Waco, TX - Auburn University claimed its second overall team national championship in the 2011 Varsity Equestrian National Championships at Waco, TX, April 14-16, in the Extraco Events Center. The Tigers, also winners in 2006, placed first in hunter seat competition and fourth in Western. University of Georgia claimed second place with second-place (hunter seat) and third-place (Western) finishes. Texas A&M University was awarded third place by finishing first in Western and sixth in Hunter Seat.

Auburn riders claimed three of the four MVP spots; Grace Socha was the winner in fences while Maggie McAlary was the top rider in flat and Paige Monfore claimed reining honors. Oklahoma State University’s Marissa Dalton won horsemanship MVP.

In hunter seat, four top seeds held true as top-seeded Auburn claimed the hunter seat championship by downing second-seeded Georgia, 6-2, on Saturday afternoon. The victory enabled the Tigers to earn their second hunter seat crown – they were the 2008 champions as well.

Auburn claimed 3-1 victories in both equitation on the flat and equitation over fences to post the 6-2 win. Maggie McAlary, Lindsay Portela and Christina Lin earned Auburn’s three points in flat while Grace Socha, McAlary and Anna Scheirholz each won in fences. Michelle Morris and Abby O’Mara scored Georgia’s two points.

Baylor University, the competition’s No. 3 seed, earned its best-ever finish when it defeated fourth-seeded Oklahoma State, 6-1, to claim third place in the competition.

In Western, No. 1-seeded Texas A&M Aggies recorded their fifth Western title and third straight, by beating seventh-seeded Kansas State University 5-3. The Aggies also were victorious in 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2010.

Texas A&M leaped out into a 3-1 lead in horsemanship and that two-point lead stood as the two teams each scored two points in reining. Katie Lisabeth, Randi Standley and Carey Nowacek earned points for the Aggies in horsemanship and Courtney Dawe and Becca Murray each scored a point in reining. Sam Etsell, Jordan Cox and Hannah Ribera registered Kansas State’s three points.

Georgia edged Auburn 4-3 to claim third place in Western competition.

For more information about Varsity Equestrian, visit www.varsityequestrian.com.