SMU Equestrian Loses To No. 8 TCU

FORT WORTH, Texas (SMU) – The No. 10 SMU equestrian team was defeated by No. 8 TCU, 6-4, Friday afternoon at Turning Point Ranch. With the loss, the Mustangs move to 3-1 on the season. TCU edged SMU, 815-812, in the raw score.

“The team rode really well, but we had a few bumps along the way,” assistant coach Natalie Burton said. “Unfortunately, you can’t have that happen if you want to win on the road – especially against a ranked opponent in TCU. We have several positives to take away – Alex Butterworth had an MVP-ride today – but we need to make a few tweaks as we look forward to Texas A&M.”

The Mustangs opened competition with a 3-2 loss over fences, but SMU won the raw score 411-409. Alex Butterworth continued her strong freshman season, earning MVP honors over fences with a meet-high 90 points against Kaitlin Perry (88). Sophomore Courtney Line collected a point with a 78-71 decision over Kate Hamel.

The Horned Frogs also took a 3-2 win on the flat with a raw score advantage of 406-401. Paulena Johnson picked up a tally for SMU, defeating Haley Jacobi 81-78. Junior Julianna Fischer earned the final Mustang point with her 74-72 win over Callie Selchau.

SMU plays Texas A&M on Oct. 26 in College Station.