Kayla Willis Named a Six White Horses Rider for 2011-2012

2011 Oct 5

Kayla Willis, of Granbury, Texas, is one of eight students named to Hardin-Simmons University's Six White Horses team for the 2011-2012 academic year.

New riders are chosen every year, with last year's riders also having to prove they are among the best at the tryouts. Students competing for the coveted spots are judged on horsemanship, personality, and appearance.

Debbie Jones, director of the Six White Horses Program, says, "We had an amazing turn out at the tryouts. The girls really stepped up their game this year. We also had lots of friends and families come out to cheer on the girls."

"This is not an easy task," says Jones. "Horses and riders are often required to gallop around an arena. The rider has to control the horse with one hand, and hold one of the six flags that have flown over Texas in the other hand."

This year, "Our schedule starts out with homecoming parades. Christmas parades start soon after that. Our next really huge event is the HSU Homecoming October 20-23," says Jones.

Kayla Willis is a sophomore .

About Hardin-Simmons:

The Princeton Review has named HSU as a "Best in the West" university in its 2012 Best Colleges: Region by Region. HSU is one of 120 colleges and universities to receive this distinction.

U.S. News and World Report places HSU in the top tier of universities in the western United States in its 2012 rankings among 626 universities nationwide. The publication also reported that HSU is one of only a handful of universities in the nation offering a tuition rate which does not increase for full-time qualifying students.