University of Georgia
Auburn
No. 1 Georgia Drops 12-6 Decision to No. 4 Auburn
February 09, 2018 | Equestrian
BISHOP, Ga. – The top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs fell to the fourth-ranked Auburn Tigers, 12-6, on Friday afternoon at the UGA Equestrian Complex.
"There was a lot of great consistency that wasn't necessarily reflected in the scores," said Georgia head coach Meghan Boenig. "A little error here and there ended up costing big as far as the points. These guys rode really well, better than we rode last week and the week before that. That doesn't mean that we don't have to continue to improve."
Auburn established an early lead in Equitation Over Fences, led by Taylor St. Jacques, who earned Most Outstanding Performance honors with a score of 85, edging sophomore Ali Tritschler's 84. Sophomore Maddy Darst added a Georgia point, riding to an 83 over Ashton Alexander's 82.5, but Auburn collected three more points in the event, totaling four to the Bulldogs' one.
The Tigers continued in Horsemanship, with an event-high score (75) and MOP recognition for Auburn's Deanna Green. Her score just topped Georgia's 74.5 from senior Payton Anderson. Auburn's Kara Kaufmann pushed the point, matching junior Madison Anger's 71.5, but Auburn used a trio of points for an 8-1 lead at the halfway point.
Georgia returned in Equitation on the Flat, besting Auburn 3-2. The event was highlighted by Auburn's St. Jacque's second MOP honors, with a meet high score of 93. Senior captain Addy Cord and Tritschler posted Georgia points with respective scores of 83 and 84, and Georgia's Darst contributed her second Bulldog point, riding to a 79 over Ashton Alexander's 77.
The Bulldogs notched two more points in Reining with scores of 73.5 and 72.5 from sophomore Julia Spreng and junior Graysen Stroud, but Auburn earned its final MOP honor of the day in Terri June Granger's 74 and contained its 12-6 final.
"We will see this team again and we can certainly make this outcome very different," said Boenig. "I am grateful to have that loss at this point in the season so we can be ready for the rest of the spring."
Up next, Georgia travels to Columbia, South Carolina to face off with the Gamecocks on Saturday, February 17.
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