Ralphie

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Ralphie IV on the sidelines at the 2005 Big 12 Conference football championship game

Ralphie the buffalo is the name of the live mascot of the University of Colorado Buffaloes. She has been called one of the best live mascots in sports^[1]^[2] and is often erroneously labeled male.^[3]^[4]^[5]

Handlers, known as "Ralphie Runners," run Ralphie around Folsom Field, the University of Colorado's football field, in a loop before each half of each home game. Ralphie can reach speeds of 25 miles per hour (40 km/h). Female bison are used because they are smaller and less aggressive, as well as for insurance reasons,^[6] although Ralphie has knocked over her handlers on more than one occasion. Because of this, whether or not Ralphie runs is at the sole discretion of her handlers, and her run may be canceled if she is unusually nervous or upset.^[7]

1 History
2 Traditions
3 Gallery
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

[edit] History

The tradition began in 1934, three weeks after the selection of Buffaloes as a nickname for the University in a contest by the school newspaper, the Silver & Gold. A group of students paid $25 to rent a buffalo calf and a cowboy as his keeper for the last game of the 1934 season. The calf was the son of Killer, a famed bison at Trails End Ranch in Fort Collins, Colorado. It took the cowboy and four students to keep the calf under control on the sidelines during a 7-0 win at the University of Denver on Thanksgiving Day.^[8]

Live buffaloes continued to make sporadic appearances at CU games, usually in a pen on the field or sometimes driven around in a cage. In the 1940s, the school kept a baby buffalo in a special pen at the University Riding Academy.^[8] The first named buffalo was "Mr. Chips," who appeared for the first time at the 1957 CU Days kickoff rally; Mahlon White donated him to the school, and it was cared for by a men's honorary.^[8]

[edit] Ralphie I

Ralphie I served 1966-78

Ralphie I (1966-1978) was donated to the school in 1966 by John Lowery, the father of a CU freshman from Lubbock, Texas, when she was 6 months old. Initially, she was given the name "Ralph,"^[9] because of the noise she made while running; but after discovering the buffalo was a female, the name was changed to Ralphie.

The first handlers were the five officers of the sophomore class who ran the buffalo around the stadium in a loop. They would pick the buffalo up before the games from her caretaker William "Bud" Hays at the Green Mountain Riding Stables and run her around for a few hours to tire her out to make her easier to manage and run with. At the conclusion of the game, fans would start the "Buffalo Stomp" which would cause the stadium to shake and create a loud thundering noise. However, CU officials had to stop the Buffalo Stomp tradition due to damages it was causing to the stadium.

The tradition of running Ralphie around in a loop on the field started October 28, 1967 during CU's homecoming game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys which CU lost 10-7. Head coach Eddie Crowder had given permission, and thought it was a great idea having the team follow Ralphie out on to the field. Also, personnel that had experience working with animals took over for the five sophomore officers. The five sophomores then appointed themselves as the board of directors of fundraising and raised enough money by selling stock to take Ralphie to the 1967 Bluebonnet Bowl.

Ralphie attended all football home games and bowl games until her retirement in 1978, a 13-year career. She achieved national celebrity status and was kidnapped in 1970 by Air Force Academy cadets. She was also voted the homecoming queen in 1971.^[10]

[edit] Ralphie II

Ralphie II served 1978-87

Ralphie II (1975 - September 19, 1987), originally named "Moon" (short for Moonshine), made her debut on November 18, 1978, the final home game of the season and last game for head coach Bill Mallory for CU, a 20-16 loss to the Iowa State Cyclones.^[11] Her named was changed to Ralphie II because the name had become so popular.^[11] The Bank of Boulder, which was a significant supporter of the first Ralphie, bought and donated Ralphie II to CU.^[11] Ralphie II suddenly and unexpectedly died on September 19, 1987, following a 31-17 win over the Stanford Cardinal.^[11] She was expected to retire at the end of the 1987 season and was kept at the Parker Ranch.^[12]

[edit] Ralphie III

Ralphie III served 1987–97

Ralphie III (died early 1998) was pressed into service with only five weeks of training due to the sudden and unexpected death of Ralphie II. She was being trained to replace Ralphie II, who was due to retire at the end of the 1987 season.^[13] Ralphie III made her first appearance on November 7, 1987 in a 27-10 win against the Missouri Tigers. John and Shaaron Parker donated the orphan who was also kept at the Parker Ranch.

At the 1993 Fiesta Bowl, four of the five students running with Ralphie III slipped and fell on the slick field. Only the student in front was left. Ralphie was loose for a period of time.^[7]

After Ralphie's death, the Colorado State Senate passed State Resolution 98–10 by Senator Elsie Lacy — Concerning a tribute to Ralphie III the University of Colorado buffalo mascot, stating:

WHEREAS, Ralphie III, the University of Colorado buffalo who for 12 years rumbled across Folsom Field to the cheers of thousands, has died; and
WHEREAS, Because of her advanced age, 13yearold Ralphie III was scheduled to retire after the upcoming football season, but instead the halfton bison died of natural causes recently at her home in Hudson, Colorado; and
WHEREAS, Ralphie III led the CU Buffaloes football team onto the field in 73 games at the start of both halves, including 62 times at Folsom Field in Boulder, 8 bowl games at locations throughout the country, and 3 games in Fort Collins; and
WHEREAS, Ralphie III traveled to Anaheim, California in 1990 for the Pigskin Classic, but Anaheim Stadium authorities would not let her run on the field, the only disappointing experience in her otherwise illustrious career; and
WHEREAS, While Ralphie III will be sadly missed, the legacy of the running of the buffalo will be carried on with the donation of Ralphie IV; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Sixtyfirst General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
That the University of Colorado and fans alike have lost a most beloved mascot and are saddened by the occasion of Ralphie III's death.
Be It Further Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be sent to the University of Colorado's athletic department, President John Buechner, each member of the board of Regents of the University of Colorado, John Parker, the ranch owner who cared for Ralphie III, and the 14 University of Colorado students who are the buffalo handlers.

—CO SR 98-10^[12]

[edit] Ralphie IV

Joshua Lawton, photographer for the Boulder Daily Camera, gets a rare look at the secret home of Ralphie IV as her handlers prepare her before the Montana State game in 2006.

Ralphie IV (born April 1997), the current Ralphie, was born at Ted Turner's Flying D Ranch in Gallatin Gateway, Montana and donated to the University in response to an article in Bison World magazine.^[14] She was originally named "Rowdy" by ranch hands.^[15] She was separated from her mother and, at only one month old, was found in the jaws of a coyote with bite marks around her neck.^[14] She was bottle-fed for four months while recovering and then released back into the herd, but she would not bond with them.^[15] Ranch hands took her back and fed her grass and grains before they decided to donate her to CU. John Parker, who trained and housed both Ralphie II and III, brought her back to Colorado from Montana and supervised all of her early training.^[15] Parker retired as Ralphie's caretaker in May 2000. Long-time CU supporters Dale and Lynn Johnson housed Ralphie for the following year, with Parker's assistant, Ted Davis, assuming the program duties for the 2000 season.^[15] In the summer of 2001, two former Ralphie Handlers and CU graduates, Ben Frei and Kevin Priola, took over the program. Together they coordinate the selection and managing of up to 12 student handlers as well as all aspects of training.^[15]

Ralphie IV, fully grown and mature, weighs in at about 1,300 pounds (590 kg), over three times her weight when she made her debut against the Colorado State Rams at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado on September 5, 1998. Her home is now in nearby Henderson, Colorado. Her exact location remains a secret because of previous attempts by rival schools to kidnap Ralphie, or otherwise render her unable to run.^[7]

Ralphie IV has only refused to run twice.^[10] She got spooked November 21, 2003 as she charged out of her pen for her routine run across Folsom Field to mark the start of the game versus CU's nemesis, the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Instead of mightily rumbling over the turf, she halted at the 20-yard line, dug her hoofs into the grassy field and refused to budge.^[16] CU lost the game 22–31. She also refused to even leave the gates on November 26, 1999, also against Nebraska in another loss, 33-30 in overtime.^[17] A Kansas State Wildcats player was once run over by Ralphie.^[7] She also has provided the team's only serious accident in 2000 when she tossed Meghan McCarthy "like a bale of hay," leaving permanent scars from her horns.^[10]

Ralphie came into the national spotlight in November 2002 as Violet Stromberg, a 96-year-old lifelong CU football fan, left her life savings of $40,730 to create the Ralphie Fund which helps pay for Ralphie's hoof trimmings, transportation, harnesses, ropes, vet bills and $1,500 a year in oats, alfalfa and grass.^[6] Ralphie IV is expected to retire after the 2007 football season after a 10-year career.^[1]^[18]

[edit] Traditions

Ralphie IV in her pen at the Georgia game on September 23, 2006. Also seen is the trailer in which she travels.

She rarely travels to away games (bowl games excluded), and only when permitted by the rules of the host stadium. Ralphie IV traveled to the September 23, 2006 game against the Georgia Bulldogs along with an ESPN producer and cameraman who documented the trip and aired a special on that weekend's College Gameday.^[19] She also traveled to the 2005 Champs Sports Bowl.^[20]

She wears a custom-made banner that reads "GO CU" on one side, and "Beat [the opposing team]" on the other side with the CU Logo, such as "Beat Cougars" or "Beat Longhorns".

[edit] Gallery

Ralphie IV running at Colorado's first win of the 2006 season, and head coach Dan Hawkins' first win at Colorado on October 14, 2006 against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Notice the "BEAT TECH" on Ralphie's outfit.

Ralphie IV running at the game against the Kansas State Wildcats on November 4, 2006. Notice the "BEAT KSU" on Ralphie's outfit. The handlers often lose their cowboy hats.

Ralphie IV is made available to the public during football season so they can take pictures and touch her. This picture taken on October 6, 2006, the day before she made her appearance at the game against the Baylor Bears which CU lost, 31-34 in triple overtime.

Ralphie IV making her run in the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on November 25, 2005. Colorado lost 3-30 as part of the downward tailspin at the end of Colorado's 2006 season. Notice the football team following her out.