Dover, DE — Delaware State's Western lineup turned in a standout effort with a 6-3 edge in the ring, but the Hornets dropped a tight 11-8 decision to No. 10 UC Davis in NCEA matchup.
UC Davis created separation early by taking an 8-2 lead through the Jumping Seat events, despite a strong Fences ride from
Grace Mangrum, who scored a 79 on Cooper to secure Delaware State's first point of the day. In Flat,
Kendall Very added another Hornet point with an 82 on Tito, helping DSU finish Jumping Seat with 748 total raw points.
Delaware State gained momentum once the meet shifted to Western, beginning with a hard-fought split in Horsemanship. The Hornets picked up wins from
Kirsten Buckwalter, who posted a 75 on Fudge, and
Claire Andrews, who registered a 73 on Felon, giving DSU a narrow 360.5–359.0 advantage in Horsemanship raw scoring.
The Hornets closed even stronger in Reining, where they controlled the event 4-1 behind a balanced lineup.
Anna Payne led the charge with a 74 on Wally, while Andrews (70 on Waldo),
Cambrey Hedges (67.5 on Baby) and
Estella Estus (72 on Finn) each earned points to push Delaware State to a 347.5–342.0 edge in Reining raw score.
Overall, the Hornets finished with eight total points and 1,456 raw points, just behind UC Davis' 11 points and 1,518 raw total. Delaware State outperformed the Aggies in Western with a 708–701 raw advantage and a 770–752.5 lead in Western equivalency scoring, highlighting a productive day for the Hornets' Western squad.
