Georgia Wins Season Opener Over UT Martin, 13-5

Saturday, September 30

Bishop, Ga.

12:00 p.m.

University of Georgia

UT Martin

September 30, 2023 | Equestrian

BISHOP, Ga. --- The No. 6 University of Georgia equestrian team opened the season with a 13-5 win over No. 10 UT Martin on a sunny Saturday afternoon at the UGA Equestrian Complex.

Georgia riders collected all four Most Outstanding Performer honors.  Seniors Emma Reichow and Sophia Pilla won the distinction in Fences and Flat, respectively. Fifth-year seniors Gracie Himes and Caitlin Lyons claimed the honors in Horsemanship and Reining.

"It was a great day to be out here and competing," Georgia head coach Meghan Boenig said. "We're really seeing these riders come up and perform well. I thought as far as errors and mistakes, we were very clean and very confident riding. I think that we saw that pretty universal throughout the meet. We're still going to see moments where we could push a little higher- a couple more scores we want to see really get up there and match some of those MOPs, but it was wonderful to see that sweep. This team is really coming along. UT Martin rode very well and competed yesterday too. We have a really quick turn-around heading to Texas A&M next week."

Competition started in Flat with the Bulldogs winning four rides. Senior Sophia Pilla put Georgia on the board with a score of 83, which won her MOP honors. Senior Nora Andrews took the next point, edging her Skyhawk opponent by two with a score of 78. UT Martin won the next point before junior Catalina Peralta and senior Jordan Toering claimed the next two points for the Bulldogs with scores of 84 and 79, respectively.

Meanwhile in Reining the Bulldogs added three points. UT Martin won the first Western point of the day. Raegan Shepherd won the next ride before junior Jax Bound pushed a point with her UT Martin opponent. The Bulldogs took the final two Reining points with Shelby Lynch scoring a 69.5 and Caitlin Lyons receiving a 70.

Georgia led 7-2 at the break.

Competition resumed in Fences with the Bulldogs edging the Skyhawks 3-2. UT Martin won the first point of Fences before Georgia won three-straight rides. Senior Jennifer Staniloff marginally beat her opponent, 79-78. Peralta received an 86 for her course, defeating her UT Martin counterpart by five and senior Emma Reichow followed with an 85. UT Martin's Elizabeth Becker jumped to a 77, taking the final Jumping Seat point.

Finishing in Horsemanship, the Bulldogs widened the gap with three more points. UT Martin's Lexi Bailey won the first point. Georgia's Jordan Davis won her point with a score of 74 followed by an MOP-earning ride from Himes with a 74.5. Senior Leah Anderson pushed her point before junior Jillian Stopperich finished the meet receiving a 74 for her ride and adding the final point for the Bulldogs.

Georgia hits the road next week for its first SEC match-up of the season against No. 4 Texas A&M. Competition is slated for Friday, October 6 at 1 p.m. ET at the Hildebrand Equine Complex in College Station.

HOW TO FOLLOW GEORGIA EQUESTRIAN: For complete information on Georgia equestrian, follow the team on its social media channels via @UGAEquestrian on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.