WACO, Texas – The fifth-seeded Texas A&M equestrian team begins its quest for the program's 13th national championship with a first-round matchup against No. 4 SMU at the NCEA Championships on Thursday at the Extraco Events Center.
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The meet begins at 10 a.m. with Flat and Horsemanship and Reining and Fences are slated to begin at 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively. The Aggies enter competition with a 4-5 ledger and are coming off an 11-9 victory against South Carolina at the SEC Championship in the consolation match.
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The Maroon & White is led by NCEA First Team All-Americans Caroline Dance and Hayley Riddle. Dance compiled five wins in Flat and was named Most Outstanding Player three times. Riddle tallied six Horsemanship wins and was named MOP three times.
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In Fences, Kaitlyn Lovingfoss leads the squad with six victories and was named MOP twice. Against the Gamecocks at the SEC Championship, the Canyon Country, California, native was named MOP after scoring a 262. She closed out the regular season with a MOP-winning performance, topping Georgia's Emma Reichow, 89-85.
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Marissa Harell, Emmy-Lu Marsh and Shelby Reine tie for the team lead in Reining wins with four. Ariana Gray and Lisa Bricker have added three while Taylor Masson is 2-1-1.
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Thursday's contest is the 16th meet all-time against SMU with the Aggies holding a 10-5 advantage. Texas A&M has won three of the last four meets against the Mustangs, including an 8-7 triumph at the 2018 NCEA Championships. The winner of Thursday's meet will square off against the winner of No. 1 Auburn-No. 8 Baylor meet on Friday.
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A live stream of the NCEA Championships can be seen on Horse and Country for a small fee, while live stats can be accessed on www.collegiateequestrian.com.
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For the most up-to-date information on Texas A&M equestrian, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@AggieEquestrian).
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The meet begins at 10 a.m. with Flat and Horsemanship and Reining and Fences are slated to begin at 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively. The Aggies enter competition with a 4-5 ledger and are coming off an 11-9 victory against South Carolina at the SEC Championship in the consolation match.
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The Maroon & White is led by NCEA First Team All-Americans Caroline Dance and Hayley Riddle. Dance compiled five wins in Flat and was named Most Outstanding Player three times. Riddle tallied six Horsemanship wins and was named MOP three times.
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In Fences, Kaitlyn Lovingfoss leads the squad with six victories and was named MOP twice. Against the Gamecocks at the SEC Championship, the Canyon Country, California, native was named MOP after scoring a 262. She closed out the regular season with a MOP-winning performance, topping Georgia's Emma Reichow, 89-85.
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Marissa Harell, Emmy-Lu Marsh and Shelby Reine tie for the team lead in Reining wins with four. Ariana Gray and Lisa Bricker have added three while Taylor Masson is 2-1-1.
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Thursday's contest is the 16th meet all-time against SMU with the Aggies holding a 10-5 advantage. Texas A&M has won three of the last four meets against the Mustangs, including an 8-7 triumph at the 2018 NCEA Championships. The winner of Thursday's meet will square off against the winner of No. 1 Auburn-No. 8 Baylor meet on Friday.
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A live stream of the NCEA Championships can be seen on Horse and Country for a small fee, while live stats can be accessed on www.collegiateequestrian.com.
Â
For the most up-to-date information on Texas A&M equestrian, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@AggieEquestrian).
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