By: Victoria White

    In back-to-back meets this season, senior Ashley Mauney has earned Most Outstanding Player honors in Horsemanship with a 75.5 and 74.5, respectively. The Magnolia, Texas, native, even summited the SMU school leaderboard and is now second in program history for most Horsemanship MOPs.

    Ahead of this Saturday's 10 a.m. TCU rivalry meet at the Dallas Equestrian Center, Mauney, a First Team Academic All-American and winner of the 2018 UEC Sportsmanship award, gave insight into her most memorable moments on the team and answered some personality questions, too. 
 

Q: How long have you been involved in equestrian and what is your favorite early memory in the sport?
A: I started taking lessons for my fourth birthday, and on my fifth birthday my parents surprised me with the horse I had been taking lessons on. Her name is Daisy and we still have her retired at our house!

Favorite early memory would be going on long road trips across the United States with my family to horse shows and being able to hang out with my friends at the show.
 

Q: What do you love most about the sport?
A: I love the competitiveness aspect of the industry, but also the community it brings. While everyone is so competitive, at the end of the day, the horse industry always comes together to help anyone and everyone, no matter what the situation may be. The horse world is like its own world.

Riding horses is unlike any other sport. They have a mind of their own, and just like humans need to be taught, cared for and loved.

Q: What equestrian accomplishment are you most proud of? 
A: Making it to the AQHA Collegiate Challenge was a huge accomplishment in my time on the team at SMU. I was the first person to qualify for it, and I was really excited to go represent at SMU.
 

Q: Why did you choose SMU?
A: I chose SMU not only for how much I felt at home with the team, but also for the academics and location. The western team was still pretty new at the time, so it was intriguing to me to be on a team that was a powerhouse with so much future potential. SMU is so academically challenging and rewarding, and Dallas has everything you could ever want in a city. The campus itself feels so quiet and small-town like, but when you leave campus you have access to any healthcare, restaurant, activity, job opportunity or resources you could ever ask for.

Q: What is special about being a part of the SMU Equestrian Team?
A: One of the most special parts about being on the SMU Equestrian team is the friendship and closeness we have with one another. Being on a team that is still smaller compared to other schools, has really allowed to get to know each and every other girl on the team. I know that at the end of the day, any one of my teammates will be there to back me up and help me with anything I need. You know you have some pretty special teammates when you spend all week with them, and then still choose to hang out with them during your free time.
 
Q: What was the moment like when the team won UEC Championships last year, and how'd that day go overall?
A: Winning conference has been a goal for us since I had been a freshman. We had worked really hard to get to that point, and to get the horses to go around to their fullest potential. That weekend all of the girls worked so hard and cheered so hard. I remember during the last day, I had to go against a high score, and when I was trotting out of the arena my teammates were cheering so loud and jumping up and down. Two of the seniors at the time came up to me and were crying because they were so happy for me. The support and encouragement for the whole team made the win even that much more special. It was really exciting to be a part of a team when he had won its first conference championship!
 

Q: Can you describe some of your favorite memories or funny stories with your teammates?
A: One of my favorite memories on the team would be when we traveled to UTM for a competition on the sleeper bus. We were able to bond for hours and I think we laughed harder and had more fun than we ever had. It was a really good time for us to bond and get to know each other outside of the team.

Honestly, all of the memories have been great on this team. No matter if it has been 6 a.m. workouts, or 9 p.m. practice scrimmages, we all seem to make things really fun. Traveling with the team is probably one of my favorite things to do because we are able to travel and bond with one another and it is so fun!

Q: Who is your favorite SMU horse?
A: I have two favorite horses, Sonny and Moe. Sonny was the horse I could always count on to give me a good practice. But Moe is my favorite wanna be horsemanship horse. He's always really sassy and you never know what you're going to get with him, which is what I love so much about him.  
 
Q: What advice would you give your freshmen and sophomore teammates?
A: Make the most of your time on the team, because it honestly goes by so fast. Lean on your teammates when you need help and encourage one another. Never in your life again will you be on a college team with teammates that will become your lifelong friends. Enjoy every workout, practice, meet and every other little thing because soon it will be your last time to do it.


ALL ABOUT ASHLEY

• Favorite class subject: Psychology
• Favorite quote: "The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today" -H. Jackson Brown Jr.
• Fav pre-meet meal: Nothing, I don't like to eat before I show if we show early in the morning. But if it's in the afternoon, a bagel!
• Favorite emoji: The black heart emoji
• Favorite TV show: Gossip Girl
• Favorite book: Dad Jokes Book
• Favorite movie: Any comedy movie
• Favorite Disney character: Donald Duck
• Favorite animal: Cheetah
• Favorite thing about SMU: The boulevard lined with trees and during Christmas they line it with lights. The campus is so pretty!
• Fav thing to do in Dallas: Try new restaurants! There are so many you could go to a different one every day for your four years in college.
• Dream vacation: Iceland
• One word to describe me when competing: Stressed
• One word to describe me when not competing: Full of personality
• Best pump-up song: Can't hold us
• When I was little, I dreamed of being: Something that involves helping other people
• Early bird or night owl: Early bird
• Few people know that I: love reality TV shows
• My best non-athletic talent(s): Fast walking or color organizing my planner
• My most prized possession: Pictures
• Three things on my bucket list are: to travel around the world, go skydiving, and go to the safari in Africa 
• After I graduate, I plan to: Further my education
• My dream job is: being involved in something that will make a substantial difference in someone else's life
• I am most thankful for: The opportunities I've been given, the people I have gained in my life and the life lessons I've learned along the way.