🏇 No. 1 Auburn’s Late Surge Falls Short in 10–9 Loss at No. 6 South Carolina

Tigers rally behind dominant Reining performance, but early miscues prove costly in SEC showdown at Blythewood

BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. | A furious late rally wasn’t enough to erase an early deficit as the Auburn Tigers equestrian suffered a narrow 10–9 setback to the South Carolina Gamecocks equestrian in a tightly contested Southeastern Conference matchup Saturday afternoon.

Despite trailing 10–5 entering the final event, Auburn (6–2, 2–2 SEC) mounted an impressive charge in Reining, winning four of five rides to pull within one point before the comeback ultimately came up short.

“I’m proud of the fight we showed with such a rough start to the meet,” head coach Jessica Braswell said. “We made far too many mistakes today, but we also never gave up or got deflated.”

Reining Rally Nearly Seals the Comeback

The Tigers’ comeback bid gained traction in Reining, where Auburn went 4–0–1 against the Gamecocks. Junior Callie Hogg sparked the surge with a decisive 70–62.5 victory, followed by a career-best performance from senior Caroline Buchanan, who posted a career-high 75.25 to win by 2.75 points.

Freshman Sofia Tieche continued the momentum with a 68.5–66.5 win, and senior Alexia Tordoff closed the event with a clutch 71.5–70 victory. A tie between Auburn’s Michelle Fumagalli and South Carolina’s Emily Patton ultimately proved to be the meet-deciding point.

“I challenged the reiners at the half to ride with a chip on their shoulder, and they really responded,” Braswell said. “Overall, I’m happy with the effort today. We just have to clean up our execution.”

Buchanan earned Most Outstanding Performer honors in Reining, while sophomore Kate Hagerty was recognized as MOP in Fences.