Georgia won all four events and defeated South Carolina 15-5 in the first round of the Southern Equestrian Championships Friday afternoon. The Bulldogs are now 11-4 on the season and will look to improve their record tomorrow in the finals against top-seeded Auburn.

With two judges awarding MVPs for each event, Georgia had four MVP rides with Haylie Jayne in Equitation Over Fences and on the Flat, Kelley Mundrick in Horsemanship, and Sarah Locker and Kelly Truesdell in Reining. For the second meet in a row, Georgia swept Horsemanship 5-0. Joining Mundrick with winning rides were Lauren Love, Dana Kennedy, Alicia Shrum, and Katelyn Van Allen.

The Bulldogs started off strong with a 4-1 win in the Fences competition. Kacy Jenkins, Emma Lipman, and senior Kelley Cowperthwait posted winning rides in addition to Jayne’s MVP win.

“Fences was intense because South Carolina was scoring high as well,” said head coach Meghan Boenig. “They weren’t making mistakes. This could be what the national championships might look like in two weeks.”

Other winners for Georgia included Katie Hagerty and Amy Klebesadel in Equitation over Fences, in addition to Diandra St. Hilaire and Kate Stewart in Reining.

“The girls came out serious, focused, and spirited,” said Boenig. “The announcer really cranked it up a notch. We started out with a bang to set the mood and determine the competition. The girls just keep rising to the occasion.”

- Georgia Sports Communications