When It Comes To Rushing Yardage, CU's Ralphie Rolls

BOULDER — Trivia question: name the Colorado Buffalo who debuted for the Buffs by running for more than 200 yards in the first-ever Colorado-Colorado State game played in Denver, a 42-14 CU win over the Rams in 1998.

Not that it was a particularly special performance. Fact is, this Buff ran for roughly 200 yards every game she played.

Yep, that's right, "she." That would be Ralphie — Ralphie IV, to be exact — who ushered in the CU-CSU series in Denver with her first-ever appearance and a win, then capped her career with another win over the Rams, a 38-17 conquest, 10 years later.

In between, she became one of the most well-traveled Buffaloes in history. Her resume included 55 appearances at Folsom Field, nine games in Denver, one true road game (Georgia in 2006), four conference championship game appearances and six bowl games, for a total of 75 game-day runs. (Figuring a conservative 200 yards per game, that's 15,000 yards rushing for her career.)

After that 2008 appearance, Ralphie IV retired. Since then, Ralphie V has been filling her very capable hooves while Ralphie IV, now at the ripe old age of 19, lives a life of retirement luxury on an Adams County ranch.

"She's doing great," said John Graves, manager of the Ralphie Live Mascot Program. "After her last run, we thought she would live several more years. But to see her live to this old age has been great. She gets a vet checkup every year, and every year, they are amazed at how well she's doing."

One of the most recognized and most popular college mascots in the nation, Ralphie has been a staple at CU home games for nearly half a century. Visiting teams regularly leave their locker rooms to get a glimpse of her pregame run, and opposing fans flock to the field railing to get photos during her pregame and halftime gallops.

Ralphie IV's handlers actually thought her last appearance in 2007 — the Independence Bowl against Alabama — would likely be her last appearance.

"She had started to show signs of not wanting to run, and we'd never run Ralphie if she didn't want to," Graves said. "We keep a close eye on that, and if we ever see signs of that, we don't run her."

But the following season, handlers weren't sure Ralphie V was quite ready to go. They took Ralphie IV on some practice runs and when they asked her to give them one last run in Denver, she obliged them with a memorable jaunt.

"We've been doing this a long time," Graves said. "With both of them, you've always been able to tell when they were ready to run before a game. You can sense their mood. They have adrenaline, just like people, and when they're ready to go, you know it."

Still, handlers decided that one last win over Colorado State was enough for Ralphie IV. One week later, they debuted Ralphie V in a win over Eastern Washington, followed by the first "blackout" game at Folsom Field a week later, an overtime victory over West Virginia.

"The entire stadium was electric that night and you could tell that she could sense it," Graves said. "We weren't sure how she'd react in a night game with that kind of crowd, but she was awesome. She just flew around the field. You could tell she was really ready to run."

The Ralphie program has greatly evolved since a group of student volunteers took Ralphie I on her first run around Folsom Field in 1967. There are 15 handlers on the team who must try out for the honor, then work out regularly throughout the year. Ralphie reaches speeds of up to 25 mph during her run, and the job also requires a great sense of balance, coordination and strength.

It also requires that you not be afraid of a 1,200-pound buffalo — especially when they begin to see you as part of the "herd" and want to get playful.

"Buffalo are very intelligent animals," Graves said. "They know each handler almost individually. Ralphie V knows the experienced handlers from the new ones, and she recognizes us. The neat thing is she has kind of accepted us as part of her herd. She's actually very playful and she wants to play with us.

"But honestly — getting playful with a 1,200-pound animal just isn't a very good idea."

Both Ralphie IV and Ralphie V were donated to CU from a Ted Turner ranch. Ralphie V will turn 10 years old this fall, and Graves said they've seen no sign yet that she is ready to head to pasture on a full-time basis. Just like the other Buffs on the field, Ralphie has been going through fall camp — "they do put on a little summer weight," Graves said — and she appears ready to roll for another season. She recently ran at a CU freshman orientation event at Folsom Field, and looked to be in midseason form.

"With Ralphie V, you can really sense when she's ready to run," Graves said. "Right before a game, she gets excited. But just before she's ready to run, just before we go onto the field, she gets perfectly calm and goes into a little crouch. Then when we open the gate, she just flies. She honestly loves to run on game day."

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu

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