No. 5 Georgia equestrian upsets No. 2 Texas A&M for second-straight top-five win

On February 17th, at the UGA Equestrian complex, No. 5 Georgia equestrian team triumphed over No.2 Texas A&M with a score of 13-7. With this victory, they improved their record to 6-4 for the season and secured a win-loss statistic in SEC competitions of 3-2.

After the competition ended, all four Most Outstanding Performer awards went to Bulldogs. Flats was dominated by Sophia Pilla while Catalina Peralta shone in Fences. Jillian Stopperich showcased her skills in Horsemanship and Jax Bound emerged victorious in Reining.

According to head coach Meghan Boenig, “We’re definitely progressing in terms of our confidence. Our recent victory was a true team effort and we excelled with the MOP wins leading us forward. It’s an amazing feeling! However, there is more work that needs to be done as we have one remaining SEC opponent which will determine where we stand at the SEC Championship – and boy are we eager for it! I’m really proud of how this squad showcases their tenacity every single day.”

Starting strong on Flats, Georgia took an early lead of 4-1 against the Aggies. Pilla’s outstanding score of 81 earned her team a point and secured top position in this event. Notably, Nora Andrews, Jordan Toering and Catalina Peralta also contributed to Bulldogs’ success with their remarkable performances garnering points for them.

After securing their advantage, the Bulldogs furthered their lead by three points in Reining. Regan Shepherd and Caitlin Lyons rode outstandingly with scores of 68 and 72 respectively, surpassing their rivals by half a point. Bound’s excellent performance earned Georgia its last point on Reining with an impressive score of 72.5. With two competitions left to go before the break, they triumphantly led Texas A&M at seven-three-points difference.

Fences was where the Bulldogs regained momentum in the competition, taking a decisive 5-0 victory over the Aggies. Every one of Georgia’s riders earned an impressive 80 points or higher during this event, giving them a commanding overall lead of 12-3 ahead of Texas A&M going into their final challenge.

Although Texas A&M made an effort to stage a comeback in Horsemanship, they fell short of defeating the Bulldogs and were only able to secure four out of five points in the event. As such, No. 5 Georgia emerged victorious over No. 2 Texas A&M at the conclusion of the competition.

The Bulldogs are scheduled to face the Gamecocks at One Wood Farms in Blythewood, South Carolina on Saturday, Feb 24 at 1:00 pm.