New Buffalo Calf in Line to be Next Live Mascot at WT

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — A new Thunder is on the horizon at West Texas A&M University.

The WT Herdsmen recently adopted a new heifer and began training her to step into the hoofprints of the University’s reining live mascot.

“Our newest buffalo calf, who’ll be Thunder XVI when she assumes her duties, is a welcome addition to our team,” said Dr. Kelly Jones, clinical assistant professor of agriculture and adviser of the Herdsmen , Thunder’s student handlers. “She loves the Herdsmen already and is very vocal when they show up to feed her.”

The orphaned calf, acquired from Dr. Charles “Doc” Addington, a regional bison producer, arrived at the Thunder Lodge pen in late April.

She already has made appearances at New Student Orientation events on campus, as well as other community events.

“Bringing her to events while she’s young and exposing her to lots of people and noise helps with her training,” Jones said.

Thunder XV will continue his duties until he grows too large to be safely handled.

Thunder, one of only two live buffalo mascots in the United States, is run onto First United Field by the Herdsmen during WT football games at Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium. He also makes a variety of other community appearances.

WT’s first live mascots were purchased in 1922 from Col. Charles and Mary Ann Goodnight; the buffalo “Charlie” was mounted for posterity and donated to Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. The live mascot program was revived in the 1970s, when the Herdsmen were formed.

Today, the Herdsman organization is made up of 12 young men and women who serve as ambassadors for WT’s Paul Engler College of Agriculture and for the University at large.

Bolstering regional pride and campus spirit is in line with the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised more than $165 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT, a Regional Research University, is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

Photo: Tiffany Montana, a senior biology major from San Antonio and member of the West Texas A&M University Wildlife Society, greets Thunder XVI at a June 12 New Student Orientation. With the young new calf are Herdsmen Boone Begert, a senior agriculture education major from Allison, and Calvin Autrey, a sophomore agribusiness and economics major from Willard, New Mexico.

—WT—