CU Boulder’s newest Ralphie buffalo has deep Colorado roots
By Spencer Wilson
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Colorado (KCNC) — She’s fast, fierce and born right here in the Rocky Mountains. CU Boulder’s newest live mascot, Ralphie VII, nicknamed “Brandy” has officially made her debut, and her story starts miles away from Folsom Field at a quiet ranch near Coalmont, Colorado.
At Eagle’s Wing Ranch, Jim and Julie Beauprez have spent nearly two decades raising North American plains bison. When CU reached out to ask if the ranch would consider donating a calf to become the university’s next Ralphie, they didn’t hesitate. Jim laughed, remembering the no-brainer.
“We said, ‘Well, hell, Taylor, we’ve been waiting here about 17 years for you to call. Where do we sign?” Jim explained.
The calf, once known simply as no. 613, quickly stood out from the herd. The Beauprezs said she always seemed to follow them, showing off her personality and speed.
“She would just hover around us like, ‘I know you got a call,'” Jim said with a grin. “We don’t breed slow bison.”
“She is gorgeous,” Julie said. “She is beautiful, but she likes to have fun, and she’s kind. And, you know, she’s a good sport, clearly.”
Ralphie VII is the first Colorado-born Ralphie since Ralphie II back in 1987, and, when the Beauprezs saw their Ralphie thunder across Folsom Field for the first time, it was an emotional moment.
“I got goosebumps, and then I went up in tears,” Jim said. “To see her make that inaugural run and stick the landing like that — I don’t have the words.”
The Beauprezs could not be more proud to add to the lasting legacy of the live mascot.
For those wondering how CU’s most famous runner is treated, Jim put it plainly, “That animal is treated better than a lot of human beings I know. She’s loved. She’s revered. She’s practically royalty.”
You can see more of Ralphie VII’s first run and fan reactions from Folsom Field in our earlier CBS Colorado coverage.
For Jim, who attended CU in the 1990s and remembers watching earlier Ralphie runs from the stands, it felt like everything came full circle.
“To leave a mark like that on a university that’s meant so much to us, it means the world,” Jim said.
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