Ralphie V is making her bowl game debut Thursday night at the Alamo Dome in Texas.
Ralphie and her crew set off for San Antonio earlier this week. She may not have called shotgun, but she still had a pretty sweet setup for the more than 960 mile trip.
"One thing about buffaloes, they actually travel very, very well in trailers. She also has a very custom trailer that was designed just for her. Now her trailer it's big enough she can walk around, move around, get up, lie down as we're driving," said John Graves, the program manager of the Ralphie Live Mascot Program at the University of Colorado.
CU Boulder posted a video to Twitter explaining how you transport a 1,200 pound buffalo 961 miles.
How do you transport a 1,200-pound buffalo 961 miles for the @ValeroAlamoBowl? @CUBuffsRalphie Handlers talk about the big game. #GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/WM5ue4zgqi
— CU Boulder (@CUBoulder) December 24, 2016
Ralphie got in a practice run Wednesday night in the Alamo Dome.
She had to take left turns on the turf in San Antonio. Ralphie normally makes right turns at Folsom Field.
Her handlers say she did very well.
Practice run for @CUBuffsRalphie at the @ValeroAlamoBowl. #GoBuffs https://t.co/oLr97kYqkV
— CU Boulder (@CUBoulder) December 29, 2016
The 10-year-old Buffalo has been with the team for nine seasons, but this is her first bowl game. There was a different Ralphie the last time CU was in a bowl game in 2007.
Half of her 15 person handling team had to get special hauling permits to get her to Texas while the other half flew to San Antonio.
The half that flew will be the ones driving Ralphie back home after the bowl game.
