BROOKINGS, S.D. — No. 9 UC Davis equestrian continued its spring season on Saturday, Feb. 21, securing a 10-9 road victory over No. 10 South Dakota State.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Sophomore
Anna Donovan opened the meet in Fences with an 84 aboard Sunday, delivering the highest score of the event and earning both the first Aggie point as well as MOP honors for her ride. Junior
Lauren Kolbe followed with a strong 82 aboard Thomas to beat her opponent by three, while freshman
Cavan Smith notched an 81 on Mambo to add another point for the Aggies. Sophomore
Blair Conlan closed the event with a 78 aboard Charlie, securing the final point to give the Aggies the 4-1 event win.
In Horsemanship, senior
Katya Dundas led with a team-high 73 aboard Snaps, edging out her opponent by a 1.5 point margin to take the win. Senior
Ada Hirschfeld added a second point for the Aggies, delivering a 68 on Bullitt, winning her matchup by 2.5 points. Despite those impressive rides, the Jackrabbits claimed the event 3-2.
The momentum then shifted back to the Aggies in Flat, where Kolbe opened the discipline with an 80 aboard Leo—the highest score of the event—and beat her opponent by an impressive 10 points to earn herself MOP honors. Freshman
Amanda Paul followed with a 75 on Elton to secure the second Aggie point, and Donovan capped the event with a 75 while riding Chase, beating her opponent by four points to claim the UC Davis event win, 3-2.
Hirschfeld closed the meet in Reining, securing the lone Aggie point and the highest score of the event with a 71 aboard Poppy. While South Dakota State took the event 3-1, the Aggies' early lead was enough to pull away with the 10-9 victory. The win marks the second time UC Davis has defeated the Jackrabbits this season.
UP NEXT: The Aggies return home to host UT Martin in an ECAC matchup on Saturday, March 7. The meet is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. PT as the two teams face off for the second time this season ahead of the ECAC Championships.
ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS:
UC Davis, the No. 2 ranked public university by the Wall Street Journal, is home to 40,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 employees. Ranked No. 1 in Agriculture and Forestry as well as No. 1 in Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis is located in a true California college town nestled between world-class destinations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe. Over 650 Aggie student-athletes compete in 25 Division I varsity sports, with 16 sports transitioning to the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026–27.
For more information, visit
https://ucdavisaggies.com/.
