AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn’s 7-3 advantage in Reining and Horsemanship offset Texas A&M’s strong performances in Flat and Fences, with Ariana Marnell securing the deciding point.
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No. 1 Auburn defeated No. 4 Texas A&M 11-9 Friday, Oct. 23, at the Auburn University Equestrian Center, with junior Ariana Marnell securing the deciding point in the final Fences matchup after the Aggies had cut the Tigers’ lead to one.
The meet featured contrasting performances across the four events. Texas A&M won Flat and Fences by a 3-2 margin in each, while Auburn took Reining 3-2 and dominated Horsemanship 4-1. That 7-3 advantage across the two Western events ultimately proved decisive.
Texas A&M opened in Flat with all five riders recording career-high scores of 90 or higher. Auburn freshman Taylor Cawley countered with a career-best 95.5, defeating Logan Thomas and earning Most Outstanding Performer (MOP) honors. Cawley’s performance continued an impressive start to her collegiate career; earlier in October, she was named Southeastern Conference Rider of the Month after standout performances in both Flat and Fences. The Aggies nevertheless took the event, 3-2.
Auburn leveled the meet at 5-5 in Reining, with sophomore Sofia Tieche matching her career high of 72.25 to earn MOP honors. The Tigers then took control in Horsemanship, winning four of five matchups. Senior Callie Hogg capped the event with a 76.75-68.25 victory, earning another MOP award.
Holding a 9-6 lead entering Fences, Auburn appeared positioned to close out the meet. Texas A&M, however, made the final event competitive. Senior Kate Egan, a 2026 All-SEC selection in Flat, defeated Cawley 87.5-86.5 and earned Fences MOP honors. The Aggies followed with victories from Grace DeFoe and Grace Shipman, cutting Auburn’s lead to 10-9.
The pressure shifted to Marnell, who faced Alida Treuting in the final matchup. A 2026 All-SEC selection in Fences and NCEA All-America honorable mention, Marnell delivered an 84.5 against Treuting’s 78.5 to secure the victory. Marnell finished the meet undefeated in her two events, having also won her Flat matchup earlier in the afternoon.
Although Texas A&M won two events and produced several standout individual scores, Auburn’s consistency in the Western disciplines created a margin the Aggies could not fully overcome. The final Fences matchups brought the meet within a point, but Marnell’s closing ride preserved Auburn’s undefeated start to the season.
The win moved Auburn to 3-0 overall and 2-0 in SEC competition, while Texas A&M fell to 2-2 and 0-2 in conference play. The result also reversed the outcome of the teams’ March SEC semifinal, when the Aggies won 11-8 at the same venue.
Auburn is scheduled to host Fresno State on Saturday, Oct. 31, while Texas A&M is set to host SMU on Thursday, Oct. 29.
