April 3, 2007

Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina Equestrian team defeated Southern Methodist University 7-4 Sunday in Dallas, Texas. The team closes out the season with a 9-2 record, with the Hunt Seat team claiming a perfect 11-0 record and the Western team owning a 4-6 record. The competition marks the final one before USC takes on rivals Auburn and Georgia in Southern Equestrian Championship this weekend in Auburn, Ala.

The Gamecocks swept MVP honors in the competition. Earning the honor in equitation over fences was senior Cate Sands (Lebanon, Pa.) who rode to an event high 85. Carly Babcock earned her second MVP award of the season after posting a score of 81 in equitation on the flat. Freshman Alex Haskell (Cincinnati, Ohio) recorded a division high score of 89 in equitation on the flat.

Joining Sands in equitation over fences were freshmen Megan Massaro (Summerfield, Fla.) and Katie Stenberg (Rehoboth, Mass.), sophomore Courtney Reese (Tryon, N.C.), junior Ashley Rhode (Alpharetta, Ga.), and senior Ellen Hogate (St. Charles, Ill.). In equitation on the flat, South Carolina riders were Lisa Bourbonniere (Toronto, Ontario), Ciara Stuart (Milton, Vt.), Reese, Haskell, Babcock, and Sands.

South Carolina will compete in the Southern Equitation Championship this weekend, before traveling to Waco, Texas April 18-20 for the Varsity Equestrian National Championship where they are the No. 1 seed in the Hunt Seat Division, and the No. 7 seed in the Western Division respectively.