Oct. 28, 2010

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The fourth-ranked Gamecock equestrian team travels to Manhattan, Kan. this weekend as South Carolina faces No. 6 Kansas State on Friday. It will be the Gamecocks’ final competition of the fall semester.

“We’re excited about hitting the road one last time this semester to face a very talented Kansas State team,” head coach Boo Major. “Kansas State has a terrific Western team, and they’ve got a skilled Hunt Seat group as well, so it’s going to be a great competition. I think our girls have looked good in practice this week and I feel like we’ll be ready for the challenge.”

The Gamecocks (2-2) are coming off a loss at Georgia on Oct. 23, while the Wildcats (3-2) are competing for the first time since defeating Baylor in a tie-break on Oct. 15.

South Carolina’s Hunt Seat team is 2-2, while the Western team is 2-1.

In Equitation Over Fences, Carolyn Curcio, Alex Arute, Kimberly McCormack, Jeanette Collins, and Morgan Hale will be competing for the Gamecocks.

In Equitation on the Flat, Curcio and McCormack will remain in the Carolina lineup. They will be joined by junior Colvin Hedgepeth, sophomore Logan Holler, and freshman Emma Johnson.

In Horsemanship, the Ganecocks will compete senior Hailey Thornton, juniors Maggie Fortune and Taylor Singmaster, sophomore Kelsey Stangebye, and redshirt freshman Johnna Letchworth.

And in Reining, senior captain Chloe Gray, junior Annie McDonald, sophomore Audrey Jewell, and freshmen Melia Blakely and Jordan Brown will be competing for South Carolina.

South Carolina last competed against Kansas State on April 16 at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships. The No. 10 seed Gamecocks lost 6-2 to the sixth-seeded Wildcats in the semifinals of the Western bracket.