ARCHIVES: Spirit Rider’s Start at OSU

From Nina Thornton March 6th, 2018

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From: Friday, August 07, 2015 06:39 PM UTC
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John Beall came to OSU in 1983 to study agriculture and participated in the rodeo club and horse judging team. When OSU’s athletic director saw a rodeo competition photo of John on his black horse, Della, he contacted the College of Agriculture, and the Spirit Rider was born. John and Della soon became a regular and highly anticipated appearance at football games, and in no time, the pair (and John’s dog Hooker) had obtained rock-star status. John served as Spirit Rider for a year and handpicked his team which ultimately secured the next two Spirit Riders who would follow. In this oral history interview excerpt from the O-STATE Stories oral history collection, Beall talks about the evolution of Spirit Rider and the importance of Dr. Topliff and Dr. Finley in getting the program started. For more, visit the Oklahoma Oral History Research Program at the OSU Library.

Appears In: Library OSU History

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ARCHIVES: Spirit Rider’s Start at OSU

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