Traveler, Southern Cal's mascot
 

http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/...s/traveler.jpg

From www.usctrojans.com:

Traveler, USC's Mascot


Traveler, the noble white horse that appears at all USC home football games with a regal Trojan warrior astride, is one of the most famous college mascots.

Traveler first made an appearance at USC football games in 1961 (in the home opener versus Georgia Tech). Bob Jani, then USC’s director of special events, and Eddie Tannenbaum, then a junior at USC, had spotted Richard Saukko riding his white horse, Traveler I, in the 1961 Rose Parade. They persuaded Saukko to ride his white horse around the Coliseum during USC games, serving as a mascot. Ever since, whenever USC scores, the band plays "Conquest" and Traveler gallops around the Coliseum.

Because of poor health, Saukko stopped riding after the 1988 season. His successors have been alumni: Cass Dabbs, Rick Oas, Tom Nolan, Ardeshir Radpour, and current riders Chuck O'Donnell, who is also Traveler's trainer, and Brent Dahlgren, a USC sophomore. (Saukko passed away in March of 1992.)

The current Trojan mascot is 2-time national champion show horse Traveler V, a 12-year-old Andalusian gelding who first appeared during the 1997 season. And waiting in the wings is Traveler VI, a 5-year-old Andalusian gelding.

Even though the breed of horse may have changed over the years — Travelers I through IV ranged from an Arabian/Tennessee Walker to a pure-bred Tennessee Walker to a pure-bred Arabian — Traveler’s color has always remained pure white.

Saukko first appeared on Traveler in the outfit that actor Charlton Heston wore in "Ben Hur." That proved to be too cumbersome, so Saukko crafted his own leather costume in 1962, modeled after the Tommy Trojan statue on the USC campus (that outfit is still being used). But he still sometimes wore Heston’s helmet. Interestingly, Saukko was once employed by Jim Crowley, one of Notre Dame’s "Four Horsemen."

Legend has it that Heisman Trophy tailback O.J. Simpson decided to come to USC after seeing Traveler on a televised football game. And Trojan faithful swear the horse has an effect on the outcome of games.

"(Former USC coach) John McKay didn’t want to admit that the horse had anything to do with his success," said Saukko, "but he’d always give me a wink when he saw me waiting in the Coliseum tunnel."

Added former USC All-American defensive back and assistant coach Nate Shaw: "The horse is one of the greatest inspirational devices USC has. It definitely got the adrenaline going when I was playing and I think it still has an effect on the players. When I was coaching against USC (at Oregon State), we hated to see that horse come down the tunnel because it got USC a little more pumped up."

Traveler not only appears at Trojan home football games (and even at some away games, including the 1995 Cotton Bowl in Dallas, the farthest Traveler has traveled), but also at other Trojan events, as well as at grade and high schools, charity functions and parades (including the past 40 Rose Parades). Traveler has also appeared on screen (including "The Battle of the Gunfighter" and "Snowfire"), on stage (including in the Long Beach Ballet’s "Nutcracker Ballet"), and in commercials.

Incidentally, Traveler I was not the first equine mascot for Troy. The first appearance of a white horse at a Trojan football game occurred as early as 1927, when Louis Shields began a four-year stint aboard a horse owned by a local banker. In 1948, band director Tommy Walker once had USC colors carried by a Trojan on a palomino. Then, before kickoff of the 1954 USC-Pittsburgh game, Arthur J. Gontier III, then a member of the Trojan Knights spirit group (subbing for another rider who backed out at the last moment), shakily rode a rented gray/white horse while donning a costume once worn by actor Jeff Chandler. A more accomplished rider, USC alum Bob Caswell, and his white horse, Rockazar, took over the following game and performed until retiring in 1959.

Besides these horses, USC once even had a canine mascot. A mutt named George Tirebiter I (famous for chasing cars through the USC campus) first appeared at football games in 1940. He survived a publicized dognapping by UCLA in 1947, but succumbed under the tires of an automobile in 1950. He was succeeded by George II for 3 years (1950-52), then George III for 1 year (1953) and finally George IV for 1 year (1957).

RICHARD SAUKKO MEMORIAL FUND

The Richard Saukko Memorial Fund was established in 1993 to provide funds for Traveler in memory of Richard Saukko, the horse's original rider.

Donations should be made out to the "RSMF" and sent to:

Don Ludwig, Lyon University Center, USC, Los Angeles, Calif. 90089-2500, (213) 740-5127

cue all GCers posting threads about their school mascots.

Kitso
KS 361 times i'll admit, Traveler is pretty damn cool

here's a pic of George Tirebiter...
 

http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/...etirebiter.jpg

edited to add the editorial on him, cause the Cal/UCLA bit is funny...

George Tirebiter


George Tirebiter I, a canine mutt once famous for chasing cars through the campus, first appeared at football games in 1940. Tirebiter I was adopted by students and became a campus hero.

Mean and nasty, Tirebiter I reached true fame by attacking the Cal human mascot during a game in 1947. He posed with homecoming queens and once drew cheers when riding in the second car of a parade in the Coliseum.

Although he survived having UCLA shaved on his hind quarters during a publicized dognapping by the Bruins in 1947, Tirebiter I finally succumbed under the tires of an automobile in 1950. A funeral was held.

He was succeeded by George II for three years, and then George III for five years.

I was my school's mascot... "Cam the Ram" at CSU...

That's how my fiance and I met... we both mascotted at the same time...

I kid you not.

Random thought....I like Traveler way better than all those mascots where it's some person dressed up in a mascot costume...it just seems so much more authentic!!

We have both... an *actual* ram, and people dressed up like one... I know CU does the same thing... in fact, lots of schools do.

oh cool!!!

We're the Generals so that doesn't make for anything fun.

We do have the stable of Traveller, Robert E. Lee's horse. :)

Amycat...
 

Right now, I have the USC fanfare playing in my head and am resisting the urge to do the two-finger salute as Traveler and Tommy Trojan dash out on the field.
:p

ST, USC class of 1986.

:) ST, I understand. Last night when I was perusing the 'traditons' part of usctrojans.com and read GameDay section, it gave me chills!

Like the ideal Trojan, we are: Faithful, Scholarly, Skillful, Courageous and Ambitious.

http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/...ommytrojan.jpg

Thank God for USC...

I know that the PAC-10 is not the SEC or the BIG-10 or any of the other so-called "power" conferences, but I am so glad to have gone to a PAC-10 school! Each school has its natural rival (USC-UCLA, U of A-ASU, OU-OSU, UW-WSU, and Stanford-Cal), but we all dislike USC and "Fight On"!!! Just kidding...When you look at the top sports schools (NCAA Championships), the PAC-10 is far and away the best conference in the country, and even though I am not a fan of the "University of Spoiled Children" (that's what we called them), I will still root for USC over Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl!

I'm a diehard Arizona Wildcat (and an SFSU Gator and a UB Bull), but I must admit that I think George Tirebiter is absolutely adorable! I think USC should bring him back alongside Traveler. :)

:) We called it the University of Spoiled Children, too. :) ha ha

I never really understood why EVERYONE in Pac-10 hates USC. My high school was the same way-private, expensive and everyone hated us...

But I too, am die-hard Pac-10 fan. As long as the team is not playing us, I want them to win win win!

Plus, all you Pac-10ers, the whole conference gets money if USC wins the Sugar Bowl, not just USC. :)