For seniors Deanna Green and Taylor Searles of the No. 1 Auburn equestrian team, everything is better when done together.
The Horsemanship riders entered the 2021 SEC Championship tied for second in program history with 40 career wins apiece in the event. After each recording wins in the semifinal meet vs. South Carolina (March 26) to tie Lauren Diaz’s 41, Green and Searles fittingly broke the record. The pair helped Auburn win its third straight SEC title the following day. The duo guided the Tigers to a 4-1 finish in the event over Georgia (March 27) as Auburn won the conference crown, 15-5.
“We felt that one of us would break it for sure, but we could have never dreamed we’d break it together on the same day to help our team win an SEC championship,” Searles said. “Looking back now, I’m not surprised that it happened that way. We literally do everything together as best friends, roommates, and teammates. It only made sense.”
“The whole moment was surreal,” Green said. “Taylor and I have done so many things together and have achieved our biggest goals side-by-side. To break the record in that way to help our team was something I don’t think either of us had imagined.”
The pair’s friendship began long before they joined forces on the Plains. Competing in numerous youth shows throughout the country as kids, Searles and Green’s competitive bond was strengthened by many hours spent in arenas.
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