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In reply to the Daily Campus opinion last week on getting rid of peruna ("sending peruna to the glue factory"), Spaz and I wrote this:

October 08, 2003


For the four years that we’ve been in college, The Daily Campus has often spouted off uninformed nonsense on a regular rate.

Most of the complaints fall under the same complaint; “SMU has no spirit,” “We need better traditions,” and “Why can’t we be more like [insert Big 12 school here].”

For the most part, we’ve dismissed these “informed opinions” as the ramblings of those who would rather sit in their rooms and type than actually take the time to learn about school tradition. For that reason, and because we’ve been too busy actually having school spirit, we’ve never responded. Until now …

Peruna has been our mascot since 1931 and has been a Shetland pony for all those years. It is one of the most distinctive mascots in college sports because he is run, not ridden, up and down the field.

Also, he is kept free, out of a cage, and is not sedated, unlike many other college mascots. Peruna embodies the free and wild spirit of the Mustang in a small package.

The same can be said for our school. While not a large university, we can pack a big punch. The uninformed “fan” who pulls himself away from the couch once a year to watch an SMU game may find this hard to believe. But here are some interesting facts about past and present Perunas.

Peruna is a stud horse used to mate with all the female ponies. He has often been known to beat up the other horses in the stable, despite his size.

Peruna has also KILLED another mascot, the Fordham Ram. During a game between the two schools, Peruna was led too close to the ram and kicked it, killing it immediately. He’s also belted Bevo and tried to mount the Texas Tech horse.

Now, if that’s not intimidating, we don’t know what is.

Anyone who bothered to come to the game this Saturday saw how much power this “oversized labrador” contains.

While waiting for the team to run out on to the field, Peruna began to get feisty. At first only stomping the ground and bucking his head, he slowly began to inch forward, dragging the handlers with him. Turning this way and that, the Peruna handlers could barely keep him still. Luckily, the team ran out onto the field, and the handlers could finally let Peruna off running.

“Peruna weighs 400 pounds,” handler Taylor Stark said. “If he wants to, he’ll knock the crap out of you.”

Stark also commented that he has never seen anyone “skipping” alongside the mascot. All handlers are in good physical condition and have to sprint to keep up with the pony.

“Ed Board is a bunch of morons,” Stark said.

Ed Board seems obsessed with the “lack of school spirit” on this campus. Yet, the worst way to increase school spirit is to start and stop traditions on a yearly basis.

Circling your pony ears after Varsity is something that has been around SMU for about two years, yet Ed Board claims this to be a “wonderful tradition.” Obviously this two-year-old hand gesture is way more important than a mascot we’ve had for 70 years.

There is a rumor going around that the senior class gift is going to be a new mascot; a large, tamed, black horse. Well, if this is the case, we, the authors, will certainly not be donating any money to the gift.

Having a larger black horse in Peruna’s place would be ludicrous. Peruna is wild, feisty horse that can hardly be held back by its handlers.

A horse any bigger with the same spirit would be unmanageable. The only solution would be to cage it or give it a rider.

A caged Mustang would be a giant irony, and teaching a horse to be ridden would only destroy its spirit.

Is Ed Board suggesting we have a mindless mascot whose spirit has been broken? We thought you said the problem was lack of spirit.

School spirit is not something SMU sends out in the mail with its acceptance letter. It’s not dependent on the football team’s record. It’s something you create within yourself.

School spirit starts by getting out of your room and going to a game, any game. We are nationally ranked in the top 10 in men’s soccer. We have outstanding swim teams. Next semester, our basketball teams will dominate the court over in Moody Coliseum.

Don’t go to criticize or be a cynic. Go and cheer and support the players. This is your school. Be proud of your college alma mater,because it’s the only one you have.

If you feel the need to argue this point, please feel free to email Phil and Ryan at [email protected]. We will be more than happy to explain to you what the true meaning of school spirit is.

We don’t need a more intimidating mascot. We need more intimidating fans.

Fantastic letter, MS. The DC had the same idea when I was in school (mid-1980s), and that was when we were clobbering teams each week. Peruna is a perfect symbol for SMU. I'm sure a larger horse would be a striking animal, but it wouldn't be SMU. Peruna needs to stay as is.

peruna rocks.


the DC in the 70's did shock journalism. they are bound to work for the national inquiry

I still say we need a horse....Or we need to change our name from the Mustangs to the Pony, and change the emblem on our helmets to a pony. That being said, I admire your heart and you cause. It was a well written letter.

<small>[ 10-09-2003, 05:30 AM: Message edited by: Big Cat ]</small>

BigCat- My guess is that you are under 21. No one ever associated with SMU over the years would consider changing Peruna. Peruna is what tradition is all about. It would be like UT killing off BEVO or ND putting little silly Irishmen on their helmuts. Mustangs were (are) small horses and they are wild. Peruna is not a Shetland Pony but a miniture horse. Most of SMU's fans delight in seeing Peruna run the field and no one should ever touch the mascot or that tradition.

I think any fan of SMU for over 10 years might have a different take on this. Before Peruna was neutered by insurance companies and conference rules it was truly a magestic scene, which added excitement to delirium, to see Peruna run across the field after a big Touchdown in a key game. Now Peruna is relegated to the sidelines except for the start of the game and quarters. To old Mustangs Peruna meant and defined Touchdowns and Victory.

That's just one more thing the BCS conferences can get away with that we can't. I could be wrong, but doesn't OU still run their little sooner wagon across the field after the score? According to NCAA rules they should be penalized for doing so.

OP-

Actually, I think Peruna is a Black Stallion Shetland Pony, in the literal sense.

<small>[ 10-09-2003, 07:10 AM: Message edited by: Eddie P ]</small>

Has anyone ever tried just running him anyway? I mean, does anyone really care about such a rule? Sounds to me like one of those rules that do not get enforced, but can be pointed to in case of some stupid lawsuit.

Then again, this is all a moot argument, as after this season we'll probably have a large black horse with a rider, like EVERY OTHER school out there. One wonders what would happen if someone at A&M wanted to replace reville with a great dane....

We thought about it, I do remember one game where he got loose, and the refs said we couldn't take him onto the field at all unless we wanted the team penalized. I think I might have been willing to try it if I thought the team was good enough to overcome frivolous penalties, but at the time we weren't, and I alwasy really wanted to win. If I had it to do over I might grow bigger cahones and shout "DAMN THE TORPEDOS" and go for it. Unfortunately we will never know.

Replacing Peruna would be absolutely ludicrous. SMU is lucky to have such a strong tradition and such a tough, fiesty yet classy mascot that sums up everything good about the school.

As a relatively young alum (early 1990's grad), I would like to see us win more football and basketball games, but I give money every year, and would continue to give even if SMU never won another sporting event, just because it is SMU. If they "retire" Peruna, the school will never see another dime from this alum, and I think many other Mustang faithful would agree with me. SMU is just another school without Peruna. I might as well send my money to Tulane or to a local school near me.

Let me just put my 2 cents in on this..

I was a Peruna Handler from 1992-94 with Peruna VII. This was the horse that broke his leg in his stable.. the same week the Mustangs were handed the Death Penalty.. always thought that was eerie. As most know.. the Culwells (spelling?) had an expensive operation performed to get Peruna up and running again.. instead of putting him down. For those that don't know.. a horse's bone does not tend to mend that well if broken.. so they're usually put-down rather than suffer.

Even though that horse had a somewhat gimpy back leg.. which was obviously broken at one time.. it could run Lights-Out!! It was everything we could do to keep up with him in the pay-back game against Houston that day in Owenby. I can't remember the score.. but we stopped running on extra points because we were cramping so much from running after 6-7 touchdowns and the extra points too.

Also.. I don't have that much info on the Peruna VIII, but Peruna VII used to get really excited when the band started playing his song. He knew it was time to run and would start pawing the ground and whini-ing.. especially on cooler days. If he wasn't run.. he would get pissed and start snapping at us if he wasn't on the move. By the way.. he hated the late Kenneth Pye. I know that's ironic.. but he just didn't like him at all.. whether it was his size or smell or I'm not sure. Anytime President Pye would come to see us before the games.. Peruna would get almost edgy and snap at him.. pretty funny.

Anyway.. it would be a shame if someone tried to change our mascot. I'm not sure how many people understand how difficult it is to find a Black Shetland Stallion.. one horse trainer told me it's almost like finding a male calico cat.. pretty rare.

I'm all for starting new traditions if they're needed.. but why not get people to the stadium first? Also.. start as many new traditions as you want.. just don't step on the old ones.

Go Stangs!

Get rid of Peruna???? My God! Have these people NO understanding of tradition and SMU's past?? Get rid of the idiot who wrote that piece instead!

Originally posted by OldPony:
....It would be like UT killing off BEVO or ND putting little silly Irishmen on their helmuts.

Well, Bevo would make a lot of steaks, which would definitely be better looking than he is. But then you'd get sick from all the sedatives they pump into the old guy....

Originally posted by OldPony:
....Mustangs were (are) small horses and they are wild. Peruna is not a Shetland Pony but a miniture horse.

You sure? I could swear I always heard he's a Shetland, and that a Shetland was chosen in large part because of the spirit you describe.
Either way, you're right - shouldn't be changed at all!