SMU horse Peruna joining team for ACC championship against Clemson |
SMU is bringing all its horsepower—literally—to the ACC Championship.
Their live mascot, the Shetland pony Peruna IX, will join the team for Saturday night's ACC showdown against Clemson. Due to logistical challenges, Peruna rarely travels to away games, but with this nationally televised matchup having major playoff implications, he was brought along. SMU’s tradition of live horse mascots dates back to 1932, as Peruna appeared at every home game except one. Here’s some background on the current mascot, Peruna IX, courtesy of Wikipedia: Peruna IX took over for Peruna VIII during halftime on October 15, 2011, at the SMU vs. Central Florida game. Selected as a colt just days before he was scheduled for castration, Peruna IX has been groomed for this role ever since. He trained during 2011 summer band practices to acclimate to game noise and has been clocked galloping across the field at record speed. Known for his feisty personality and vocal nature, Peruna IX is one of the most spirited mascots yet, with his whinnying echoing across the stadium. When not on duty, he runs free at a secret location. 🚨 BREAKING: Peruna has been added to the travel roster for Charlotte 🚨#PonyUpDallas pic.twitter.com/oE8MD5hJz3 The announcers do their best to explain the Navy-SMU delay of game was due to Peruna deciding to poop on the field! pic.twitter.com/lO8JSHFjnY Did you know that SMU’s Peruna is the only mascot to have ever killed another college mascot? It's true. It happened 89 years ago with the very first Peruna, Peruna I. At the game against Fordham University in New York City, Peruna kicked the Fordham Ram mascot so hard in the… pic.twitter.com/L3R8LKVVpR
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