Bevo XIV, the famous Texas longhorn who served as the University of Texas Longhorns‘ mascot for ten years, has retired after being diagnosed with Bovine Leukemia Virus.l
[Editor’s note: It’s pronounced “Bev-Oh” not “Bee-voh”]
Yes it’s a sad day for fans of the Longhorns, but considering the lack of success Texas football teams have been having recently, consider that hanging up your jersey after a win against Oklahoma isn’t the worst thing in the world.
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Of course, now the search for Bevo XV begins. And according to TexasSports, that process will be handled by the Silver Spurs Alumni Association.
“[The search] will focus on finding the same majestic qualities as previous longhorns that have worn the famous ‘Bevo’ halter. The timeframe for selection and training has not yet been finalized, but it is anticipated that Bevo XV will be on the sidelines for the 2016 season, including Thanksgiving, the 100th anniversary of Bevo’s first appearance at a Texas Football game.” [source]
If you’re like me and aren’t from Texas, you might be wondering where the name “BEVO” comes from. So let’s look to Wikipedia for the answer.
Legend has it that, following a victory over the ‘Horns, A&M abducted “Bo” and branded the score on him, ’13 – 0’. History of the rivalry shows November, 1915 to be the game in question. When “Bo” was recovered and the larceny was discovered, the brand was modified to be “BEVO”. And thereafter named “BEVO”.
