{"id":21144,"date":"2019-11-16T13:07:32","date_gmt":"2019-11-16T21:07:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/associatednews.info\/content\/university-of-colorados-live-buffalo-mascot-to-retire-because-she-runs-too-fast\/"},"modified":"2019-11-16T13:07:32","modified_gmt":"2019-11-16T21:07:32","slug":"university-of-colorados-live-buffalo-mascot-to-retire-because-she-runs-too-fast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/associatednews.info\/content\/university-of-colorados-live-buffalo-mascot-to-retire-because-she-runs-too-fast\/","title":{"rendered":"University Of Colorado’s Live Buffalo Mascot To Retire Because She Runs Too Fast"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Gabriela Saldivia<\/a><\/span> <\/p>\n

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\n Ralphie V, mascot of the Colorado Buffaloes, is led onto the field before the team’s game against the Arizona Wildcats at Folsom Field on Oct. 5 in Boulder, Colo.<\/p>\n

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Matthew Stockman\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

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Matthew Stockman\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

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After 12 seasons of leading the University of Colorado Boulder’s football team onto the field, Ralphie V, the 13-year-old, 1,200-pound buffalo, is officially retiring as the school’s mascot. <\/p>\n

The reason? The athletic department says she’s too fast.<\/p>\n

“With past Ralphies, as they aged, their speed typically decreased; with Ralphie V, she has been so excited to run that she was actually running too fast, which created safety concerns for her and her handlers,” according to press release<\/a> from the university.<\/p>\n

“She also wasn’t consistently responding to cues from her handlers,” the press release continued. “And her temperament was such that she was held back from leading the team out for CU’s last two home games against USC and Stanford.” <\/p>\n

The Ralphie tradition goes back to 1934 at CU and has evolved over the years. This is the 53rd season that a live buffalo has led the team out on the field. Ralphie V retires as the second-longest-serving Ralphie in the program’s history running a total of 76 times. The original Ralphie ran 78 games over 12 seasons, according to the press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n