Here’s my suggestion for the students who have been selected to represent this Ole Miss mascot committee. Make a horse the mascot!

The horse could be a pretty roan, a grey dapple dan, a black stallion, a white stallion or a beautiful palomino. You make the decision. If you look at the big picture, the SEC has a couple of tigers, a couple of bulldogs, a gator, a gamecock, a wildcat, a hound dog, a commodore, an elephant, and a pig, but no horses. Look at Texas Tech and the red raider dressed as Zorro on that beautiful horse.

They’ve got the best mascot in the big 12. How about Florida State and that good looking appaloosa, that the Seminole rides? Their mascots aren’t some person who puts some goofy costume on. A horse has character, strength, and personality.

Name the horse “Rebel” because we’re the Ole Miss Rebels! A nice blanket could be made with the name Rebel falling on top of his hindquarters. The University wouldn’t pay for the horse or the training or the horses furnishings. I assure you the alumni would take care of the remuneration. I grew up in Como and all my buddies knew how to ride so I know after 37 years there must be a few riders still left in Mississippi. The University should mix it up every year. Any student male or female should be given the chance to ride on top of Rebel. The logistics would be too difficult for Rebel to attend away games but at least the horse could be ridden at all of the home games.

Since Ole Miss colors are red and blue, have someone design a red and blue male and female outfits for the rider. If you want to call the rider the Rebel Rider, The Ole Miss Rider, The Mississippi Rider, so be it.

Your choice. That person could also help the Ole Miss cheerleaders.

I can visualize a galloping Rebel leading the Ole Miss football players onto Vaught- Hemingway field. Can you picture Rebel galloping out to the 50-yard line after a touchdown was scored. Everyone would surely love that moment. Before game time Rebel could lead the team down the walk of champions.

The University of Texas loves their longhorn, Bevo, but truthfully if that many people at Texas love a cow, how can Ole Miss go wrong with a beautiful horse named Rebel? Kids, students, alumni, faculty, they would love that horse. They would protect Rebel and I honestly believe that a horse named Rebel would bring everyone together and make everybody happy.

Thirty-seven years ago, I rode a horse onto the football field for 1 game. Let’s bring him back. Who knows, back to the future.

Sincerely,

Curt Kennedy