Hearts racing, hooves thundering and fans screaming. That is what the West Texas A&M University Herdsmen experience every time they run Thunder down the tunnel at a home football game. But it’s more than just running Thunder XIV down the tunnel; it is caring for him, training him and gaining memories that will last a lifetime.
The eight Herdsmen each have different reasons and motivations for why they have chosen to become a part of the team. However, they all value their job as ambassadors of the organization and the Panhandle seriously.
“Being a Herdsmen goes school wide,” George Graybill, a Herdsmen and WT student said. “We are really the spirit of WT and we are a big part of uniting all the colleges, all of WT and being something big that everyone can get behind.”
They all love the opportunities they have as Herdsmen and have formed a bond with the 1,000-pound animal.
“It’s crucial because we are trusting him a lot with our safety and him [Thunder XIV] with us,” Gaybill said. “In the grand scheme of things we are working with an animal, but it’s awesome that we’ve built this special bond.”
When the organization started over 45 years ago, there was not a single girl on the team. Today there are girls on the leads running right alongside Thunder XIV.
“I am one of the only girls apart of the Herdsmen and it was true honor whenever Mrs. Bachman did ask me to do this,” Mia Encinias said. “WT has become a passion of mine and being a girl I hope to be able to show young girls that are sitting there with a group of boys like I always was that just because they are a girl, that doesn’t mean they can’t do what the boys can.”
