Tuscaloosa Academy Senior Signs With SMU Equestrian Program

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Tuscaloosa Academy senior Reynolds Cole made her college choice official on Wednesday as she signed a Division 1 scholarship to become a member of the prestigious equestrian program at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

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The school has one of only 19 NCAA programs who compete at the Division 1 level, making Cole's signing day that much more special. She was also honored Wednesday after being selected as the school's winner in the 2021 Heisman High School Scholarship competition, which Patch reported earlier this month.

Cole was joined by her family and trainers as she put ink to paper for SMU, which follows nearly a decade of riding, traveling and putting in the work to compete at the highest level.

She first began riding at Westminster Farms in Tuscaloosa, which is owned by one of her trainers, Ashley Morrison. Cole also credits her success in part to the tutelage of Reid Rickett of Westminster Farms, along with Liz Reilly and Erica Quinn of Makoto Farms in Calabasas, California.

"It's important to get a lot of different opinions, because it's all based on a judge's perspective, and a lot of those are judges," Cole told Patch following her signing. "They've helped me so much with my riding and horses, because it's both. It's not just me, it's my horses being successful, too, and making sure both of us are in sync. I've had a lot of great horses, but I also have a really big team behind me. With my parents, all the staff at all the farms, obviously none of this would be possible without all of them."

Cole finished the 2021 indoor season this past Sunday by being named the Reserve Champion at the prestigious Washington International Horse Show, in addition to the Claire Mawdsley Scholarship Reserve Championship at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show.

Apart from her athletic pursuits, school administrators said Cole was still able to maintain her grades, take early college classes, and participate in school organizations and Civinettes.

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