BUCHANAN, Mich. ― Dakota Lyman admits to being young and dumb.
He was 20 years old, packing up his camper with friends JJ Goldick and Nick Slow, getting ready to make the five-hour drive from Columbus, Ohio to Buchanan, Michigan, to attend the RedBud National Pro Motocross Championship for the first time.
As the trio were making final preparations, Lyman noticed the decoy deer statue in the garage and said they should bring it with them.
In that moment, a folk hero was born.
Seven years later, “Evan tha deer” is a staple of the championship podium at RedBud, one of the biggest pro motocross races in the country. All three are still “owners” of Evan, but it resides in Lyman’s garage, which means it’s up to him for everyone’s favorite fake animal to be part of annual the 4th of July celebration.
“We brought him here as a gag gift; to be goofy, to be funny,” Lyman said. “Man, it’s wild how much people love him. I made stickers and sold them out. It’s wild. … When I walk around and people go, ‘Evan! Evan! Evan!’ ― it’s blown way out of the spectrum, but it’s awesome. I love it.”
When asked why Evan was the name selected for the deer, Lyman just shrugged. Why not, I guess?
RedBud is known for its extravagant outfits and décor — Lyman wears a red, white and blue tutu every year. But even in a world where it’s hard to stand out, Evan caught everyone’s attention right away.
“People just loved it,” Lyman said. “They went wild; they really did.”
The Instagram account, “Evanthadeer,” was created the first year they brought him to RedBud. It’s grown every year since, sitting at more than 4,800 followers going into the event this past weekend. Not bad for an account that only posts consistently one weekend a year.
The deer is visible in every trophy celebration. Multiple riders have brought him on stage to celebrate with it as well.
Others have joined the fold to run the Evan show. Dakota and his now-wife, Sidney, came along in 2021. The two married in May.
Sidney has been on board with the popularity of Evan from day one.
“I’m the type of person that will go with the flow,” Sidney Lyman said. “If my husband wants to do something, I’m going to support it.”
Sidney has a connection to motocross. Along with being a rider, her uncle, Neil Demmel, competed at RedBud in the early 2000s. He died in 2009.
RedBud attracts up to 30,000 people annually. It’s become a signature event in southwest Michigan for 52 years now.
“It is an escape,” said Sidney about RedBud. “I work a 9-5 job. When I come to RedBud, it is like my playground. I get to have fun, let loose for the weekend. Everyone is like family here.”
Evan isn’t going anywhere. The owners will make sure it’s at RedBud for years to come.
“It’s a tradition,” Dakota Lyman said. “Every 4th of July, do not ask me to do something: I will be in Buchanan, Michigan, at RedBud. I will always be here. I have taken that deer many places, but here, it’s home.”
Austin Hough is a sports editor within the Center for Community Journalism at Gannett. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @AustinRHough. Hough can be emailed at ahough@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: ‘It’s wild how much people love him.’ The origin story for the unofficial mascot of RedBud
Reporting by Austin Hough, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
