Sept. 28, 2007

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina equestrian will head to Auburn, Ala. for their first road competition of the fall season when they face the Auburn Tigers on Saturday, Sept. 29. Scheduled for a 10 a.m. start, the Gamecocks will try to improve upon their 1-0 record.

“We are looking forward to our first road trip and are excited to be competing against Auburn this weekend,” head coach Boo Duncan said. “Auburn brings a very talented and balanced team to the competition. We will be competing a lot of freshman and will have our work cut out for us. It is always hard to win at Auburn, but I think we have a good shot at it.”

Last year, the two teams met three times in dual competition with the Gamecocks going 1-2 against Auburn. The Hunter Seat team won all three times and also defeated the Auburn Hunter Seat team at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships by a 7-0 score. Carolina’s Hunter Seat team is on a 19-competition win streak dating back to the 2005-06 season.

Riding for the Gamecocks in equitation will be senior captain Kristen Terebesi, junior Sarah Stephens, sophomores Carly Babcock and Alex Haskell and freshman Victoria Middleton. Terebesi was named equitation MVP last week against TCU while Middleton recorded an 84-68 win in her first collegiate meet last week. In equitation over fences, Terebesi will again ride with veterans Nicole Bourgeois, Megan Massaro, Lindsey Pace and Katie Stenberg. The Gamecock used the same lineup over fences in the win against TCU.

On the western side, Carolina will use ride the same lineup in reining and horsemanship as last week. Seniors Katy Biffle and Allison Bradley will lead in horsemanship, followed by junior Katie Grossnickle, sophomore Amy Biffle and freshman Hailey Thornton. Thornton was Carolina’s highest scorer in horsemanship last week in her first collegiate competition. In reining, Bradley will be joined by team captain Lindsay Williams, junior Rebekah Roof and freshman Chloe Gray and Kyla Thurlow. Like Thornton in horsemanship, Thurlow led the team in reining in her first competition at USC.

Carolina will next return to OneWood Farm in Blythewood when they host South Dakota State on Saturday, Oct. 6. The competition will begin at 10 a.m.