Missed a chance to get my picture taken with today’s Bevo, the University of Texas Longhorn mascot. The Silver Spurs, students dressed like cowboys who run Bevo onto the football field, emailed me a charitable chance.
But today’s cow with long curved horns just not my Bevo.
In 1948, a new Bevo and I were initiated into the Silver Spurs. Back then a running track surrounded the football field and a mere 40,000 fans roared. Bevo snorted as the pickup truck pulled Bevo in a steel trailer around the track. We eight new Spurs leaned against the trailer to keep it upright.
Don’t remember if the Texas Aggies had ‘sawed off’ the previous Bevo’s horns. But remember we needed a new Bevo. Two real wranglers, who belonged to the Spurs, drove west to Albany trailing a wooden trailer.
The Longhorn Keepers saw their small wooden trailer and loaned a larger steel trailer for Bevo’s return to a farm near Austin, a secret location because of those Aggie lyrics.
My Bevo was not only large, but mighty unruly. Took three cowboys to unload Bevo. Five days before game time, the barber’s wife went outside after breakfast. When the kitchen door slammed, Bevo spooked then jumped over the six-foot high boarded fence.
Before the Baylor Baptists brought their caged bear to Memorial Stadium, searchers found Bevo and our cowboys worked the Longhorn back into the steel trailer.
On game afternoon, Bevo lurched. The trailer leaned. But we eight ‘initiates’ shouldered the trailer. Kept Bevo upright.
When our pickup driver pulled Bevo’s trailer to the visitor’s side, the bear mascot roared. The trailer shook. Baylor fans yelled “Let ‘em out! Turn ‘em loose!”
Christianity prevailed. Both animals remained caged. Memorial Stadium did not become the Roman Coliseum. But I can tell you, from the way he rattled that trailer, Bevo was ready for bear.
The pickup driver kept moving. Drove that Bevo trailer out of the stadium and kept driving back west to Albany.
Post Script: Image not my Bevo. Never out of trailer. Didn’t graze Memorial Stadium.
Photo Credit: Leena Robinson, Shutterstock
