Schaefer and Vogt Take M.O.P. Honors at No. 1 Auburn
AUBURN, Ala. – South Carolina sophomore Madeline Schaefer and junior Sloane Vogt earned Most Outstanding Player honors, but the No. 8 Gamecocks fell in their regular season finale against No. 1 Auburn, 13-5, at the Auburn University Equestrian Center on Saturday.
South Carolina (1-5, 1-5 SEC) had its hands full with the top-ranked Tigers when the teams opened the meet with over fences action, but Madeline Schaefer started things off on the right foot with her 88-point ride on Como, taking the first point of the meet and securing her second M.O.P. award of the season. The rest of the over fences squad put up strong scores, with junior Trinity Hammerschmidt notching an 84, while fellow junior Alice Kass scored an 82, and sophomore Jordan Allen also scored an 82, but Carolina trailed 4-1 once the dust had settled.
Despite strong scores in the horsemanship competition, the Garnet and Black couldn’t come away with any points and entered the halftime break down 9-1.
The Gamecocks showed their fighting spirit on the flat with all five riders scoring at least 80 points. Junior Caroline Bald took the first flat point of the day with her score of 80, while sophomore Nina Columbia matched her career-high with an 85 in defeat. The reigning SEC co-Rider of the Month on the flat, Trinity Hammerschmidt, extended her flat winning streak to five with her 80-point ride, while Madeline Schafer also scored an 80 but dropped her matchup. Senior Louisa Brackett tallied her highest flat score of the season, an 85, to tie her Auburn opponent and send the Gamecocks into the final event trailing 11-3.
Carolina continued to fight in the reining competition with junior Graycen Hess riding to a tie in the opening matchup after she scored a 72. Sloane Vogt continued her blistering reining campaign, avenging her lone loss of the season and improving to 5-1-0 with her M.O.P. winning 71-point ride. Freshman Emma Lane took the following point, but Auburn closed out the meet by taking the final two points to defeat Carolina 13-5.
The Gamecocks now turn to the SEC Championship in Bishop, Ga. on March 26-27.
