Friday, October 18 at 1 PM
[4] SMU at [6] Georgia
UGA Equestrian Complex – Bishop, Georgia
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Saturday, October 19 at 11 AM
[4] SMU at [1] Auburn
Auburn Equestrian Center – Auburn, Alabama
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The fourth-ranked SMU equestrian program is set to conclude its season-opening four-meet road trip with matchups against No. 6 Georgia and No. 1 Auburn this weekend.

Georgia and SMU last met in 2023, which saw the Mustangs claim the program's first victory at Georgia. The Bulldogs hold a 12-4 advantage in the series all time.

This will mark the 16th all-time meeting between the Tigers and the Mustangs, and Auburn leads the series 11-4. However, SMU has claimed four of the last five meetings dating back to 2022.

SMU has already faced two top-four teams on the road this season, falling to then-No. 1 TCU on a tiebreaker score and losing to then-fourth-ranked Texas A&M in its last meet.

BACK TO BACK
The Mustangs are the defending back-to-back National Champions, marking the 10th national title for SMU Athletics. SMU is the third school to claim back-to-back national titles, joining Auburn and Georgia.

EXPERIENCE RETURNING
The Mustangs return 28 riders from last season's NCEA Championship squad, including two All-Americans in Augusta Iwasaki (Fences) and Nya Kearns (Horsemanship). Iwasaki and Kearns both earned NCEA Rider of the Year honors in their respective divisions. Kearns' honor marks her second NCEA Rider of the Year accolade, also taking it home in 2021, while Iwasaki claimed her second consecutive Rider of the Year honor. In addition, SMU has four riders entering their fifth year of eligibility, as Kearns joins Shelby Clausen, Chalyce Head and Hailey Johns.

STRONG START FOR ELLI
Senior Elli Yeager earned two MOP honors during SMU's season opener against No. 1 TCU. Yeager scored a 93 to gain a victory and the MOP on fences, and she also scored a 93 on flat to pick up a narrow victory. Yeager then picked up her third MOP of the season against No. 4 Texas A&M on flat.

NEAR THE TOP EARLY
SMU currently sits ranked fourth in the nation, getting as high as second this season. The Mustangs also have a challenging schedule early, facing every top-six team during their fall slate, with all but one being on the road.

THE KEARNS ERA
Brad Kearns is entering his first year as the head coach of the Mustangs after serving as an assistant for the previous three seasons. As an assistant, Kearns coached two National Championship winning teams, 10 All-Americans and was named the 2024 NCEA Western Coach of the Year. Kearns' daughter, Nya, is a member of the team and looks to build off an already incredibly successful career.