Texas A&M opens its 2014-15 season on September 25 when it plays host to UT-Martin, while Georgia begins on October 3 by traveling to South Carolina.
Each of the four equestrian programs of the SEC are among the nation’s top-10 teams, according to the NCEA preseason rankings, which were announced on Tuesday. Defending NCEA Champion Georgia is the nation’s No. 1 team, while two-time defending SEC Champion South Carolina is ranked No. 2. Auburn is the nation’s No. 4-ranked team, while Texas A&M checks in at No. 8.
Despite the SEC being in only its third season of sponsoring equestrian, the four programs that comprise the conference have a long and storied tradition of success. In fact, every NCEA Overall Team National Championship in the history of the sport has been won by a current member of the SEC.
Equestrian became the SEC’s 21st sport in advance of the 2012-13 academic year.
The 2015 SEC Equestrian Championship takes place March 27-28 at the new Hildebrand Equine Complex in College Station, Texas.
For all of the latest information on SEC equestrian, please log on to www.SECSports.com or follow @SEC_Sean on Twitter.
Team-by-Team Notes
Auburn
Auburn loses All-Americans Christina Lin, Jennifer Waxman and Stephanie Rucci and SEC honorees Quincy Hayes and Cheyenne Cracraft to graduation, but the Tigers will look to its upperclassmen to rise to the occasion as Auburn faces a daunting 2014-15 schedule. The English side is led by rising senior Demi Stiegler, who posted the highest score nationally for the 2013-14 season, scoring a 96 in the equitation on the flat, to earn All-America honors. Junior Elizabeth Benson is coming off a stellar sophomore campaign where she was named to the All-SEC Equestrian Team, NCEA All-Championship Team and the NCEA Championships MOP. On the Western side, senior Katsy Leeman looks to lead the way along with junior Griffin Knight. Leeman was an SEC Championship Team honoree while Knight led the western side with a team-high 14 wins and was an NCEA All-American Honorable Mention in reining. The Tigers begin the 2014-15 season on Sept. 19 at Tennessee-Martin.
Georgia
The 2014 NCEA National Champion Georgia equestrian team looks to continue its dominating ways in the 2014-15 campaign. After finishing with a 9-3 dual-meet record including a 4-2 mark in Southeastern Conference play, the Bulldogs captured the program’s sixth national title. This year’s roster includes several All-American and All-SEC selections, as well as an impressive freshmen class that will add depth to the Georgia lineup. The schedule includes 12 regular-season competitions, including six against Southeastern Conference teams. The schedule also includes a pair of scrimmages, including one against Alabama. Georgia will kick-off its 2014 season on the road against second-ranked, SEC foe South Carolina. The Bulldogs and the Gamecocks split a pair of regular season matchups last season. South Carolina then went on to win the Southeastern Conference Championships over Georgia before the Bulldogs claimed the NCEA National Championship over the Gamecocks in their fourth meeting of the year. The meet will serve as the SEC opener for both teams and is slated to start at 2 p.m. at OneWood Farm in Blythewood, S.C. Please follow the Georgia equestrian team on twitter at @UGAEquestrian for scoring updates.
South Carolina
South Carolina opens the 2014-15 season on Fri., September 19 at No. 6 Kansas State… The Gamecocks defeated the Wildcats, 15-5, in last year’s season opener in Blythewood… Carolina’s home opener will be on Fri., October 3 when the Gamecocks host No. 1 Georgia at One Wood Farm… Seven of the Gamecocks’ first ten meets are on the road this season.
Texas A&M
The Aggies enter the new campaign ranked eighth in the National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) poll preseason rankings, as determined by the NCEA Selection Committee … As a program, Texas A&M has 11 national titles including the 2012 NCEA Overall National Championship as well as the 2012 NCEA Western National crown. Texas A&M welcomes new blood into its coaching staff this season, welcoming assistant coaches Caroline Cramer (hunt seat) and Jessie Weisinger (horsemanship) … Cramer served as a volunteer coach at A&M last season and road collegiately at Tennessee-Martin while Weisinger returns to Aggieland after being one of the original members of the initial Texas A&M equestrian team from 1999-02 … Head coach Tana McKay enters her 16th season as head coach. The 2014-15 season will mark the Aggies’ first full year in the Hildebrand Equine Complex, which opened last spring as one of the country’s top on-campus facilities ... The venue boasts arenas for both Western and English disciplines, a spacious locker room, state-of-the-art barn and team areas and staff offices as well as a teaching and outreach complex