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BRYAN, Texas - The
fourth-ranked Texas A&M equestrian team (4-2, 0-2) hosts No. 1 South
Carolina (3-0, 2-0 SEC) in the Aggies' first-ever home Southeastern Conference
meet and the final show of the fall season, Friday at the Brazos County Expo
Complex.
The meet will begin at 2 p.m. with equitation over fences
and horsemanship competing simultaneously. Equitation on the flat and reining
will follow at 4:15 p.m.
The Aggies are 3-0 at home this season and are on the hunt
for their first SEC victory. Last weekend the team upended Fresno State at the
BCEC with a 17-6 win over the Bulldogs. A&M swept the Most Outstanding
Player (MOP) awards, bringing the season haul to 15 out of a possible 20, while
the Aggies went 6-0 in equitation on the flat.
The top-ranked Gamecocks are fresh off an 11-8 upset victory
at No. 1 Georgia that knocked the Bulldogs down to a No. 3 national ranking
after sitting atop the chart since the preseason. SEC Over Fences Rider of the
Month Emily Williams (5-0) and Aggie horsemanship rider Caroline Ammons (3-0) won't
be the only undefeated riders at the meet as USC's Kimberly McCormack is 3-0
this year in the same event and Audrey Jewell and Layla Choate are 3-0 in
reining.
The Aggies and Gamecocks have met eight times in the varsity
equestrian format, with A&M holding a 5-3 edge. The teams last competed at
the NCEA Championships in 2012 when the Aggies downed South Carolina, 6-2 in
hunter seat and 4-3 in western on the way to a 10th and 11th
national title for A&M.
The meet with the Gamecocks closes out fall competition as
the Aggies will return to the Arena for a Feb. 2 meet at Oklahoma State. To
learn more about Texas A&M equestrian, log on to AggieAthletics.com and
follow @AggieEquestrian on Twitter.
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