No. 9 Gamecocks Fall to No. 4 Texas A&M

BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. – The No. 9 University of South Carolina equestrian team dropped a nail bitter against No. 4 Texas A&M, 10-9 on Saturday at OneWood Farm. Freshman Emma Lane claimed her second M.O.P. honor of the season in the loss. 

Carolina (1-4, 1-4 SEC) took the first two points of the day on the flat with junior Trinity Hammerschmidt notching a 73 on Barnaby and sophomore Nina Columbia’s 85 on Toby. The Aggies responded swiftly, taking the final three flat points to win the event, 3-2. 

The Gamecocks shined in reining with Lane earning her M.O.P. award with a 71-point ride on Sparky, junior Sloane Vogt continuing her blistering season with a 70.5 on Magnum to win her point and senior Addie Cromer celebrating Senior Day in style with a point-winning 70 on Chex for the Gamecocks to take the event 3-2 and enter halftime tied at 5-5.  

Horsemanship saw the Garnet and Black start strong with Vogt earning a win in her first horsemanship ride of the season, scoring a 75 on Z, but A&M responded by clinching the next point. After junior Kamiah McGrath rode to a tie with a 72.5 on Layla the Aggies claimed the next two points to carry an 8-6 lead into over fences. 

It looked like the Carolina rally would come to fruition as junior Alice Kass took the first over fences point with her 85 on Quentin, and fellow junior Mackenzie Suffy tied things up at 8-8 with her 86 on Kenny. Texas A&M, however, slammed the door on the Carolina rally by taking the next two points to clinch the win, but sophomore Madeline Schaefer ended the day with her third win of the season with an 86 on Mack to make the final score 10-9 in favor of the Aggies. 

The Gamecocks honored their 11 seniors after the meet in what is their final SEC competition at OneWood Farm. Carolina is set to face Auburn on March 13 on the plains ahead of the SEC Championship in Bishop, Ga. on March 26-27.