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Why Name a Lady Buffalo “Ralphie”?

This title question, and the more general “Why a buffalo for a mascot?” answered below. Time to brush up on Buff history.

Ralphie is the female buffalo mascot for CU Boulder. But why does this female buffalo sport a male name? And why did CU choose a bison mascot in the first place?
The tradition began in 1934 when the university newspaper selected “Buffaloes” as the nickname for the university students. Three weeks later, a few students paid a rancher $25 to rent a bison calf and a cowboy to handle her. The calf had to be managed by all 4 students plus the ranch hand at the 7-0 winning game at University of Denver.

Male Bison (above) and Female Bison (below)

Bison appeared occasionally at CU games after that, sometimes in pens and sometimes driven around the field in cages. In the 1940s CU got its own baby bison and kept it in a pen at the University Riding Academy. This little buffalo was not the first official mascot though. That title goes to “Mr. Chips,” the buffalo who first premiered at the 1957 CU Days kickoff rally. Mr. Chips was cared for by a men’s honorary.

The first Ralphie was donated to CU in 1966. The bison was originally named Ralph, because that’s the sound it made while running. But, one student from Delta Delta Delta pointed out the female anatomy of the little buffalo. So the name was changed to Ralphie… Because that was more feminine in their minds (we assume).

But, why a female buffalo? Well if you’ve ever seen a male bison, you may understand. Females are smaller and far less aggressive than males. When it comes down to it bison are wild animals,

Ralph V temporarily escaping her handlers. Photo Credit: Lady Arwyn

and it’s easier to handle a smaller animal. The trained Ralphie Handlers still have to wear her out before a run through the stadium. Without pre-exhausting her she would be much harder to direct around the football field.

Ralphie I served from 1966-1978. CU is now at Ralphie V, a feisty addition to the line of spunky female buffalo which have given CU national attention.

We hope you have a bit more appreciation for the Buffs and their mascot today. Like us on Facebook and leave comments or questions below. Have a great day!

Behind the scenes with buffalo handlers at the University of Colorado

Ralphie is the live buffalo mascot for University of Colorado and those who take care of her need intense training physically and mentally.

This article is part of ongoing reporting and production for a new episode of Colorado Experience. Season 10 of Colorado Experience is set to premiere this September.

BOULDER, Colo. — The clink of weights hit the gym floor at 7 a.m. It’s an early morning workout many Division I college athletes are familiar with, but this one doesn’t involve a ball — instead it requires handling a nearly 1,000-pound animal on stage unlike any other sport.

“The crowd is crescendoing up to a huge roar. And then the buffalo runs and you get to run out behind her and the crowd goes wild," Taylor Stratton, the Ralphie Live Mascot program manager. "And so you can't get that anywhere else, that's just here,” she said of the moment handlers run out on Folsom Field with Ralphie, a buffalo and live mascot for the University of Colorado, Boulder (CU).

In August, Stratton expects many people to apply for a spot on her team's roster. With the unprecedented changes new University of Colorado football coach Deion Sanders has made for the team , Stratton said she expects the excitement to carry over to the Ralphie Live Mascot program.

In 2022, 85 people applied for seven spots on the team. Applications are open to any full-time undergraduate or graduate student at the University of Colorado. The selection process involves physical tests and an interview.

Handling Ralphie, the buffalo

CU Boulder's live mascot, Ralphie the Buffalo is a centerpiece in the CU Boulder culture

“It's one of my favorite times of the year because we're finding our new class of Ralphie handlers who are able to sort of carry on our proud tradition and take this program and continue to elevate it,” Stratton said.

Running Ralphie onto the field is an all-hands-on-deck effort. The handlers keep her in a small corral on the field until it’s time to run. When the gates open, four handlers — two on each side — run with ropes around Folsom Field, aiming to direct Ralphie to her trailer and close the door behind her. The team can reach speeds up to 25 miles per hour. Braden Behr, a fourth-year handler, likens the experience to just hoping to keep up and not get dragged by a buffalo.

“50,000 people staring at me, watching whatever I do. And it's … nervous,” Behr said. "But at the same time, it's a huge adrenaline rush, and it's unlike anything else I could ever imagine.”

Behr’s older brother, Colton, was a handler and is now the assistant program manager who has a deep passion for the program.

“She is, in my opinion, the best live mascot. A lot of them just stand on the sidelines [and] she's out running,” Colton Behr said.

Colton Behr and Stratton have a strong connection with Ralphie, who is the sixth live buffalo mascot at CU.

Ralphie handlers running with Ralphie I, who was active from 1966-1978. Photo courtesy of CU Boulder.

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Ralphie’s history

In 1966, the father of a CU freshman purchased a six-month-old buffalo calf and donated her to the university. She stood on the sidelines and slept in the trailer. Then, the next year the head coach along with university staff decided she would lead the football team out onto Folsom Field and the tradition was born.

Since the tradition began 57 years ago, the school has kept extensive records and histories on each Ralphie, which are posted on the university’s website . All have been female because they weigh about half the size of male buffalo, which can average upwards of 2,500 pounds.

The school’s current mascot, Ralphie VI, is 3 years old. A university alumnus connected a bison rancher with CU to become the new mascot after Ralphie VI was abandoned by her mother. Stratton and Behr have cared for her since she was only a few months old and only 125 pounds.

“Having been raised so differently as an orphan, people are what she loves,” Stratton said. “I'll be out there at her ranch, and we clean up her pastures every single day, and we're out there and we do enrichment every single day.”

Ralphie VI is currently about 800 pounds and is expected to grow to 1,000 pounds. Her handlers are also hopeful that as she grows, she’ll be able to run a little faster.

“She's an absolute sweetheart. Her and I get along really well,” Colton Behr said. “It's the best part of my day seeing her, and hopefully it's the best part of hers too.”

Ralphie lives on a ranch where Behr and Stratton conduct her daily care. The handlers go to the ranch to meet and work with her, but the location is a secret because of a series of incidents years ago in which opposing teams kidnapped Ralphie as a stunt.

Taylor Stratton is the first full-time program manager for the Ralphie Live Mascot program. She helps train the handlers and works with Ralphie daily.

“I grew up with a background in cattle, and I've learned so much about Buffalo that they are just very, very different. Cattle are very domesticated,” Stratton said. “Buffalo are very different. They're significantly more unpredictable. They are still very wild at heart.”

Stratton and Behr teach students how to interact with Ralphie and read her body language. Outside of her famous runs across Folsom Field, Ralphie appears with the handlers for certain university-related events where pictures are allowed but petting is not.

“[We] never let them pet her because I wouldn't like to be grabbed by strangers and we give her the same courtesy,” said Stratton. “A large part of what the team does is they stand there around her to make sure she knows that they're with her and she feels safe and secure.”

Training a buffalo to run across a field with 50,000 screaming fans and unpredictable noises can be difficult. So the team practices with her to make the process easier for her. For example, they try to make Ralphie’s trailer her favorite place in the world with a lot of treats to greet her when she enters.

“It's not normal for a buffalo to go out and run in front of 50,000 people. But she loves doing it. She's super brave when she does it,” Braden Behr said.

Colton Behr is a former Ralphie handler and current assistant program manager who assists in developing physical training for current handlers.

Ralphie’s handlers undergo intensive training, which includes weight lifting and sprint conditioning. Stratton and Behr say the handlers will never be as strong or as fast as Ralphie, but getting as close as they can creates the safest environment for everyone.

“One of the reasons we do so much training is to prevent injuries. And then also just make sure that when you do get out there and there are 50,000 people yelling … you're ready and you know what's coming and muscle memory can take over if it needs to,” Stratton said.

Most Ralphies stay active for about eight to 10 years, though Ralphie V ran for longer. Colton Behr said she was just different: she was bigger, stronger and faster. Her handlers also believed she simply loved to run.

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All You Need to Know Before Booking Vrbo Kona Magic Sands