Friday, October 25 at 10 AM
[5] SMU vs. [2] TCU
Dallas Equestrian Center | Dallas, Texas
SMU Notes | Live Scoring
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The fifth-ranked SMU equestrian program is set for its home opener when it faces No. 2 TCU for the second time this season on Friday morning at Dallas Equestrian Center.

The meet is set to begin at 10 a.m., and admission is free.

The two teams opened their season on September 20, with TCU taking the victory by way of a tiebreaker. All time, the series between the Mustangs and the Horned Frogs is tied 14-14, but the Mustangs boast a 7-2 advantage at home.

Last week, the Mustangs concluded their season-opening four-meet road trip with competitions at No. 6 Georgia and No. 1 Auburn. SMU earned its first victory of the season over the Bulldogs, but fell to the top-ranked Tigers the following day.

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.

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. She continued her success against Georgia, picking up her team-leading fourth MOP during the victory.

NEAR THE TOP EARLY
SMU currently sits ranked fifth 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.

NYA CONTINUING TO BREAK RECORDS
Against Auburn, Nya Kearns eclipsed two milestones for her collegiate career. Her victory in horsemanship marked the 50th of her career, and her MOP in the event earned her the 25th honor of her career. Both numbers are SMU records, and she now has the most horsemanship MOPs in NCEA history.

UNDEFEATED THUS FAR
Four Mustangs boast unblemished records early in the season. Augusta Iwasaki holds a 4-0 record in fences, while Nya Kearns sits at 4-0 in horsemanship. Chalyce Head holds a 3-0-1 record and Sara Filiatreau is 1-0-1 in reining this season.

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.