Equestrian Opens Season with Statement Win Over No. 2 College of Charleston, 5-4

Saturday, September 26

Norwalk, Conn.

Sacred Heart

College of Charleston

Equestrian Opens Season with Statement Win Over No. 2 College of Charleston, 5-4

9/28/2026 11:31:00 AM | Equestrian

Addison Gingras earns MOP honors in fences as SHU takes down the Cougars in season opener

By: Samantha Carey

NORWALK, Conn. — The Sacred Heart University equestrian team opened its 2026-27 season in thrilling fashion Saturday afternoon at Silvermine Farm, taking down No. 2 College of Charleston, 5-4, in a NCEA showdown.

In the Pioneers' season opener, Sacred Heart went head-to-head with the Cougars, who entered the afternoon ranked second in the NCEA Single Discipline Preseason Poll. Sacred Heart was slated sixth in the preseason poll, tied with Bridgewater.

Final Score:
Sacred Heart - 5
College of Charleston - 4

Records:
Sacred Heart (1-0, 1-0 NCEA)
College of Charleston (0-1, 0-1 NCEA)

Key Highlights:

Sacred Heart battled to two points in fences before carrying that momentum into flat, where the Pioneers claimed three points to secure the 5-4 victory over one of the nation's top-ranked programs in singles discipline.
The Pioneers finished with a 741-point total, edging the Cougars' 733 points.
Freshman Addison Gingras made an immediate impact in her first collegiate competition, earning Most Outstanding Performer (MOP) honors in fences.

Inside the Scoresheet:
Fences -
Gingras made an immediate impact in her collegiate debut, earning MOP honors in fences with an impressive 83-point ride aboard Chauncey. Her performance helped the Pioneers secure one of their two points in fences. Rebecca Skelton followed with a crucial 80-point ride aboard Fuego, earning the Pioneers' second point in the discipline.

Reagan Waggoner added a 74-point ride aboard Junior, while Norah Jackson and Eleese Shillingford rounded out the riders with a 69 and 65-point performance, respectively.

Flat -
Shillingford led the way with an 81-point ride aboard Solo, earning one of the Pioneers' three points in the discipline. Waggoner followed up with a 77-point performance aboard Chloe. Skelton then delivered another key performance, posting a 72-point ride aboard Viv to secure another point in flat for the Pioneers.

Gingras added a 73-point ride aboard Fuego, while Jackson rounded out the Pioneers' lineup with a 67-point performance aboard Junior and claimed the third and final point for SHU.

Up Next
The Pioneers return to action on Sunday, Oct. 4, competing in the IHSA Zone II Region IV Show, hosted by Stony Brook University at Good Shepherd Farm in Yaphank, N.Y.