Senior Alexia Tordoff spoke on Apr. 15 about her journey in equestrian sports, reflecting on her experiences at Auburn University and sharing her plans after graduation. Tordoff began riding horses at the age of three, inspired by her older sister Olivia, who also competed for Auburn.
Tordoff said that what started as a shared activity with her sister developed into a true passion around the age of thirteen. She recalled early memories with her first horse, Irish: “My parents bought me a horse,” Tordoff said. “It definitely wasn’t the right horse at that time. It was kind of dangerous. It was just funny because we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.”
The COVID-19 pandemic limited in-person recruiting visits for Tordoff, but having her sister already at Auburn helped shape her decision to join the team. “I was able to travel to my sister’s meets a lot and got to see other schools,” she said. “I found out that Auburn was the right fit for me through meeting the coaches and other staff through online meetings.”
Over four seasons with Auburn’s equestrian team, Tordoff has excelled in both Horsemanship and Reining events—a demanding double role she described as requiring twice the practice load of most student-athletes: “I think it was challenging maybe my freshman year, but it is also such an incredible opportunity to be able to compete in both events that not many people get to do. I really do view it as a privilege.” Her achievements include being named 2023 SEC Freshman Rider of the Year in both disciplines and earning honors such as 2025 SEC Horsemanship Rider of the Year and NCEA First Team All-American.
Tordoff credited much of her success to support from teammates and head coach Jessica Braswell: “I truly think if I didn’t have the teammates I have now, I wouldn’t be here, and I wouldn’t love this team as much as I do,” she said. She added about Braswell: “She has been extremely supportive for the four years I’ve been on the team.”
Looking ahead, Tordoff plans to pursue medical device sales while continuing involvement with horses through Wild Oats Farm, owned by her family. As she prepares for graduation, she reflected on what she will miss most: “The biggest thing I am going to miss…is obviously being around my teammates and the structure that Auburn has given us…Those tough coaching moments and those breakthroughs are definitely something I am going to miss the most.” To younger riders she offered advice: “Don’t feel awkward or intimidated to be the hardest worker in the room…make sure you are the most competitive person there and you’re willing to be the best.”
