No. 3 Gamecocks Down Lynchburg 9-1
BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. – The No. 3 University of South Carolina equestrian team got its spring slate underway on Friday with a 9-1 jumping seat win over the University of Lynchburg Hornets. Junior Caroline Bald took Most Outstanding Player honors on the flat, and sophomore Jordan Allen won the MOP for over fences.
The western side of the team held a Garnet and Black scrimmage as well where the Garnet team prevailed, 6-3, but senior Taylor Kellam and junior Sloane Vogt of the black team took the M.O.P .honors for horsemanship and reining, respectively.
Carolina (1-2-0, 1-2-0 SEC) took control early when the action got started on the flat. Junior Kit Cunningham took the first point of the day with her 69-point ride on Glen, while fellow junior Trinity Hammerschmidt scored the next point with a 73 on Tattoo. Sophomore Nina Columbia kept things rolling with her point-winning 78 on Cal, followed by junior Alice Kass taking her point with an 81 on Murphy. Carolina saved the best for last though, with Caroline Bald’s 85-point ride on Toby taking the M.O.P. honors. This is Bald’s first flat M.O.P. win, and the second overall of her career.
The Gamecocks continued to roll when the over fences competition started with junior Mackenzie Suffy winning her matchup with an 82-point ride on Quentin. After Lynchburg took its first point of the day Hammerschmidt got things back on track with her 84 on Mack, Hammerschmidt’s fourth over fences win of the year, best on the team. Kass got her second point of the day with her 83 on Kenny, but once again the highest score of the day came in the final ride. Sophomore Jordan Allen made her season debut and showed that she wouldn’t face a sophomore slump, scoring an 88 on Redford to get the third M.O.P. honor of her career.
“It was a great day for our jumping seat squad,” head coach Boo Major said after the meet. “They came out and rode hard. We had mistakes here and there, but nothing that isn’t easily fixable. I was real proud of them, and proud of our horses because they behaved really well. Really appreciate the University of Lynchburg coming down, we really enjoyed having them here. We put a lot of new people in the lineup today and it let us see where they are right now. A lot of positives from today and we’re looking forward to next week’s trip to Georgia.”
Carolina gets back to SEC competition when the Gamecocks head to No. 4 Georgia on Saturday, Feb. 6. Start time for that meet is set for 1 p.m. ET.
