Emma Bush and Just Todd. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Orange was the new black this weekend at the Fourth Annual USEA Intercollegiate Championship where Auburn University won for the second consecutive year.
Their Orange team of Dorothy Dreelin & Subtle Dream Unveiled (N), Aubrey Wagner & Fernhill Sinatra (T), Sallie Johnson & Things to Ponder (T), and Isabel Franklin & Anchorman (N) finished strong today, keeping on their overnight team score of 92.601.
Photo by Shelby Allen.
“I just wanted to come out and have fun and have a good team experience, and we were able to pull off a win again! It was just nice to come out here at our home event and get to kind of show everybody what we’re made of, and that we’re a great team and we work really well together,” said Aubrey Wagner, who was a member of the 2018 championship team.
Auburn University’s Blue Team finished fourth with riders Cari Budny, Maris Barden, Sallie Johnson and Jennifer Mulholland.
Kentucky Wildcats. Photo by Shelby Allen.
The University of Kentucky was a force to be reckoned with, and the wildcats claimed both second and third place with their Blue Team (97.857) and Wildcats Team (102.875), respectively.
The Kentucky Blue team included Macy Clark, Jackie LeMastus, Elizabeth Silvia-Chandley and Mia Fox, and the Kentucky Wildcats was made up of Jackie LeMastus & Exmoor Denver (P), Claire Rowlands & Category 5 (P), Katie Hargerty & Dutch Harbor (T) and Cora Severs & Cuervo (T).
Bailey Hamilton and Chantilly Lace and A Pretty for USC Aiken. Photo by Shelby Allen.
The University of South Carolina at Aiken was fifth. Their team of Bailey Hamilton, Virginia Quarles, Sophie Miller and Kristen LaVassar moved up from seventh overnight to finish on a cumulative score of 106.5.
The joint team of The University of Louisville and The University of Virginia finished in sixth place on a score of 106.92 with team members Paige Thompson, Darby Weerstra, Grace Lakeman and Abigail Winfree.
Texas A&M University were the winners of the coveted spirit award. This award had new judging criteria this year which included a relay race, cross country fans/tailgaters, barn decorations and team entertainment at the competitors party. It was a tight race — with Texas A&M decked out all weekend in their Gig ‘Em overalls and Kentucky signing loud and proud in every corner of the event. Ultimately these two teams were separated by one single point.
The award-winning teams had a special treat this afternoon as they were given ribbons and prizes on the very same podium that was used at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Thank you to Hugh Lochore for organizing a top notch competition, and to Leslie Threlkeld, the chair of the USEA Intercollegiate Committee, who has gone above and beyond to grow this program. Well done to all the colleges and universities who fielded teams.
War Eagle. Go eventing.
Intercollegiate Championship: Website, Intercollegiate Final Scores, Live Scores, EN’s Coverage
