AUBURN, Ala. – No. 4 Auburn equestrian is set to begin its 2025-26 season against No. 8 Baylor on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT at the Auburn Equestrian Center. Admission to the season opener is free.
“I’m really excited about this season,” Auburn head coach Jessica Braswell said. “I think we’re going to have a great mix of experience and new talent, and we’re going to lean a good bit on our Western squad. We’ll be junior and senior heavy on that side of things, which will bring great experience.
“We’re also going to have some new faces on the jumping seat side with four of 10 starters returning from last year, but I think that’s really exciting. It gives opportunities for new student-athletes to step up and allows us to lean on those with experience.”
Auburn is coming off an 11-4 campaign that included a 5-1 conference record last season. The 2025-26 squad features a number of returners, including four All-Americans from last season: Avery Glynn (Fences), Kate Hagerty (Fences), Alexia Tordoff (Horsemanship) and Brooke Jolstad (Horsemanship).
The Tigers’ jumping seat lineup will feature Glynn, Ariana Marnell, Caroline Olsen and Kate Parker in both events. Sadie Berkhout will ride in Fences, while Charlotte McLaughlin rounds out the Flat lineup.
Glynn, a junior, went a perfect 13-0-0 in Fences last season with four MOP honors. She also posted a 6-4-3 record on the Flat with two MOPs.
In the Western disciplines, Auburn’s Horsemanship lineup will include Caroline Fredenburg, Callie Hogg, Jolstad, Sydney Swallom and Tordoff. Hogg and Tordoff are joined by Michelle Fumagalli, Kailee Rife and Sofia Tieche in Reining.
Tordoff, a senior, returns after a standout year in 2024-25, going 22-6-2 between horsemanship and reining. The 2025 SEC Horsemanship Rider of the Year finished 13-2-0 in horsemanship with three MOPs.
Rife, Tieche and Olsen, the 2025 Junior Hunter Finals grand champion, are set to make their collegiate debuts Saturday.
Auburn leads the all-time series with Baylor 14-3 and has won the last two meetings. The teams last faced off Oct. 6, 2023, when Auburn claimed a 16-3 road win in Waco over then-No. 7 Baylor.
Saturday will also be Kid’s Carnival Day at the Auburn Equestrian Center, featuring free activities including pony rides, a bounce house, cornhole, face painting and more. The first fans in attendance will receive a free “Life of a Show Pony” T-shirt while supplies last. The meet will be streamed on SEC Network+ with live scoring available at AuburnTigers.com.