The WT Herdsmen recently adopted a new heifer and began training her to step into the hoofprints of Thunder, West Texas A&M University’s reining live mascot.
“Our newest buffalo calf, who’ll be Thunder XVI when she assumes her duties, is a welcome addition to our team,” said Dr. Kelly Jones, clinical assistant professor of agriculture and adviser of the Herdsmen, Thunder’s student handlers. “She loves the Herdsmen already and is very vocal when they show up to feed her.”
The orphaned calf, acquired from Dr. Charles “Doc” Addington, a regional bison producer, arrived at the Thunder Lodge pen in late April. She already has made appearances at New Student Orientation events on the Canyon campus, as well as other community events.
“Bringing her to events while she’s young and exposing her to lots of people and noise helps with her training,” Jones said.
Thunder XV will continue his duties until he grows too large to be safely handled.
Thunder, one of only two live buffalo mascots in the United States, is run onto First United Field by the Herdsmen during WT football games at Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium. He also makes a variety of other community appearances.
WT’s first live mascots were purchased in 1922 from Col. Charles and Mary Ann Goodnight; the buffalo “Charlie” was mounted for posterity and donated to Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. The live mascot program was revived in the 1970s, when the Herdsmen were formed. Today, the Herdsman organization is made up of 12 young men and women who serve as ambassadors for WT’s Paul Engler College of Agriculture and for the university at large.
Other community news
The Independence Day +1 Fireworks and Drone Show is making a return this year, and admission is free. Outdoor Amarillo is a non-profit organization partnering with the City of Amarillo Parks and Recreation Department to promote outdoor recreation and community engagement. The event begins at 3:30 p.m. July 5 at John Stiff Memorial Park and will continue throughout the evening, ending with the firework and summer-themed drone show. Free festivities include concerts, a beer garden, food trucks, fun zone for kids, carnival rides and a cornhole tournament. Performers include Cameron James Smith at 4 p.m., Piñata Protest at 7 p.m. and headliner Cooder Graw at 8:30 p.m. Tune into radio station 97.9 KGNC to listen to the soundtrack during the fireworks and drone show. Parking will be available on-site or shuttles will be available from the Amarillo High School parking lot and the Randall High School parking lot.
This week’s Furry Friend is Frenchy, a 9-year-old Torbi. “Frenchy is a front declawed kitty, who needs a forever (indoor only) home. She was found outside alone, fending for herself, which is a dangerous situation for a declawed cat. Frenchy is a bit timid, but welcomes attention and pets. Her pretty coat is a mix of deep orange and black markings throughout.” APSCA adoptions can be made at the shelter, 11901 S. Coulter, noon-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Call 806-622-0555, or visit www.amarillospcashelter.com or www.adoptapet.com.
Ashlyn Olguin, an area coordinator in WT’s Office of Residential Living, was named West Texas A&M University Employee of the Year during WT’s All-Staff Service Awards, held June 24 in Legacy Hall inside the Jack B. Kelley Student Center on the Canyon campus. Olguin, 24, is a graduate student in healthcare management from Lubbock. She was voted Employee of the Year by faculty and fellow staff members amid a field of 11 other employees of the month. Also recognized at the luncheon were all employees who have worked at WT for significant numbers of years, including Boat Rasavong, SSC (35 years) Ronnie Hall, Alumni Relations; Wes Hicks, Information Technology; and David Thurston, SSC (30 years) and Pamela Fortner, Admissions; Dan Garcia, Information Technology; and Mary Rausch, Cornette Library (25 years). The 62 employees honored for their service years represent 730 years of combined employment at WT.
For a second consecutive year, the West Texas A&M University Meat Science Quiz Bowl team took home first place at the 2025 American Meat Science Association Reciprocal Meats Conference. The event was held June 22 in Columbus, Ohio, with 34 other teams. This is the third year a WT team has won the national championship since the contest began in 2002. In the quiz bowl, teams of four compete in a double-elimination bracket. Each round features 20 head-to-head questions and 20 toss-up questions; teams that are quickest to answer correctly are awarded points. A second WT squad also advanced to the fifth round of the competition.
Online registration is now open for Chalk It Up, the summertime sidewalk art contest at Amarillo College. Cash prizes will be up for grabs once again for the creative entries that have come to life every year since its inception in 2017. The popular annual event takes place Saturday, July 26 on AC’s Washington Street Campus. Collaboratively sponsored by AC and Panhandle PBS, the contest is free to enter and the artists – either as individuals or teams of up to four – will create their works on 8-foot squares at the Oeschger Family Mall. The field is limited to the first 40 individuals or teams to enter. The competition is from 8 a.m. to noon, followed by judging and a ceremony to announce the winners. Last year’s chalk artists included Mallory Prucha, Texas Tech professor and artist, who was featured in “Open Air,” a PBS documentary about public art.
The High Plains Food Bank in Amarillo has been awarded a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas Blue Impact grant to support its Rural Food Delivery Project — helping overcome geographic barriers to food access in the Panhandle. Communities across West Texas, from Amarillo to San Angelo, are receiving targeted support to improve health outcomes, totaling more than $170,000 in community grants, according to a company news release. The High Plains Food Bank grant supports BCBSTX’s “Nutrition” focus area and is part of a broader $2 million statewide investment in community-driven health solutions.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: WT adopts young calf to begin training as next Thunder mascot
Reporting by Kristina Wood, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
