The University of Colorado Boulder, also known as CU Boulder, recently revealed its new mascot. The previous mascot, Chip the Buffalo, was retired in 2008 after a 30-year run. After a long search and thoughtful consideration, a new mascot was chosen - a live buffalo named Ralphie. Ralphie is a 1,200-pound female buffalo, and she is the embodiment of strength and resilience, which are qualities that the university holds dear. Ralphie will serve as the official live mascot for CU Boulder, representing the school at various events and ceremonies. The selection of Ralphie as the new mascot was met with excitement and approval from the CU Boulder community.

Ralphie VI Debuts at CU Boulder

In Sept. 3, 2021, the Buffs’ football home opener, 11,537 students filed into Folsom Field, the biggest turnout since CU played Utah in 2016.

Fans hummed with enthusiasm for their first in-person football game since late 2019, but there was another reason, too — Ralphie VI’s debut.

Flanked by four student Ralphie Runners, the almost-500-pound buffalo officially ran for the first time before the CU Buffs took on the Northern Colorado Bears.

At not even 18 months old, the new Ralphie ran the signature horseshoe loop across the field under a magnificent Colorado sunset. CU fans expressed their immediate love for “baby Ralphie” on social media.

“It just feels right,” tweeted Brent DePaepe, creative director for CU Athletics.

The Buffs won 35-7.

Will Isham (Fin’80), his daughter Drew Isham (Comm’13) and their family donated the young buffalo, born May 27, 2020, to the university in November 2020. The family owns a ranch with buffalo in Chadron, Nebraska, and has been in the buffalo business for two decades. The calf was abandoned by her mother, said Drew, and the family knew she belonged at CU.

“Being in a family that has buffalo, it’s always been something we wanted to do,” said Drew.

CU Athletics officially retired 13-year-old Ralphie V in November 2019, and news of her replacement was scant over the two-year period. Isham’s former sorority sister, Sara Abdulla (EnvSt, Psych’13) — student program manager at the Alumni Association — connected the family with Taylor Stratton (EBio, EnvSt, Geog’13), manager of the Ralphie Live Mascot Program, who was searching for buffalo to join the program. A live buffalo has run in Folsom Field at football games since 1966, and she wanted the tradition to continue.

“Without the generous support of the Isham family, there would be no Ralphie VI,” said Stratton.

Ralphie VI could reach an adult weight of 1,300 pounds or more. She lives on the undisclosed ranch of former Ralphies, where she’s given the best treatment. Her favorite part of the day? Mealtime.

“Whenever she hears us open the container, she puts her tail up and starts running over and grunting,” said Stratton. “She’s a more vocal buffalo, so people will have a better idea what sounds buffaloes make.”

Details surrounding Ralphie VI’s stage name — Ralphie V was “Blackout” — were being finalized as of press time. But Buffs nation has already welcomed her to the family.

“Without a doubt, the buffalo is the world’s best mascot,” said Will.

Photo by Glenn Asakawa

PETA calls for CU Boulder to stop using live buffalo mascot

Ralphie V, the University of Colorado mascot, runs on the field during the Pac-12 game with Arizona on Oct. 5, 2019. Animal-rights group PETA is calling for the university to retire the live mascot program.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is calling for University of Colorado Boulder leaders to do away with the tradition of Ralphie, the live buffalo mascot whose wild runs kick off home football games.

In a letter addressed to CU system President Mark Kennedy and posted online Wednesday, the animal rights group described the use of live animal mascots as “a recipe for disaster.”

“Even if animals aren’t physically harmed, it’s hard to imagine that they enjoy being paraded before raucous crowds, entirely out of their element, and treated as if they were toys rather than living, feeling beings with interests, personalities and needs of their own,” wrote Marta Holmberg, senior director of youth programs for PETA. “Being forced into a stadium full of bright lights, exuberantly screaming fans and loud noises is stressful — and can be terrifying — for animals who have no idea what’s going on or why.”

Kennedy has not received a letter from PETA, according to system spokesman Ken McConnellogue.

CU Boulder announced the retirement of Ralphie V on Nov. 12 and is currently searching for her successor. The university has no plans to stop the Ralphie tradition, said spokesman Ryan Huff.

In a statement, Ralphie manager John Graves said Ralphie V had a happy and safe tenure as CU Boulder’s mascot.

“No one cares more about Ralphie’s well-being than the handlers and me,” Graves said. “From the time Ralphie V was 6 months old, I’ve been by her side nearly every day for the past 13 years. I am confident she is happy and healthy. That will continue in the years ahead at her ranch alongside the next Ralphie.”

CU Boulder has used a live animal mascot since 1967, Graves said, which includes a track record of safety and plenty of precautions — including the recent decision to retire Ralphie V after she started becoming less responsive to cues from her handlers.

“Ralphie enjoys the spotlight as the queen of our campus and she gets better care than most buffalo,” Graves said. “We are now in the process of finding Ralphie VI, and that will require months of training for her and the handlers to ensure we continue this tradition in a safe and healthy way.”

PETA has a history of protesting any live animal mascot, including the University of Georgia’s bulldog, Uga, and Louisiana State University’s Bengal-Siberian tiger, Mike.

Boulder resident Jennifer Rodehaver said ending the Ralphie program was her first thought after hearing Ralphie V was retiring.

“The whole idea of using animals for entertainment is really abhorrent to me,” she said. “It has to do with a sort of arrogance humans have that they can own another creature and train it to do tricks or confine it, to take away that animal’s rights to just be, to exist as their masters of their own destiny.”

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CU Boulder: Ralphie V retiring

The selection of Ralphie as the new mascot was met with excitement and approval from the CU Boulder community. Many feel that Ralphie is a fitting representation of the university and its values. She will continue the tradition of the buffalo being a symbol of pride and spirit for the university.

Live buffalo mascot has led Buffs on the field since 2008

Gail Pederson has a little time with Ralphie V before tryouts on Saturday. Today’s spring game will be her last day as Ralphie Mascot Director. More photos and video: www.dailycamera.com and www.BuffZone.com

Bobby Rukavina, left, leads a team of handlers as they practice running with Ralphie on Folsom Field at the University of Colorado at Boulder on Friday.

Ralphie and her handlers will make the big turn around Folsom on Sept. 7 when Colorado hosts Central Arkansas.

University of Colorado fans Adeline Jadot, left, and Shir Kampeas, get their picture with Ralphie the buffalo before the CU-CSU game on Sunday.

University of Colorado football players run out of the tunnel next to Ralphie and her handlers before the start of the football game against Texas Tech. Officials from the Pac-12 have visited Boulder to start work in case the Buffs would have the best record in the conference in the fall and host the league’s first championship game.

Hutton Cameron, 2, and his sister, Kenzie 4, get their photo taken with Ralphie as the Buffaloes’ mascot makes an appearance at McGuckin Hardware in Boulder in October.

Ralphie Handler, Wes Weber, keeps the fans at a safe distance during the Rocky Mountain Showdown pregame outside Broncos Stadium at Mile High in Denver.

Taylor Sturgel, 4, gets a photo with Ralphie the Buffalo, and a sticker from Colton Behr, a Ralphie handle, before Saturday’s game against Nicholls.

Nearly every day, John Graves drives out to the ranch where Colorado’s iconic mascot, Ralphie V, lives and he’s always greeted by the enthusiastic buffalo.

“She comes running up to my truck when I drive out to her pasture,” he said.

Graves, manager of the Ralphie program, has known Ralphie V nearly all of her life, and because of that relationship, he knew it was time for her retire, just a month after she turned 13.

On Tuesday, CU Boulder announced that after nearly 12 years of leading the Colorado football team onto the field, Ralphie has made her last run for the team.

“It’s the end of an era,” Graves said. “My phone’s just been blowing up with (past and current handlers) just sharing their memories of when they ran with Ralphie V and back when we trained her. Everyone looks back on all those memories fondly and it was great time and she was an awesome symbol for the university.”

Ralphie V has not run at the last two games at Folsom Field and she will not run at the Buffaloes’ home finale, Nov. 23 against Washington, although fans can still see her at Ralphie’s Corral.

Despite being in great health and actually getting faster as she ages, Ralphie V has been too wired up lately, Graves said, and that led to the decision.

“She’s always been the biggest and fastest Ralphie we’ve had, and she loves to run. She’s always loved to run,” Graves said. “What we started noticing here in the second part of the season is she wasn’t really responding to the cues that we give her at practices for when it’s time for her to run. So she was kind of taking things a little bit on her own terms. She just wanted to run so badly she wasn’t always taking the cues off of us.

“Based on how she’s kind of been acting, and her performance the past few weeks in practices, we made the decision that she’s telling us it’s time to retire.”

Ralphie V, known as “Blackout,” came to CU as a four-month-old calf in January 2007 and made her debut on April 19, 2008, at the spring football game. She led the team onto the field for a total of 76 games, including 65 times at Folsom Field, 10 Rocky Mountain Showdowns and the 2016 Alamo Bowl in San Antonio. Only the original Ralphie, with 78 games, ran more.

Gail Pederson has a little time with Ralphie V before tryouts in March 2015. CU Boulder announced Tuesday that Ralphie V is retiring and already has run her final game.

Only five times in Ralphie V’s career was she held back from running.

“Ralphie V has served the department and the university well,” athletic director Rick George said. “She has been a very special buffalo and has truly been adored by many. We hope she lives for many years to come and we look forward to finding her successor.”

Ralphie IV lived for 10 years after her retirement. Graves said Ralphie V will spend the rest of her life like she does most of the time now — enjoying her pasture and her toys (tractor tires and traffic cones) and continuing that “very special bond” with the handlers.

“She’ll just do it full time now,” Graves said. “We will continue to see Ralphie V every single day and take care of her. She’s a big girl and we’ve got to make sure she’s doing everything good out on her pastures.”

CU Boulder has already been in the process of finding a replacement. Ralphie IV and Ralphie V were donated to CU by media and sports entrepreneur Ted Turner. Graves said it’s possible the next Ralphie will come from Turner, but the program is looking at various ranches.

“I do a lot of work in the bison industry, so I know a lot of ranchers locally and nationally, too,” Graves said. “We get inquiries all the time about when we’re looking for a new Ralphie. We’ve already selected a few that we’re kind of taking a look at and seeing if it would be the right fit or not.”

Graves said CU Boulder looks for a younger buffalo and tries to find one that “wants to do the job,” as Ralphie V did. In the past, orphaned or abandoned buffalo have taken on the mascot role.

While he’s sad to see the end of the Ralphie V era, Graves said it’s exciting to train and build a bond with Ralphie VI. The hope is that the next Ralphie will be ready to go in time for the 2020 season opener.

“But, it’s entirely up to that buffalo,” he said. “We will have Ralphie VI ready when Ralphie VI is ready.”

Ralphie tradition

The Ralphie program debuted at Colorado in 1967, with five Ralphies combining to run for 352 games — 296 at home, 24 bowl games, 19 Rocky Mountain Showdowns in Denver, nine regular season road games and four Big 12 title games. Here’s a look at the five Ralphies’ stats:

Ralphie I: Ran in 78 games from 1967-78

Ralphie II: Ran in 53 games from 1978-87

Ralphie III: Ran in 73 games from 1987-97

Ralphie IV: Ran in 75 games from 1998-2008

Ralphie V: Ran in 76 games from 2008-2019

Ralphie will make her debut appearance at the first home football game of the season. She will lead the football team onto the field, running alongside her handlers. This tradition has become a beloved symbol of CU Boulder and is highly anticipated by students, alumni, and fans alike. In addition to her role as the official live mascot, Ralphie will also be involved in community outreach efforts. She will make appearances at local events and help promote school spirit throughout the Boulder community. Overall, the introduction of Ralphie as CU Boulder's new mascot has been met with enthusiasm and excitement. She embodies the spirit and values of the university and will serve as an important ambassador both on and off-campus. Ralphie will undoubtedly become a cherished symbol of CU Boulder for many years to come..

Reviews for "cu boulder's New Mascot: An Inspiration for Hopes and Dreams"

- Jane Smith - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with the new CU Boulder mascot. It just doesn't have the same energy and spirit as the previous mascot. The new mascot lacks originality and doesn't represent the university's values. I hope they reconsider and bring back the old mascot that students and fans loved.

- Mike Johnson - 1 star - The new CU Boulder mascot is a complete letdown. It's poorly designed and lacks creativity. It doesn't capture the essence of what it means to be a CU Boulder student. I was expecting something more inspiring and iconic, but instead, we got this generic and forgettable mascot. I hope they reconsider and come up with a better design that actually represents our university.

- Sarah Thompson - 2 stars - I was really excited to see what the new CU Boulder mascot would be, but I was sorely disappointed. The new mascot lacks personality and charm. It's not something that stands out or gets people excited. I think the university missed an opportunity to create a mascot that could rally the community and ignite school spirit. I hope they go back to the drawing board and come up with a better design that truly represents CU Boulder.

- Mark Reynolds - 1 star - The new CU Boulder mascot is a joke. It looks like a generic cartoon character that you would find in a cereal box. It's unimaginative and doesn't capture the essence of our university. I can't believe they wasted time and money on such a lackluster design. We deserve better than this.

Tradition vs. Innovation: Balancing Student Feedback for the New Mascot Design