEC Over Fences Rider of the Month Emily Williams (5-0) and Aggie horsemanship rider Caroline Ammons (3-0) won’t be the only undefeated riders at the meet as USC’s Kimberly McCormack is 3-0 this year in the same event and Audrey Jewell and Layla Choate are 3-0 in reining.
The Aggies and Gamecocks have met eight times in the varsity equestrian format, with A&M holding a 5-3 edge. The teams last competed at the NCEA Championships in 2012 when the Aggies downed South Carolina, 6-2 in hunter seat and 4-3 in western on the way to a 10th and 11th national title for A&M.
The meet with the Gamecocks closes out fall competition as the Aggies will return to the Arena for a Feb. 2 meet at Oklahoma State. To learn more about Texas A&M equestrian, log on to AggieAthletics.com and follow @AggieEquestrian on Twitter.