Haley Wilkerson, an Abilene Christian University sophomore from Bonham, was awarded the title of Miss Frontier Texas after several weeks of intense competition. Miss Frontier Texas, a scholarship competition for young women enrolled in Abilene area universities was hosted by Frontier Texas, a world-class museum and heritage center located in downtown Abilene. The competition gave Wilkerson the chance to shine in a variety of unique skills inspired by life of the Texas frontier.

Frontier Texas and its partner sponsors awarded Wilkerson an academic scholarship of $4,000 and a pair of custom cowboy boots from James Leddy Boots of Abilene. The Miss Frontier Texas scholarship competition occurred during February and March, concluding on Saturday, March 24.

The competition began with study materials about Texas history, frontier living skills and the museum. The contestants were tested and scored over the materials and also required to write an essay about the museum. The next major challenge was the Saddle & Shoot event in which 26 contestants were asked to properly saddle a horse and shoot a .50 caliber buffalo rifle at a target at 400 yards. Wilkerson made it through the first elimination to be one of 12 semifinalists.

The Frontier Life Challenge required the semifinalists to sleep overnight on the Frontier Texas grounds, scrub muddy shirts on an old-fashioned washboard, chase chickens, show their roping skills and more. Wilkerson made it to the final six, which meant cooking chicken fried steak and biscuits the frontier way, over an open fire, in the Chuck Wagon Cooking Challenge.

After being crowned, Wilkerson said that she almost didn’t enter the competition this year after being involved in an Abilene Christian University bus accident. The November 4 accident killed Haley’s close friend Anabel Reid and left Wilkerson and other passengers injured. Wilkerson told the Abilene Reporter-News that everything about being in this contest was a reminder of Anabel.

Frontier Texas intends to make the Miss Frontier Texas scholarship competition an annual event.

Frontier Texas Executive Director, Jeff Salmon said, “The museum is honored to name Haley Wilkerson the inaugural winner and to have her represent Frontier Texas for the next year.”