36 | SUNRAYS JANUARY 2015
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I
n a state that treasures its longhorns
and “Hook’em!” is an instantly rec-
ognizable phrase (and hand sign), to
discover that the University of Texas
(UT) mascot was once a pit bull mix
named Pig is nothing short of astonish-
ing. “Sic’em, Pig!” just doesn’t raise the
adrenaline, does it?
But, that was a long time ago. It’s been
98 years and 14 Bevo incarnations since
the longhorn took his rightful place at
sports events, pep rallies, bowl games
and Presidential inaugurations as the
quintessential embodiment of Texas
pride, determination, resilience, and
independence.
And, like any love affair, there have
been occasional moments of high drama,
like the time Bevo II charged an SMU
cheerleader who had to defend himself
with his megaphone, or when Bevo III
escaped his enclosure and spent the next
two days running amok across campus.
There was the time Bevo V broke loose
and scattered the Baylor band, and the
Cotton Bowl incident in which Bevo
XIII missed the game after breaking
away from his handlers and heading
for greener pastures. His spur-of-the-
moment stand-in was on the grey side,
and fans commented how much “Bevo”
had aged since the previous week.
The last two Bevos have come from a
ranch northwest of Austin, where XIV
currently lounges when he is not other-
wise scheduled to whip up Texas pride
and UT fan support. In 2004, XIV as-
sumed UT mascot duties at only two
years of age. In one of his first official
functions, the young Bevo headed to
Washington, D.C. in January 2005 for
the inauguration of President George W.
Bush. Closer to six feet than five feet tall
and a hefty one ton in weight, he cuts
an imposing figure (Bevo that is). Mem-
bers of the Silver Spurs, UT’s student
handler organization, hold long leads to
his halter, keeping well out of reach of a
casual toss of the horns (which measure
78 inches, tip to tip).
Bevo’s owners say proudly that neither
XIII nor XIV has ever been drugged in
order to stand calmly at the sidelines
during a UT game, though the owner
is always at hand in case of emergency.
This policy was instituted after Bevo
took exception to some fireworks which
had not been discussed previously with
the handlers or owners (not good to upset
a behemoth with REALLY long horns).
Both Bevos were bred for docility and
have been handled by humans since they
were babies. They even earned national
championship status in the show ring
before their careers took a celebrity turn.
Even now, the owners know that they
About Bevo
By Sandy Nielsen
Bevo XIII and XIV come from a ranch northwest of Austin. The owners prefer that they and their ranch remain unidenti-
fied in order to preserve Bevo’s privacy. This photograph of Bevo XIII (left) and XIV graces the wall above the fireplace
in the owners’ home.
