University of Georgia Athletics
Riders Excel at USEF and Maclay Regional Finals
September 29, 2011 | Equestrian
Sept. 29, 2011
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - It was a successful weekend last week as Georgia freshman Kylee Arbuckle, senior Michelle Morris and junior Carly Anthony each posted top-15 finishes at the 2011 Platinum Performance USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Regional Finals, West in Los Angeles, Calif. Arbuckle finished sixth, while Morris earned a ninth-place finish and Anthony came in 12th.
"This was a tough competition with multiple challenges and I thought Kylee, Michelle and Carly did extremely well," head coach Meghan Boenig said. "I think it speaks highly to the quality of riders that Georgia has on its team and on the circuit."
Anthony, a Redmond, Wash., native, emerged as the winner of Phase I, Equitation on the Flat, with a score of 96. Anthony finished with an overall score of 339.
"It was awesome," said Anthony after the competition. "It was basic, but a good test of the fundamentals. It definitely prepared me for the second phase, which was another great test."
Arbuckle finished with an overall score of 367.5, which included strong showings on the flat and during the jumping phase of the competition.
Competing near her hometown of La Canada, Calif., Morris rode to a score of 361.5.
Earlier this month, Arbuckle and teammate Hannah Spiegler competed in the ASPCA Maclay Regional Finals. Arbuckle finished with a Top 15 at the West Regional Final in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., while Spiegler finished eighth at the Central Regional Final in St. Louis, Mo. With their finishes at the Regional Finals, each rider has qualified for the Maclay National Finals, which will be held November 6 at the Alltech Indoor Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky.
