2017-18 Season Recap

ATHENS, Ga. --- The Georgia equestrian team was crowned back-to-back Southeastern Conference Champions and National Collegiate Equestrian Association Reserve National Champions to cap the 2017-18 season.

Head coach Meghan Boenig was named SEC Coach of the Year for the fourth consecutive year after leading Georgia to a 13-2 overall record as the team held the No. 1 ranking through 15 weeks of the season.

The Bulldogs went undefeated in the fall, dropped one meet in the spring to Auburn, and bounced back to defeat the Tigers for the SEC title.

Georgia claimed an SEC Rider of the Year in every event. Maddy Darst was named SEC Equitation Over Fences Rider of the Year, while Addyson Cord (Equitation on the Flat), Bailey Anderson (Horsemanship), and Graysen Stroud (Reining) were named Co-Rider of the Year in their respective events.

Earning All-SEC accolades were Darst (Equitation Over Fences and Equitation on the Flat), Cord (Equitation Over Fences and Equitation on the Flat), sophomore Grace Bridges (Equitation on the Flat), Anderson (Horsemanship), Stroud (Horsemanship and Reining), and sophomore Annabeth Payne (Reining). Jordan Carpenter was named to the Reining SEC All-Freshman Team.

On the national scale, Darst (Equitation Over Fences) and Cord (Equitation on the Flat) earned Rider of the Year honors from the National Collegiate Equestrian Association in their respective events.

Seven Bulldogs claimed nine NCEA Ariat All-America honors. Senior Bailey Anderson (Horsemanship), sophomore Maddy Darst (Equitation on the Flat and Equitation Over Fences) and sophomore Annabeth Payne (Reining) earned First Team All-America honors. Junior Graysen Stroud (Horsemanship and Reining) and senior Addyson Cord (Equitation on the Flat) were named to the second team, while sophomore Grace Bridges (Equitation on the Flat) and junior Madison Anger (Horsemanship) earned honorable mention.

Over the course of the season, five Bulldogs earned NCEA Rider of the Month honors, including Graysen Stroud (Reining- March), Maddie Anger (Horsemanship- Nov.), Kyndall Harper (Reining- Nov), Maddy Darst (Fences- Nov. and March), and Madison Newman (Flat-Nov.). Additionally, five Bulldogs were also named SEC Rider of the Month: Addy Cord (Flat-Sept.), Bailey Anderson (Horsemanship- Oct. and March), Emma Mandarino (Fences- Oct.), Kyndall Harper (Reining-Nov.), Maddy Darst (Flat-Feb.).

Emma Mandarino was NCEA Standout Student-Athlete of the Month in October and Eva Marcelis was named to the SEC Community Service Team.

Fourteen seniors graduated on May 4^th and the Bulldogs will return eleven starters to the roster for the 2018-19 season.

Players Mentioned

Bailey Anderson

Madison Anger

Grace Bridges

Jordan Carpenter

Addyson Cord

Maddy Darst

Kyndall Harper

Emma Mandarino

Eva Marcelis

Madison Newman

Annabeth Payne

Graysen Stroud

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