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The Masked Rider

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This article is about the Texas Tech mascot. For other uses, see Masked Rider (disambiguation).
The Masked Rider
The Masked Rider gives the Guns Up hand sign.
UniversityTexas Tech University
ConferenceBig 12
DescriptionLive horse and rider
Origin of nameBased on the rider's outfit
First seen1936
Related mascot(s)Raider Red

The Masked Rider is the primary mascot of Texas Tech University. It is the oldest of the university's mascots still in existence today. Originally called "Ghost Rider", it was an unofficial mascot appearing in a few games in 1936 and then became the official mascot with the 1954 Gator Bowl. The Masked Rider has led the team onto the field at nearly every football game since. It is the nation's first school mascot to feature a live horse at a football game, ahead of [1] Florida State's Chief Osceola and Renegade and 25 years before USC's Traveler and all other such mascots in existence today.

After learning of the Masked Rider, other schools emulated the idea of a mounted mascot. Florida State began their tradition in 1978, immediately after seeing Texas Tech's live mascot at the 1977 Tangerine Bowl that pitted the two. The Oklahoma State Cowboys copied the Masked Rider in 1984 when Eddy Finley, a Texas Tech alumnus became an Oklahoma State University agricultural education professor, and started the Spirit Rider Program when both schools were still in separate conferences.[2]

The Masked Rider is adorned from head to toe in black, including a black gaucho hat and a black mask. The only other color present is the scarlet rider's cape.[3] The current horse is also black, a tradition for the last 40 years, although horses prior to the 70s were on occasion other colors.

Students must pass a rigorous interview and testing process in order to be selected for this honor by the Masked Rider Advisory Committee. The Masked Rider is available for public appearances for no fee, though a donation is encouraged.

In 2000, the Masked Rider tradition was commemorated with the unveiling of a sculpture outside Frazier Alumni Pavilion on Texas Tech's campus. The Grant Speed crafted sculpture is 25 percent larger than life. In August 2013, the statue was wrapped in black Crêpe paper to mourn the death of the first Masked Rider, Joe Kirk Fulton.[4][5]

History

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The Masked Rider sculpture
The Masked Rider sculpture

In 1936, the first rider, George Tate (class of 1937), led the football team onto the football field then left the field. Tate, whose identity was kept a secret at the time, was wearing a scarlet satin cape made by the Home Economics Department. He had borrowed a horse from the Tech barn as a prank. Tate was quoted in the November 4, 1984, issue of The Dallas Morning News as saying that Arch Lamb, who was then the head yell leader of the Saddle Tramps, "dreamed up this Red Raider thing." The prank was pulled a few more times that season but didn't surface again until the 1950s, when another Tech student was approached about creating a mascot.[6]

In 1953, Texas Tech football coach DeWitt Weaver approached a student named Joe Kirk Fulton about becoming the Masked Rider. DeWitt's Red Raiders were 10-1-0 in football and headed to Jacksonville, Florida for the Gator Bowl. At the time, Texas Tech was hoping to be invited to join the Southwest Conference. All the other teams had a mascot, and it is thought that DeWitt believed creating a mascot for Texas Tech might aid the school's chances for admission into the conference. Fulton agreed to ride a horse named Blackie in the bowl game.

Texas Tech's Center for Campus Life explains:

According to reports from those present at the 1954 Gator Bowl, the crowd sat in stunned silence as they watched Fulton and Blackie rush onto the football field, followed by the team. After a few moments of stunned disbelief, the silent crowd burst into cheers. Ed Danforth, a writer for the Atlanta Journal and a press box spectator later wrote, "No team in any bowl game ever made a more sensational entrance."[6]

The Masked Rider logo

Beginning in the early 1960s, the Texas Tech marching band has played a composition written expressly for the mascot. "Ride, Raider, Ride" (commonly known as The Horse Music) is performed in quick time as the horse is galloped around the stadium sidelines. The highly spirited tune was composed by faculty member Richard Tolley, Professor of trumpet and Associate Director of Bands, 1959-1991.

Riders and Horses[7]

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There have been 62 different student riders and 15 different horses that have served as the Masked Rider mascot.

YEAR RIDER HOMETOWN HORSE
1953-1954 1 Joe Kirk Fulton Lubbock, TX unsure
1954-1955 Joe Kirk Fulton Lubbock, TX unsure
1955-1956 2 Jim Cloyd Stratford, TX Blackie
1956-1957 Jim Cloyd Stratford, TX Tech Beauty
1957-1958 3 Donald "Polly" Hollar Benham, TX Tech Beauty
1958-1959 Donald "Polly" Hollar Benham, TX Tech Beauty
1959-1960 4 J.H. "Hud" Rhea Roswell, NM Beau Black
1960-1961 J.H. "Hud" Rhea Roswell, NM Beau Black
1961-1962 5 Kelley Waggoner Hillsboro, NM Tech Beauty
1962-1963 6 Bill Durfey The Woodlands, TX Tech Beauty
1963-1964 7 Douglas "Nubbin" Hollar Brenham, TX Charcoal Cody
1964-1965 8 Douglas "Dink" Wilson Quanah, TX Charcoal Cody
1965-1966 Douglas "Dink" Wilson Quanah, TX Charcoal Cody
1966-1967 Douglas "Nubbin" Hollar Brenham, TX Charcoal Cody
1967-1968 Douglas "Nubbin" Hollar Brenham, TX Charcoal Cody
1968-1969 9 Johnny Bob Carruth Lubbock, TX Charcoal Cody
1969-1970 Johnny Bob Carruth Lubbock, TX Charcoal Cody
1970-1971 10 Tommy Martin Graham, TX Charcoal Cody
1971-1972 11 Randy Jeffers Amarillo, TX Charcoal Cody
1972-1973 Randy Jeffers Amarillo, TX Showboy Huffman
1973-1974 12 Gerald Nobles Midland, TX Happy Five
1974-1975 13 Anne Lynch Dell City, TX Happy Five
1975-1976 14 Joe Kim King Brady, TX Happy Five
1976-1977 15 Jess Wall Perryton, TX Happy Five
1977-1978 16 Larry Cade Copperas Cove, TX Happy Five
1978-1979 17 Lee Puckitt San Angelo, TX Happy VI
1979-1980 18 Coke Hopping Memphis, TX Happy VI
1980-1981 19 Kathleen Campbell El Paso, TX Happy VI-II
1981-1982 20 Kurt Harris Collinsville, TX Happy VI-II
1982-1983 21 Perry Church Canyon, TX Happy VI-II
1983-1984 22 Jennifer Aufill Buffalo Gap, TX Happy VI-II
1984-1985 23 Zurick Labrier Guymon, OK Happy VI-II
1985-1986 24 Jerrell Key Lubbock, TX Happy VI-II
1986-1987 25 Daniel Jenkins Turkey, TX Happy VI-II
1987-1988 26 Kim Saunders Colfax, LA Midnight Raider
1988-1989 27 Lea Whitehead Midland, TX Midnight Raider
1989-1990 28 Tonya Tinnin Bryson, TX Midnight Raider
1990-1991 29 Blaine Lemons Colorado City, TX Midnight Raider
1991-1992 30 RaLynn Key Crosbyton, TX Midnight Raider
1992-1993 31 Jason Spence Seminole, TX Midnight Raider
1993-1994 32 Lisa Gilbreath Lewisville, TX Double T
1994-1995 33 Amy Smart Midland, TX Double T
1995-1996 34 JoLynn Self Lubbock, TX High Red
1996-1997 35 Martha Reed San Angelo, TX High Red
1997-1998 36 Becky McDougal Lubbock, TX High Red
1998-1999 37 Michael "Dusty" Abney Lubbock, TX Black Phantom Raider
1999-2000 38 Travis L. Thorne New Deal, TX Black Phantom Raider
2000-2001 39 Lesley Gilbreath Flower Mound, TX Black Phantom Raider
2001-2002 40 Katie Carruth Lubbock, TX Black Phantom Raider
2002-2003 41 Jessica Melvin Pierre, SD Midnight Matador
2003-2004 42 Ben Holland Texline, TX Midnight Matador
2004-2005 43 Stacy Stockard Stanger, TX Midnight Matador
2005-2006 44 Justin Burgin Scurry, TX Midnight Matador
2006-2007 45 Amy Bell Kermit, TX Midnight Matador
2007-2008 46 Kevin Burns Clovis, NM Midnight Matador
2008-2009 47 Ashley Hartzog Farwell, TX Midnight Matador
2009-2010 48 Brianne Hight Clovis, NM Midnight Matador
2010-2011 49 Christi Chadwell Garland, TX Midnight Matador
2011-2012 50 Bradley Skinner Arvada, CO Midnight Matador
2012-2013 51 Ashley Wenzel Friendswood, TX Midnight Matador
2013-2014 52 Corey Waggoner Lubbock, TX Fearless Champion
2014-2015 53 Mackenzie White Marble Falls, TX Fearless Champion
2015-2016 54 Rachel McLelland Tijeras, NM Fearless Champion
2016-2017 55 Charlie Snider Corinth, TX Fearless Champion
2017-2018 56 Laurie Tolboom Dublin, TX Fearless Champion
2018-2019 57 Lyndi Starr Mount Vernon, TX Fearless Champion
2019-2020 58 Emily Brodbeck Lubbock, TX Fearless Champion
2020-2021 59 Cameron Hekkert Highlands Ranch, CO Fearless Champion
2021-2022 60 Ashley Adams Lubbock, TX Fearless Champion
2022-2023 61 Caroline Hobbs Dallas, TX Centennial Champion
2023-2024 62 Lauren Bloss El Paso, TX Centennial Champion
2024-2025 63 Ellie Brown Canyon, TX Centennial Champion

Incidents

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Sculpture of the Masked Rider wrapped in black in mourning of the death of the first Masked Rider, Joe Kirk Fulton, in 2013
  • In 1963, the horse, Tech Beauty, was kidnapped and spray-painted with the letters "AMC" prior to Tech's football game against rival Texas A&M.[8]
  • In 1974, the selection of the first female Masked Rider, Ann Lynch, caused widespread controversy.[9]
  • In 1975, the horse was kidnapped and received chemical burns after being painted with orange paint prior to Tech's football game against Texas.[8]
  • In 1982, the Masked Rider was involved in injuring an opposing school's cheerleader. Ten years later, the Masked Rider was involved in the injuring of a referee.[9]
  • On September 3, 1994, an accident involving the Masked Rider resulted in the death of Texas Tech's animal mascot, a black American Quarter Horse named Double T during a Lubbock football game between Texas Tech and the New Mexico Lobos. After a 3rd quarter score by Tech, then Masked Rider, Amy Smart, fell from the horse after the horse's saddle broke during the customary post-score gallop around the stadium field, and the horse eventually ran unaccompanied towards the exit tunnel where it accidentally collided with the stadium wall dying instantly.
  • In 2001, the Masked Rider horse trailer was involved in a car accident. The horse, Black Phantom Raider, sustained serious injuries which led to his euthanization.
  • In 2006, the Masked Rider appeared as No. 24 on the CollegeFootballNews.com list of "College Football's 25 Greatest Mascots".[10]
  • The horse, Midnight Matador, served as the Masked Rider's mount from 2002–2012. Midnight Matador was retired during the 2012 season following a leg injury, having been the longest serving at the position in school history.[11]

Raider Red

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Main article: Raider Red

Around the 1971 football season, the Southwest Conference created a rule forbidding the bringing of live animal mascots to away games unless the host school allowed it. Since the Masked Rider's horse might be prohibited from traveling to some games under this rule, an alternate mascot named Raider Red was created; Raider Red is a person wearing a normal mascot costume.

References

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  1. ^ Chandler, Cory. "Gator Re-Raided". Texas Tech University. Archived from the original on 2008-02-29. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
  2. ^ "Spirit Rider: Riding With Cowboy Pride". Cowboy Journal. Archived from the original on 2008-09-30. Retrieved 2009-06-28.
  3. ^ Griffin, Tim. "Face of the Program: Texas Tech Red Raiders". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
  4. ^ Wolfe, Angel (2000-09-11). "Rider stands larger than life". The Daily Toreador. Retrieved 2008-10-14.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ Shooter, Cole. "First Texas Tech Masked Rider Joe Kirk Fulton Dies at Age 81". KYFO. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  6. ^ a b "A history of one of Texas Tech's Oldest and Best-Loved Traditions". Texas Tech Center for Campus Life. Archived from the original on 2006-03-22. Retrieved 2006-04-30.
  7. ^ "Texas Tech Masked Rider Program Former Riders". Texas Tech University. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Ritz, Jennifer. "History of Masked Rider". Texas Techsan Magazine. Retrieved 2009-06-28.[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ a b Griffin, Tim (2008-06-26). "After passing series of tests, Hartzog to serve as Tech's Masked Rider". Retrieved 2008-09-03.
  10. ^ "College Football's 25 Greatest Mascots". College Football News. Archived from the original on 2007-11-14. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
  11. ^ "Texas Tech's Midnight Matador retires". KCBD. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
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See Also

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