Watch University of Colorado Students Try Out to Run with a Buffalo
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- čas přidán 13. 05. 2019
- Ralphie the Buffalo has been the University of Colorado's mascot since the 1960s. Each spring, the school holds tryouts to become a handler to run alongside her during home football games.
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The University of Colorado has an unorthodox mascot.
Ralphie the buffalo storms the field at football games.
RACHEL DEMBY (Senior)
If you’ve ever gone to a CU football game, it’s pretty obvious why all of us want to do this. It’s the coolest thing about the football game.
CU students work as Ralphie’s on-field handlers.
JOHN GRAVES (Program Director)
“Not a lot of people have experience running with a buffalo. Yes, we do need someone who is very athletic, strong, and fast, but someone who is very smart and we can teach them the skill and technique that’s needed to run with Ralphie.”
The team consists of 15 student volunteers.
Five handlers run with Ralphie at once.
JOHN GRAVES (Program Director)
It’s a combination of running as fast as they can and holding on to the lead ropes that are attached to Ralphie’s harness and having them pull her along a little bit.
The fastest two run in front.
They control the bison’s direction.
The strongest runs in the back.
They are there to slow Ralphie down.
Two others run alongside to direct her.
JOHN GRAVES (Program Director)
It’s about 250 yards we’re running. The average speed across that distance is about 18, 19 miles per hour. So it is pretty quick. It does take Ralphie a little bit to get up to that speed and she does slow down a bit before she gets in her trailer. So across the middle of the field, when she’s really moving, she’s going pretty fast.
KEANE LYLE (Senior)
It takes a lot more strength, upper body strength, during the run. It’s not just running… You’re up on her, leaning into her shoulder and you’re really leaning in there. You’re like riding with her and running faster than you could without her. It’s so cool.
Jeans are part of the uniform.
SAVANNAH SPAKES (Sophomore)
When I’m on the buffalo, our hats fly off, I don’t think about being in my jeans, we’re in cleats still. So many other things are on my mind that the jeans don’t even register.
The school holds handler tryouts each spring.
RACHEL DEMBY (Senior)
In the new recruits, I just want people with great personalities and obviously people who can handle running with her because it’s hard, she’s fast.
Handlers train up to 30 hours a week.
SAVANNAH SPAKES (Sophomore)
This is so different, we do so much weight room, so much running. We also focus on the actual animal herself and learning about her. It’s like three completely different things all kind of bound up into one big group.
JOHN GRAVES (Program Director)
CU is not an ag school, so we don’t always get a lot of applicants who do have a lot of agricultural background, but “We do take a lot of time in training the Ralphie handlers when they’re on the team of how to work with livestock, how to be comfortable around buffalo specifically.”
RACHEL DEMBY (Senior)
I grew up with cows and cows and bison are a lot different but it helped translate and helped make the transition a lot easier than other people on the team.
The students develop a bond with the bison.
KEANE LYLE (Senior)
I love Ralphie, she’s the greatest mascot and such a personality to hang out with.
SAVANNAH SPAKES (Sophomore)
I’ve been wanting to do this since I was eight years old… It’s been beyond what I wanted, it’s been amazing, the coaches are amazing, the team is amazing, the animal is amazing. It’s been so cool getting to do everything that we do. - Sport
Best mascot in all sports
It cracks me up how she runs into her trailer, she is outta there!
It doesn’t look like those young men and women are running fast but I promise you they are hauling some serious tail! Especially the man in the back!
That looks like so much fun!
Grande Ralphie!!!
They train Ralphie not to trample people...um...is 30 hours enough? This always freaked me out😅
Dude storming the Capitol dressed as Ralphie brought me here.....!
Lol
Lol 😂
Coach Prime said NOPE lol
Go raphie
Nice 😂
so they need 30 hours a week to learn how to run along side a buffalo ? and they aren't being paid??
It just like a sport they don’t pay the other athletes except with scholarship and some athletes get no scholarship
It’s a honor to run Ralphie out J p. This is something not many people can say they’ve done.
@@gavinsaint2224 cool story
@@hateithere1017 aye man some people aren’t lil bitches like you and need to be compensated for everything.
👆
how do they get her to start running??? hope they don't poke her or anything
She knows the deal
She’s trained to know. Trust me raphie is the most well treated buffaloe ever.
428th comment 2:31pm 7/19/2023 now 2:32 a couple seconds ago 50th comment there are 49cpmments there are 49 comments rn turkey tkme time
So hey have banking and those suckers don't use it. C'mon
College is such a joke at this point lol
Lmao ok
I have an associate degree. I make an EASY 6-figures. I know electricians, welders, and mechanics that make more than I do.
@@WonkiWeaboo In what did you major?
They take out her top teeth
No they don’t. Buffalo, bison and cattle don’t have top teeth. Now STOP spreading lies.
Pooor buffalo 👎👎👎👎
That “poor” buffalo is pampered and so well taken care of you have no idea what you are talking about.
@@geoffspakes Ummmmmm, rrrriiiight......30 hours a week of training !!??.....and I bet they get a degree for it, right?.....you dope.......
@@TheAmerican1963 They don't train 30 hours a week WITH the buffalo, the Handlers train 30 hours a week...running, lifting, etc. Thanks for throwing that stone from the glass house you live in...obviously once again you have no clue what you are talking about.
@@geoffspakes meh.......your a no count, too
Kurt Ingalls think the handelers and players train 30 hours a week not the buffalo
I knew american football was stupid but I didn't know how much until now
How is American football stupid? You sound pretty stupid right now
Loser!
this reply chain lmao... when all of them stack up they sound like the stupid moronic losers lol
lemon boy dawg your name is lemon boy.... shut the fuck up 😭😭😭
Says the keyboard commando.