Skyhawks Dial Up A Pair Of Western ECAC Monthly Accolades
3/4/2026 12:23:00 PM | Equestrian
DANBURY, Conn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin equestrian program received two Eastern College Athletic Conference Rider of the Month awards today as Kailyn Veale (Horsemanship) and Abby Tibbits (Reining) were spotlighted for their performances in the month of February.
This marks the fourth and fifth ECAC monthly honors for the Skyhawks in 2025-26 as Averey Pritchard (Fences Rider of the Month), Brianna Marks (Standout Student-Athlete of the Month) and Winnie B (Horse of the Month) were previously recognized in October.
UT Martin went 2-0 in the month of February, topping ECAC rivals Delaware State and Minnesota-Crookston by 15-4 margins on Feb. 20-21. The duo of Veale and Tibbits combined to go 4-0 with three MOP's in those meets on their way to ECAC Rider of the Week status in their respective events.
Veale posted 75 points aboard Luigi against Delaware State, winning by a six-point margin. A day later against Minnesota-Crookston, the senior out of Ooltewah, Tenn. went off for a career-high 81.5 points – good enough for a MOP medal and a 12.5-point win over her head-to-head competitor on Jim. On the season, Veale leads the squad in horsemanship MOP's (two) while ranking second in scoring average (74.1 points) and third in victories (four).
A sophomore from Elbert, Colo., Tibbits was a perfect 2-for-2 in MOP's during the Skyhawks' final home weekend of the season. She started with a 77.5-point ride on Shiner against her counterpart from Delaware State, winning by a margin of 9.5 points. She followed that with a career-best 79 points against Minnesota-Crookston, earning a two-point win aboard Cobra. Tibbits paces UT Martin in reining MOP's (two) and wins (six) while generating a 69.9 scoring average so far this season.
UT Martin is set for a busy weekend to round out its 2025-26 regular season schedule. The Skyhawks will take on No. 8 Fresno State and No. 10 Baylor in Fresno, Calif. on Friday, March 6 before heading to Davis, Calif. to take on ECAC rival No. 9 UC Davis on Saturday, March 7.
This marks the fourth and fifth ECAC monthly honors for the Skyhawks in 2025-26 as Averey Pritchard (Fences Rider of the Month), Brianna Marks (Standout Student-Athlete of the Month) and Winnie B (Horse of the Month) were previously recognized in October.
UT Martin went 2-0 in the month of February, topping ECAC rivals Delaware State and Minnesota-Crookston by 15-4 margins on Feb. 20-21. The duo of Veale and Tibbits combined to go 4-0 with three MOP's in those meets on their way to ECAC Rider of the Week status in their respective events.
Veale posted 75 points aboard Luigi against Delaware State, winning by a six-point margin. A day later against Minnesota-Crookston, the senior out of Ooltewah, Tenn. went off for a career-high 81.5 points – good enough for a MOP medal and a 12.5-point win over her head-to-head competitor on Jim. On the season, Veale leads the squad in horsemanship MOP's (two) while ranking second in scoring average (74.1 points) and third in victories (four).
A sophomore from Elbert, Colo., Tibbits was a perfect 2-for-2 in MOP's during the Skyhawks' final home weekend of the season. She started with a 77.5-point ride on Shiner against her counterpart from Delaware State, winning by a margin of 9.5 points. She followed that with a career-best 79 points against Minnesota-Crookston, earning a two-point win aboard Cobra. Tibbits paces UT Martin in reining MOP's (two) and wins (six) while generating a 69.9 scoring average so far this season.
UT Martin is set for a busy weekend to round out its 2025-26 regular season schedule. The Skyhawks will take on No. 8 Fresno State and No. 10 Baylor in Fresno, Calif. on Friday, March 6 before heading to Davis, Calif. to take on ECAC rival No. 9 UC Davis on Saturday, March 7.
Players Mentioned
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