Sept. 19, 2008

Complete Results in PDF Format

BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. – The South Carolina equestrian team opened their fall season with a victory, defeating Kansas State 13-4. The Gamecocks have won four consecutive fall openers. This victory marks the Gamecock’s 14th straight home victory in the regular season.

“It was great day to have an equestrian event,” said head coach Boo Major. “The weather was perfect and our girls rode very well for our opening meet. We had several first timers that rode extremely well and our veterans were solid.”

The Gamecocks won the Hunter Seat division by a score of 9-1. Led by junior Megan Massaro, who received MVP honors in both equitation and equitation over fences, the Gamecocks won equitation by a score of 5-0 and equitation over fences by 4-1. Victoria Middleton, Rachel Koggan, Alex Haskell, Sarah Stephens and Massaro recorded victories in equitation with Massaro and Koggan leading the scores with 92. Paige Dekko, Nicole Bourgeois, Eleanor Kunsman and Massaro recorded victories in the equitation over fences divisions.

The Western team defeated Kansas State 4-3, with Kansas State winning the horsemanship division 2-1 and the Gamecocks winning reining 3-1. Maggie Fortune earned MVP honors in horsemanship with an event high score of 73.5. In the reining division, Amy Biffle, Lydia Roof and Chloe Gray recorded victories while Hailey Thornton received MVP honors with a score of 73.5 in a tie. Lydia Roof’s score of 74 was an event high in reining.

The Gamecocks are now 1-0 in the Hunter Seat, 1-0 in Western, and 1-0 overall. They host Auburn on Saturday, Oct. 4. The competition is scheduled for 10 a.m.