No. 3 SMU (2-1, 1-1 ECAC) vs. No. 1 Auburn (1-0, 1-0 SEC)
Dallas Equestrian Center – Dallas, Texas
Oct. 16, 2021 – 10 a.m. CT
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The No. 3 Mustangs open their home slate at the Dallas Equestrian Center on Saturday, Oct. 16 against top-ranked Auburn. The meet is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. CT.

SERIES HISTORY
SMU is looking for its first win over Auburn as the Tigers have won all nine matchups between the two programs. The two last competed against each other during the 2019-20 season when Auburn defeated SMU 12-6 in Dallas. During the 2021 spring season, the matchup was cancelled due to inclement weather in the Dallas area. Six of the nine head-to-head competitions have been in Dallas while three have taken place in Auburn.  

SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Auburn holds a 1-0 record before heading west to compete against Oklahoma State before heading down to Dallas. In their first meet of the season, the Tigers defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 13-7 while competing in Auburn. The top-ranked program will face off against the Cowgirls in Stillwater starting at 1 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 15.

2021-22 MOST OUTSTANDING PERFORMERS
•     Alex Pielet -- Fences: 1
•     Emma Jolly -- Fences: 1
•     Nya Kearns -- Horsemanship: 1
•     Katy Merchant -- Flat: 1
•     Mallory Vroegh -- Horsemanship: 2

COACH'S CORNER
"This is a big meet to open our home season and we plan to come in prepared and focused," head coach Carol Gwin said. "It is exciting that our first home meet is here and I know that this team is special. We will leave nothing out there and ride our best this weekend!"

MUSTANGS MADE HISTORY
SMU looks to capitalize off momentum set during the 2020-21 season as the program saw many firsts and records broken. The runner-up finish at NCEA Nationals marked the highest in SMU Equestrian history and capped off a season that saw the Mustangs finish 10-2, the best record in program history, and earn a third consecutive conference championship. SMU had two NCEA Riders of the Year, seven NCEA Ariat All-Americans, five NCEA National Championship award winners, five earn ECAC awards and six named to All-ECAC teams.

GOING BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK
SMU earned its third consecutive conference championship at the inaugural ECAC Championship in March of 2021. The Mustangs defeated Delaware State, 8-6, in the semifinal round before defeating UT Martin, 11-4, in the championship matchup. SMU earned five MOPs during the two matchups. The previous two conference championships for SMU came in 2018 and 2019 as members of the United Equestrian Conference before 2020's ECAC Championship was canceled due to COVID-19.

2021-22 ECAC Honors
•     Chalyce Head -- Reining Rider of the Week (Oct. 12)
•     Katy Merchant -- Flat Rider of the Week (Oct. 12)
•     Alex Pielet -- Fences Rider of the Week (Oct. 12)
•     Mallory Vroegh -- Horsemanship Rider of the Week (Oct. 12)

2020-21 NCEA HONORS (current riders)
•     Madigan Eppink – Dover Saddlery Flat Rider of the Month (January)
•     Nya Kearns – Shorty's Horsemanship Rider of the Month (March), Horsemanship First Team All-American
•     Dani Latimer – Reining First Team All-American
•     Taylor Madden – Flat Second Team All-American
•     Becky Morris – Standout Athlete of the Month (March)
•     Devin Seek – Dover Saddlery Fences Rider of the Month (January), Fences First Team All-American
•     Mallory Vroegh – Horsemanship All-America Honorable Mention
•     Megan Waldron – Shorty's Horsemanship Rider of the Month (January), Horsemanship All-America Honorable Mention
•     Olivia Woodson – Fences All-America Honorable Mention

50 WINS FOR CAROL GWIN
Head coach Carol Gwin earned her 50^th win at SMU during the 2021 spring season when the Mustangs defeated South Dakota State at home on Jan. 29. Since starting at SMU in 2014, she has led SMU to three 10-win seasons, three conference championships, a national Reining runner-up title and a National Reserve Champion title. Gwin has coached nine NCEA First Team All-Americans, three NCEA Rider and two Co-Riders of the Year and countless Conference Riders of the Year and All-Conference riders. In 2018 and 2019, she was named back-to-back UEC Coach of the Year after sharing the title as Co-Coach of the Year in 2017.

UP NEXT
No. 3 SMU hosts No. 2 Georgia on Saturday, Oct. 30 in a rematch of the spring's NCEA Championship Final. The meet is scheduled for a 10 a.m. CT start at the Dallas Equestrian Center.