Sept. 10, 2014
Senior Layla Choate and the Gamecocks were recognized at last year’s Carolina-Vanderbilt game after the equestrian team won the 2013 SEC Championship.
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The University of South Carolina’s back-to-back SEC Champion equestrian team will be recognized on the field during Saturday’s Carolina-Georgia football contest. The recognition will take place on-field between the first and second quarters.
The equestrian team will also be in the Gamecock Village from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. before Saturday’s game. The riders will be signing team posters and taking photos with fans. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium, with Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson in the broadcast booth.
“We’re excited about honoring our equestrian team at Saturday’s football game,” said Josh Waters, the Gamecocks’ director of marketing. “They had a terrific season last year and it was very exciting to see them win the SEC Championship at home, so we’re looking forward to having a sellout crowd cheer them on and congratulate them on Saturday.”
Last season, the equestrian team went 15-3, becoming the first Gamecock team to win two straight SEC titles. South Carolina defeated No. 2 Georgia in a tiebreaker on March 29 at One Wood Farm in Blythewood. The Gamecocks spent 20 consecutive weeks ranked No. 1 in the country, also a school record. Head coach Boo Major was voted National Coach of the Year by the National Collegiate Equestrian Association coaches, and she earned her second straight SEC Coach of the Year award.
“It’s going to be exciting for our girls to get recognized at home in front of so many Gamecock fans,” Major said. “We weren’t able to make it out to the spring game last season because we were in our final practices for nationals, so we appreciate coach Spurrier and our marketing department giving us this special recognition on Saturday.”
South Carolina opens the 2014-15 season on Sept. 19 when the Gamecocks travel to face Kansas State in a rematch of last season’s season opener, which Carolina won, 15-5. The Gamecocks’ home opener will take place on Fri., Oct. 3 when South Carolina hosts Georgia at 2 p.m. in Blythewood.
