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 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.

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. 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.

History

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.

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."

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 There have been 62 different student riders and 15 different horses that have served as the Masked Rider mascot. YEARRIDERHOMETOWNHORSE1953-19541Joe Kirk FultonLubbock, TXunsure1954-1955Joe Kirk FultonLubbock, TXunsure1955-19562Jim CloydStratford, TXBlackie1956-1957Jim CloydStratford, TXTech Beauty1957-19583Donald "Polly" HollarBenham, TXTech Beauty1958-1959Donald "Polly" HollarBenham, TXTech Beauty1959-19604J.H. "Hud" RheaRoswell, NMBeau Black1960-1961J.H. "Hud" RheaRoswell, NMBeau Black1961-19625Kelley WaggonerHillsboro, NMTech Beauty1962-19636Bill DurfeyThe Woodlands, TXTech Beauty1963-19647Douglas "Nubbin" HollarBrenham, TXCharcoal Cody1964-19658Douglas "Dink" WilsonQuanah, TXCharcoal Cody1965-1966Douglas "Dink" WilsonQuanah, TXCharcoal Cody1966-1967Douglas "Nubbin" HollarBrenham, TXCharcoal Cody1967-1968Douglas "Nubbin" HollarBrenham, TXCharcoal Cody1968-19699Johnny Bob CarruthDe Leon, TXCharcoal Cody1969-1970Johnny Bob CarruthDe Leon, TXCharcoal Cody1970-197110Tommy MartinGraham, TXCharcoal Cody1971-197211Randy JeffersAmarillo, TXCharcoal Cody1972-1973Randy JeffersAmarillo, TXShowboy Huffman1973-197412Gerald NoblesMidland, TXHappy Five1974-197513Anne LynchDell City, TXHappy Five1975-197614Joe Kim KingBrady, TXHappy Five1976-197715Jess WallPerryton, TXHappy Five1977-197816Larry CadeCopperas Cove, TXHappy Five1978-197917Lee PuckittSan Angelo, TXHappy VI1979-198018Coke HoppingMemphis, TXHappy VI1980-198119Kathleen CampbellEl Paso, TXHappy VI-II1981-198220Kurt HarrisCollinsville, TXHappy VI-II1982-198321Perry ChurchCanyon, TXHappy VI-II1983-198422Jennifer AufillBuffalo Gap, TXHappy VI-II1984-198523Zurick LabrierGuymon, OKHappy VI-II1985-198624Jerrell KeyLubbock, TXHappy VI-II1986-198725Daniel JenkinsTurkey, TXHappy VI-II1987-198826Kim SaundersColfax, LAMidnight Raider1988-198927Lea WhiteheadMidland, TXMidnight Raider1989-199028Tonya TinninBryson, TXMidnight Raider1990-199129Blaine LemonsColorado City, TXMidnight Raider1991-199230RaLynn KeyCrosbyton, TXMidnight Raider1992-199331Jason SpenceSeminole, TXMidnight Raider1993-199432Lisa GilbreathLewisville, TXDouble T1994-199533Amy SmartMidland, TXDouble T1995-199634JoLynn SelfLubbock, TXHigh Red1996-199735Martha ReedSan Angelo, TXHigh Red1997-199836Becky McDougalLubbock, TXHigh Red1998-199937Michael "Dusty" AbneyLubbock, TXBlack Phantom Raider1999-200038Travis L. ThorneNew Deal, TXBlack Phantom Raider2000-200139Lesley GilbreathFlower Mound, TXBlack Phantom Raider2001-200240Katie CarruthDe Leon, TXBlack Phantom Raider2002-200341Jessica MelvinPierre, SDMidnight Matador2003-200442Ben HollandTexline, TXMidnight Matador2004-200543Stacy StockardSanger, TXMidnight Matador2005-200644Justin BurginScurry, TXMidnight Matador2006-200745Amy BellKermit, TXMidnight Matador2007-200846Kevin BurnsClovis, NMMidnight Matador2008-200947Ashley HartzogFarwell, TXMidnight Matador2009-201048Brianne HightClovis, NMMidnight Matador2010-201149Christi ChadwellGarland, TXMidnight Matador2011-201250Bradley SkinnerArvada, COMidnight Matador2012-201351Ashley WenzelFriendswood, TXMidnight Matador2013-201452Corey WaggonerLubbock, TXFearless Champion2014-201553Mackenzie WhiteMarble Falls, TXFearless Champion2015-201654Rachel McLellandTijeras, NMFearless Champion2016-201755Charlie SniderCorinth, TXFearless Champion2017-201856Laurie TolboomDublin, TXFearless Champion2018-201957Lyndi StarrMount Vernon, TXFearless Champion2019-202058Emily BrodbeckLubbock, TXFearless Champion2020-202159Cameron HekkertHighlands Ranch, COFearless Champion2021-202260Ashley AdamsLubbock, TXFearless Champion2022-202361Caroline HobbsDallas, TXCentennial Champion2023-202462Lauren BlossEl Paso, TXCentennial Champion2024-202563Ellie BrownCanyon, TXCentennial Champion2025-202664Rose RosasBrady, TXCentennial Champion2026-202765Sofie JonesHouston, TXMatador

Incidents

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. In 1974, the selection of the first female Masked Rider, Ann Lynch, caused widespread controversy. In 1975, the horse was kidnapped and received chemical burns after being painted with orange paint prior to Tech's football game against Texas. 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. 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". 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.

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

External links Texas Tech Center for Campus Life: The Masked Rider Texas Tech Official Athletics Site: The Masked Rider Tradition Film of The Masked Rider at the 1954 Gator Bowl

See also

Zorro