Meet the Caretakers of UT Austin’s Beloved Mascot Bevo

Football fans at the University of Texas at Austin typically see their signature longhorn Bevo XV on the famous turf of the Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of onlookers, blaring music and a sea of burnt orange. But on his off-days, he prefers a much quieter environment, nestled away on a tranquil ranch north of Austin. 

One could say Bevo is a child star: at just a year and a half old, his striking color and easy-going disposition got him knighted as the official Texas mascot, a role he’s held for about ten years now. So he’s used to the influx of attention that accompanies his often 50 annual trips to football games and events. But even so, he needs his time “out of the bright lights,” said owner John Baker.

It was a slow Labor Day, and Bevo only had a few press appointments in the morning before he could go back to grazing and soaking up the Texas sun with his steer comrade in the neighboring pasture. But for now, he had to stand still and pose for photos while four college undergraduates belonging to the Silver Spurs directed his gaze towards the camera and scratched Bevo’s neck with brushes attached to long sticks to soothe the brilliantly orange steer. 

A prestigious tradition

According to the Silver Spurs, the Texas Longhorn symbolizes “fighting ability,” “lust of combat” and “efficiency in deadly encounters.” But, ironically, the chosen Bevo must be extremely docile in nature. Still, it’s hard not to feel threatened by crowds of people oohing and ahhing over him, especially in the animal world, where any heightened emotion can be mistaken for a threat. Before the University of Texas adopted the longhorn’s nearly five-foot horns as a logo, they were weapons of self-defense. Today, aside from his four Silver Spur handlers, the rule is simple: look, don’t touch.

Established in 1937, the Silver Spurs is a prestigious student organization at UT, and since 1945, they’ve been responsible for transporting and handling BEVO. But Bevo is really just the tip of the Silver Spurs iceberg. The Silver Spurs is something like an upper-echelon fraternity, with networking, student leadership opportunities and philanthropy, and its alumni list of successful businessmen, politicians and philanthropists attests to the coveted title of a Silver Spur. Even the names of various Silver Spur alumni embellish the outsides of buildings across the UT campus, including the Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium. However, in a given year, only four out of over a hundred members receive the honor of escorting Bevo.

These will be the members who guide Bevo onto the field before a football game, pose with him in matching orange polos and cowboy hats, and represent the organization on and off campus.

Raising the Longhorns

John and his wife, Betty Baker, live in an upscale log cabin on the ranch, a short drive from Bevo’s place of residence. Tall wooden doors carved with longhorn heads open to a home that might be the most Texan in existence. Longhorn memorabilia covers nearly every wall, ceiling and floor, including the mounted head of Bevo XIV, overseeing all future operations. When asked if he had ever counted the longhorn symbols inside, John said he hadn’t even tried.

The Bakers have bred and raised the past three Bevos — XIII, XIV and the current XV. Betty was a twirler during her UT days, while John never attended the university, enrolling instead at what is now Texas A&M–Corpus Christi. Asked how he became the supplier of what he calls “the most famous animal he knows,” John only said it was a long story and left it there.

Part of that story is his decades-long friendship with Ricky Brennes, a Silver Spurs alumnus and now executive director of the Silver Spurs Alumni Association. The two first met nearly 30 years ago, when Brennes was still an undergraduate at UT, and have worked closely together ever since to ensure Bevo’s care and presence at university events.

From mascot care to community impact

The executive director position did not exist before Brennes. In 2013, the Neighborhood Longhorns Program, a charity that supports Title I schools and the Spurs’ main philanthropic partner, was running short on funds. As a volunteer, Brennes created the role to channel the Bevo program into fundraising and “make Bevo the most charitable mascot in the country.”

That goal has been realized. “Now, Bevo helps us provide over $150,000 to that program every year,” Brennes said. “I think that most mascot programs in the country are envious of how special our student organization is.”

Beyond physically handling the mascot, Brennes now oversees every aspect of Bevo’s care. His affection for the longhorn is evident, but just as meaningful to him is building relationships with younger generations of Silver Spurs and watching them experience what he calls “the most exhilarating moment” for a Bevo handler — leading the mascot out of the DKR stadium tunnel to the roar of hundreds of thousands of fans.

Carrying forward Bevo’s legacy on and off the field

“There’s a lot of really cool moments for them in football season: Texas OU bowl gamers, playoff games, taking Bevo to a visiting stadium,” Brennes said. “All those things are pretty cool, but I would bet that bringing them out the tunnels is probably at the top of that list.”

Still, Brennes stresses that Silver Spurs is more than fun. Caring for Bevo is a major responsibility, especially as the organization’s fundraising supports the Neighborhood Longhorns Program at a time when after-school funding across Texas is being cut.

“There’s a real need for our program to expand right now to get to more Austin area schools,” Brennes said. “That’s one of our biggest priorities in the next couple of years.”

With a long legacy of caring for Bevo and the community, the Silver Spurs carry a high standard. Brennes said they “never take anything for granted — how much he means to the school, the community and the fans. That’s really the best way to honor everyone who came before — to make sure this program continues to operate at that level of excellence.”

For now, Bevo faces another long season as the symbol of UT. He has already left a lasting mark on fans, students and the charities supported in his name, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process. Not that he knows it — for Bevo, life is full enough with a stocked trough and plenty of neck scratches.

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