No. 3 SMU (2-2, 1-1 ECAC) vs. No. 2 Georgia (1-1, 0-1 SEC)
Dallas Equestrian Center – Dallas, Texas
Oct. 30, 2021 – 10 a.m. CT
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No. 3 SMU faces its second top-three opponent of the season as they host Reigning National Champions No. 2 Georgia on Saturday, Oct. 30 at the Dallas Equestrian Center starting at 10 a.m. CT.

SERIES HISTORY
SMU trails 11-3 in the all-time series against Georgia, with all three wins coming at home. The Mustangs have only lost to the Bulldogs once when competing in Dallas, which came during the 2011-12 season. The latest matchup between the two teams took place at the 2021 NCEA National Championship when SMU fell 9-7 in the Championship Final as Georgia took home the title. The last time the Bulldogs visited the Dallas Equestrian Center was during the 2018-19 season when the Mustangs earned an 11-8 victory.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Georgia enters Saturday's contest with a 1-1 record after falling 13-7 in their season opener at No. 1 Auburn then defeating No. 7 Fresno State 16-3 in their first home meet. The Bulldogs are slated to face No. 5 Texas A&M in College Station, Texas on Friday before traveling to Dallas for Saturday's meet. 

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
•     Elli Yeager -- Fences: 1

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)
•     Elli Yeager -- Fences Rider of the Week (Oct. 19)

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
The Mustangs head west for a three-meet weekend Nov. 4-6 as they face UC Davis in Davis, California before taking on No. 4 Oklahoma State and No. 7 Fresno State in Fresno.