Ralphie IV
- Born: April 1997, Gallatin Gateway, Montana
- Died: March 19, 2017
- Served: September 5, 1998 – August 31, 2008
- Folsom Field Games: 55
- Mile High Stadium Games: 9
- Away Stadium Games: 1
- Conference Championship Games: 4
- Bowl Games: 6
- Total Games: 75
Ralphie IV was born in April 1997 on the Flying D Ranch in Gallatin Gateway, Montana, owned by Ted Turner, who donated her to the University of Colorado. While out checking the herd, Todd Traucht the buffalo manager at Flying D, found a newborn abandoned buffalo with her mother nowhere to be found. After checking out the baby buffalo, he found bite marks around her neck from a coyote attack. Being an abandoned buffalo and just surviving a coyote attack, Traucht took her home to be bottle fed and raised by him and his wife Susie. Traucht named her Rowdy due to her excitable nature. She was released back to the herd, but would not bond with them. She was then donated to Colorado as a yearling in April 1998. Johnnie Parker, who trained and housed both Ralphie II and III, brought her back to Colorado from Montana and supervised her early training.
Parker retired from the program in May 1999, after 13 years of working with the program, and housing and training Ralphie II, III, and IV. Longtime Colorado supporters Dale and Lynn Johnson housed Ralphie for the following year and coach Ted Davis assumed the program duties for the 2000 season. In the summer of 2001, two former Ralphie Handlers and Colorado graduates, Benny Frei and Kevin Priola, took over the program including the housing of Ralphie IV. Ralphie IV was transported in the same custom steel, black stock trailer that carried Ralphie III. She also used the same harness and headstall that was used by Ralphie III. Ralphie IV also continued to wear the “Ralphie Blanket,” being maintained by Priola’s wife, Michelle, who also updated the opposing team’s name each week.
Ralphie IV weighed about 1,100 pounds, over three times her weight when she made her debut against Colorado State University at Mile High Stadium in Denver on September 5, 1998. Colorado won 42-14. Her final game was also against Colorado State University on August 31, 2008. Colorado won that game 38-17. Ralphie IV retired after 10 years of service and lived out her retirement in Henderson, Colorado. She ran at all four Big-12 Conference Championship games that Colorado played in, and traveled to six bowl games. She also made a historic trip to Atlanta, Georgia in 2006 when Colorado played the University of Georgia. In total, she ran at 75 football games during her career. She died on March 19, 2017, due to liver failure. She would have turned 20 years old the next month, a long life for a buffalo. Ralphie IV was buried in Henderson, Colorado.