Equestrian - History - University of Georgia Athletics

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Georgia Equestrian History

In June of 2001, Georgia took a bold step forward in the development of its athletics program when Equestrian was added as the 21st varsity intercollegiate sport. In the years since, the Bulldogs' program has become a national leader, both in the performance and in the movement, toward sponsorship by the NCAA.

Bulldogs’ Path to Another Championship

Georgia’s equestrian program has been the epitome of success since its inception in 2001. Since the program started, the Bulldogs have reached unprecedented heights, including eight national titles, seven reserve national titles, six Southern Equestrian Championships, and three Southeastern Conference Championships.

Georgia started with trailblazing success, winning national titles in both program’s first two years on the varsity level.

In 2002-03, the Bulldogs won their first varsity team national crown at the Varsity Equestrian National Championship in College Station, Texas.

The Bulldogs capped its second year of competition in grand style successfully defending its overall title at the sport’s national championship meet. Coach Meghan Boenig’s team trailed SEC rival Auburn by 14 points after the first day of riding. The Bulldogs, however, took control of the meet on the final day winning four of the seven flights and placing second in two others.

Georgia posted its first undefeated regular season in 2004-05, going 11-0 overall. Georgia’s first loss of the season came at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships where it fell to South Carolina 60-51. The Bulldogs would later bounce back with three first-place finishes to claim the reserve title.

In 2005-06, the Bulldogs claimed their second-straight Southern Equestrian Championship, defeating South Carolina 1351-1322.5. The Bulldogs entered the VENC as the No. 1 seed but ultimately finished fourth.

The 2006-07 team enjoyed a strong regular season finishing with a 9-2 record including an unblemished mark of 6-0 at home.

Georgia returned to the winner’s circle during the 2007-08 season, winning its third national title in just six years. The season also started a string of three-straight national titles for the Bulldogs. Georgia riders claimed their first national crown since 2004 without finishing first in either riding discipline. Georgia’s strong finish in both disciplines allowed the Bulldogs to claim a team title with surprising ease. That year, a new feature of the VENC meet was the competitions for individual titles in the four riding events. Georgia sophomore Sarah Locker claimed the title in Western Reining. Teammates Haylie Jayne in Hunt Seat Equitation on the Flat and Laura Upton in Western Horsemanship won Reserve status as runners-up in their competitions.

Georgia’s success continued into the 2008-09 season, as the Bulldogs took home the program’s fourth national title and second in as many years. With a resounding win in the Hunt Seat discipline and a fourth-place finish in Western, Georgia concluded the 2008-09 season by taking home its second straight overall title at the Varsity EQ National Championships in Waco, Texas. For the second straight year, Georgia brought home one of the four individual national championships that were introduced to the sport in 2008.

The 2009-10 Bulldog squad needed two kinds of tie-breakers to settle it, but they prevailed over Texas A&M to capture their third-straight overall crown at the Varsity National Championships in Waco, Texas on April 17. The 2010 championship is Georgia’s fifth in eight years and third in succession at the Heart ‘O Texas Fair Complex.

During the 2010-11 campaign, the Bulldogs again were competing for a championship, when they took on Southeastern Conference foe Auburn in the finals of the VENC National Championship. Georgia came away with its second Reserve Championship, falling 51-49 to the Tigers.

The 2011-12 equestrian team finished the regular season with a record of 11-2, a 10-meet win streak, a No. 1 ranking and its second Reserve National Championship. The Bulldogs finished second at the Southern Equestrian Championship before claiming its third Reserve Championship and second in as many years.
The 2012-13 season was a historic one, as the Southeastern Conference sponsored the sport for the first time. That season, the team finished the season with a 9-5 dual-meet record and its third-straight Reserve National Championship. The Bulldogs also led the Southeastern Conference with 11 all-conference selections and had two riders earn SEC Rider of the Year honors.

During the 2013-14 season, Georgia earned the program's sixth National Championship. After finishing the regular season with a 9-3 dual-meet record, the Georgia equestrian team earned a second-place finish at the Southeastern Conference Championship.

The Bulldogs earned the program's first ever SEC Championship in 2015. As the No. 1 seed of the tournament, Georgia handed Texas A&M a 12-5 loss to capture the title. Georgia then set its sights on the 2015 NCEA National Championship. Georgia and South Carolina met for the second year in a row to compete for the national title. After a tight competition, the Gamecocks were able to come away with the win. The Bulldogs finished the 2014-15 campaign with a 11-4 record during the regular season, before going 4-1 in the post season.

The Bulldogs began the 2015-16 campaign ranked as the No. 1 equestrian team in the country. The team rode to a 10-2 record during the regular season, before going 2-2 in the post season. Georgia hosted the 2016 SEC Championship at the UGA Equestrian Complex.

Georgia was crowned SEC Champions, NCEA Reserve National Champions, and hit 150 wins in program history during the 2016-17 season.

Georgia received the No. 1 seed for the SEC Championship and topped South Carolina, 13-7, to advance to the final round to face Auburn for a rematch of the 2016 championship. Tied at eight points each with three rides remaining, Georgia defeated Auburn, 10-9, to claim the championship title.

Similarly to the previous season, Georgia repeated as SEC Champions and were named NCEA Reserve National Champions in 2018. Meghan Boenig was named SEC Coach of the Year for the fourth consecutive year after leading Georgia to a 13-1 overall record as the team held the No. 1 ranking through 15 weeks of the season.

Continuing the success, the Bulldogs finished the season as NCEA Reserve National Champions in 2019. Georgia finished third in the SEC Championship before dropping a close decision to Auburn in the National Championship in Ocala.

Georgia recorded a 7-6 record in 2020 before the spring slate was cut short due to COVID-19.

The Bulldogs added a seventh National Championship trophy to the shelf in 2021. Georgia concluded the season with a 4-1 postseason record. The team dropped the SEC Championship round to Auburn before defeating TCU, Oklahoma State and SMU for the chip. Boenig collected her first career NCEA Coach of the Year recognition.

The 2022 Georgia team concluded the regular season with an 8-4 record. The Bulldogs defeated South Carolina to place third at the SEC Championship. Nine Bulldogs were named NCEA All-Americans. Georgia collected SEC nods, including four SEC Riders of the Year and 11 All-SEC Selections.

Georgia went 6-9 in 2023. They fell to Texas A&M in the first round of the SEC Championship. The Bulldogs turned it around and defeated South Carolina,15-5, for the second-consecutive year to finish third at the conference championship.

The 2024 Georgia squad posted an undefeated home record on its way to a 4-2 league slate. The Bulldogs finished 9-6 with a four-meet win streak to round out the regular season. Georgia places third in the SEC Championship after defeating South Carolina in the consolation round.

Georgia won its eighth program NCEA National Championship in 2025. This marks the University of Georgia’s 50th institutional championship. The Bulldogs went 4-2 in league play. They were knocked out of the SEC Championship by Texas A&M, 10-9, in the first round. The Bulldogs came into the NCEA National Championship strong. Georgia defeated conference foes Auburn, 13-4, and Texas A&M, 16-4, in the quarter and semifinal rounds, respectively. The Bulldogs captured their eighth title, defeating SMU 12-8 in the final round to be crowned champions once again.