The USC Trojans, the noble white horse which appears with all the plays at the house of the football of USC with a majestic warrior of Trojan astride on, is one of the most famous mascots of university. The traveler made the first time an aspect with the plays of the football of USC in 1961 (in the opener at the house against the technology of Georgia). Bob Jani, then the director of USC of the special events, and Eddie Tannenbaum, then a junior with USC, had revere Richard Saukko assembling his white horse, traveller I, in procession 1961 of Rose.
They persuaded Saukko to assemble its white horse around Colis? during the sets of USC, being used as mascot. Since, all the times that the points of USC, the band play the "conquest" and traveller gallop around Collies. Because of low health, Saukko ceased going up after the season 1988. Its successors were alumni: Cass Dabbs, Rick Oas, Tom Nolan, Ardeshir Radpour, and riding currents throw O'Donnell, which is also the trainer of the traveller, and Brent Dahlgren, a student in second year of USC. (Saukko passed far in March of 1992.) The mascot of Trojan of current is national traveller of horse of exposure of the champion 2-time V, a Andalusian 12-year-old gelding which appeared the first time during the season 1997. And makes an attempt it in the wings is traveller VI, gelding 5-year-old Andalusian.
Though the race of the horse could have changed during years - travellers I by the IV extended from a walker of Arabian/Tennessee to a walker of Tennessee of pure race to an Arab of pure race - the color of the traveller has the always remained pure white. Saukko was obvious the first time on the traveller in the equipment that the actor Charlton Heston carried in "Ben Hur." That proven to be too cumbersome, thus Saukko has wrought clean sound leather costume in 1962, modelled after that the statue of Tommy Trojan on the campus of USC (this equipment is always in the course of use). But it carried always sometimes the helmet of Heston. Interesting, Saukko was in the past used by Jim Crowley, riders of the injury S from Our four of "."
The legend A that tailback O.J. Simpson de Trochee of Heisman decided to come to USC after having seen the traveller on a television game of football. And faithful Trojan swear that the horse has an effect on the results of the plays. "(former trainer of USC) John that McKay did not want to admit that the horse had anything to make with its success," said Saukko, "but him would always give me blinks eye when it saw me waiting in the tunnel of Colis?." Back coach and auxiliary Nate Shaw of old additional All-American defensive of USC: "the horse is one of the largest devices inspired than usc has.
When I gave particular lessons against USC (with the state of Oregon), we hated to see that horse to descend the tunnel because it obtained USC little more upwards pumped." The traveller appears not only with the plays at the house of the football of Trojan (and even to some left plays, including basin 1995 of cotton in Dallas, the most remote traveller travelled), but also with other events of Trojan, as well as with the category and the colleges, the functions of charity and the processions (40 processions passed including Rose).
The traveller also appeared on the screen ("battles including gangster" and of "Snowfire"), on the stage (including in ballet of the nut-crackers "of the ballet Beach Length it"), and out of advertising films. In addition, traveller I was not the first equine mascot for Troy. The appearance of a white horse to a play of the football of Trojan occurred since 1927, when the shields of Louis began four years an assigned work on board a horse had by a local banker. In 1948, the walker of Tommy director of band has in the past made carry colors of USC by a Trojan on a palomino. Then, before beginning of play 1954 of USC-Pittsburgh, Arthur J Gontier III, then member of Trojan adoube group of spirit (substratation for another rider which supported at the last time), in a precarious way is assembled a rented horse of gray/white while putting a costume once carried by the supplier of Jeff of actor.
A rider more achieved, the alum Bob Caswell of USC, and its white horse, Rockazar, ensured the following play and carried out until the withdrawal in 1959. Without counting that these horses, USC once that even have a canine mascot. A dog called George Tirebiter I (celebrates to drive out cars by the campus of USC) initially appeared with the plays of football in 1940. It survived dognapping announced by UCLA in 1947, but succumbed under the tires of a car in 1950. It was succeeded by George II during 3 years (1950-52), then George III during 1 year (1953) and finally George IV during 1 year (1957).