Gamecock Equestrian Hosts Alabama to Open 2016-17 Season

Sep 15, 2016 3:44 PM EDT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (USC SID) — The University of South Carolina equestrian program opens the 2016-17 season on Friday, Sept. 16, when it hosts Alabama in an exhibition contest. The competition begins at2 p.m. ET at One Wood Farm in Blythewood, S.C., and admission is free.

As an exhibition, Friday’s meet will not count toward South Carolina’s official 2016-17 record. The matchup with the Crimson Tide kicks off a stretch of five consecutive home meets for the Gamecocks to open the campaign, with the regular-season opener booked for Friday, Sept. 23, at 2 p.m. ET against Baylor.

The competition against Alabama is only hunt seat. Thus, the Gamecock western riders will compete in an intra-squad scrimmage running simultaneously with the hunt seat action against the Crimson Tide.

QUOTING HEAD COACH BOO MAJOR

“This is the earliest that we’ve ever had a competition where we’ve got somebody coming in to compete against, so I think we’ve kind of been on the fast track for our first competition. I’m not sure that we’ve had enough time to get really excited, but I know the girls have been practicing really hard. I’ve seen a definite improvement between last week to this week. They’re excited, and we’re ready to welcome Alabama in for a great hunt seat competition, and then our western girls are going to have an intra-squad scrimmage. I think it’s going to be a great day.”

GAMECOCK PROGRAM HISTORY

• The 2016-17 season marks the 21st year of the Gamecock equestrian program.
• The Gamecocks have won three national championships (2005, 2007, 2015).
• South Carolina has two runner-up finishes (2006, 2014).
• Under the old championship format, the Gamecocks won three straight hunt seat championships between 2005 and 2007.
• Carolina has won two Southeastern Conference championships (2013, 2014).
• The Gamecocks won the 2012 Southern Equestrian Championship, the precursor to the SEC Championship, which was added for the 2012-13 season.

MEET THE COACHES

• The 2016-17 campaign marks a milestone for South Carolina head coach Boo Major, who begins her 20th season at the helm of the Gamecock program.
• Major’s legendary career already includes three NCEA National Championships (2005, 2007, 2015), two SEC Championships (2013, 2014) and two national coach of the year awards (2014, 2015).
• Associate head coach Ruth Sorrel is in her 12th season with the Gamecocks. She leads South Carolina’s western team.
• Hillary Dobbs is in her third season serving as the team’s hunt seat coach.

SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS

• The Gamecocks return 29 student-athletes from last season’s squad, including 19 returners who competed in at least one meet last season.
• Sophomore Lizzie van der Walde leads all Gamecocks returners after earning 11 victories last season, while Chloe Schmidt, Sydney Smith and Bailey Walters each grabbed eight wins last season.
• Smith is the team’s active career leader with 14 career victories.
• As a team, the Gamecocks posted a 5-11 record last season.
• Head coach Boo Major rounds out the 2016-17 roster with 11 newcomers.

SCOUTING ALABAMA

• Alabama will send nine riders to compete on Friday.
• Junior Lindsey Cayce, sophomore Emma Pennell and senior Courtney Poist will compete in equitation on the flat and equitation over fences.
• Cayce, Pennell and junior Lauren Neibauer qualified to compete at the IHSA Finals last season.
• The Crimson Tide will also scrimmage against SEC members Georgia and Auburn this season.

AWARD WINNERS RETURN

• South Carolina returns four student-athletes that garnered SEC postseason awards in 2015-16
• Leading the way is Mierzejewski, who was named SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year as a junior. The Mount Sterling, Ohio, native has maintained a 4.0 GPA in each of her semesters as a student in the South Carolina College of Pharmacy.
• Both of South Carolina’s 2016 SEC All-Freshman Team selections are back for their sophomore seasons: Madison Thiel, who earned the award in both horsemanship and reining, and van der Walde, an All-Freshman pick in equitation on the flat.
• Last but not least, Walters looks to build on her SEC All-Championship Team reining honor from 2016. The junior was 2-0 last season at the conference tournament and earned Most Outstanding Performer honors against both Auburn and Texas A&M.

ONE WOOD FARM RULES

• For the safety of the riders and horses, pets are not allowed at One Wood Farm. This rule does not apply to service animals.
• Noisemakers (spirit sticks, spirit clappers, spirit cowbells, stadium horns, megaphones, speakers, and bullhorns) are prohibited from being used at One Wood Farm.

SEASON OPENERS (SINCE 2003)

NOTE: Friday’s exhibition does not count toward South Carolina’s official record.
• 2015-16 : at South Dakota State (9/25/15) – W, 9-7
• 2014-15 : at Kansas State (9/19/14) – L, 8-10
• 2013-14 : vs. Kansas State (9/20/13) – W, 15-5
• 2012-13 : vs. Oklahoma State (9/29/12) – W, 13-7
• 2011-12 : vs. Fresno State (9/23/11) – W, 16-3
• 2010-11 : vs. SMU (9/24/10) – W, 8-4 (Hunt seat-only meet)
• 2009-10 : vs. TCU (9/20/09) – L, 9-10
• 2008-09 : vs. Kansas State (9/19/08) – W, 13-4
• 2007-08 : vs. TCU (9/22/07) – W, 11-8
• 2006-07 : vs. Baylor (9/22/06) – W, 11-9
• 2005-06 : vs. Kentucky (9/23/05) – W, 1,224.5-1,148.5
• 2004-05 : at Georgia (9/25/04) – L, 1,166-1,097
• 2003-04 : at Georgia (10/3/03) – L, 1,053.25-1,072

UP NEXT FOR THE GAMECOCKS

South Carolina competes in its first regular season meet of the 2016-17 season on Friday, Sept. 23, when they welcome Baylor to One Wood Farm. Start time is booked for 2 p.m. ET, and admission is free of charge.

The Gamecocks will be looking to avenge last season’s 16-3 loss to the Bears, which came on the road in Waco, Texas. The loss snapped South Carolina’s two-match winning streak in the series.