There have been many great names to run onto Lewis Field over the years. But for the last 14 years, perhaps the most famous has been the Oklahoma State mascot, Bullet.

The Spirit Rider program was started in 1984 by Dr Eddie Finely, a professor at OSU.

The first spirit rider was John Beall and rode a black mare named “Spirit”. John was also the president of the rodeo team.

The program has come a long way since it’s inception 18 years ago.

When the Spirit Rider program first began, the spirit rider had to provide his own horse. In 1988, the athletic department purchased a horse registered with the name “Stars Parr Money” but commonly called “Possum”.

The student body voted on a new, more appropriate name for Possum and “Bullet” was selected.

Bullet makes an excellent representative for Oklahoma State and is used for more than just football games. Bullet can be found at parades, Special Olympics and other special events, mostly youth oriented.

One such event was a recent trip to Arcadia Lake for a children’s fishing camp. The Spirit Rider Team was able to show good sportsmanship as a group from the University of Oklahoma was there too.

Bullet has also received national recognition. Every year, the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) presents the Silver Spur Award to a horse. This award is presented to the horse that is outstanding in its community or helps improve life for someone.

Last year, Bullet was selected as second runner up for the Silver Spur Award. Bullet has been nominated for this prestigious award again this year.

As the saying goes, all good things must end. Thankfully for OSU, the end for Bullet is still several years away. Bullet, born in 1983, shows no signs of slowing down. He has been kept in very good shape and will be running Lewis Field for the near future.

Although there are no plans for a successor yet, there will come a day when Bullet will retire and a new horse will take his place. There are several qualities that are important in a horse that has the responsibilities of Bullet. But finding all the necessary requirements in one horse is very difficult.

For a horse to do what is required of Bullet, he must have a very mild temperament. In a football atmosphere, there are a lot of distractions. Bands, crowds, and other loud noises all could scare the horse.

The horse must also be calm as he will always have people crowding around and petting him. Another important quality is being easy to handle. The area Bullet has to run in is very limited. He must only go where the rider directs him and not fight to go another direction.

The training of a horse depends mostly on the horse itself. It either has the qualities or it doesn’t. The horse can practice with the band and practice with some noise, but until he gets into a real game day situation, there is no way to know how the horse will respond.

The Spirit Rider team is made of five people and the director, Dr. Steven Cooper. There are several steps to becoming a member of the team. Each Spring tryouts are held. The tryouts consist of horseback riding through a course while carrying a flag and an interview session.

During the interview, the judges look for several qualities in the potential members. Any animal can be unpredictable regardless of how well trained they are. With an animal as large as a horse, unpredictable behavior can become dangerous. One of the most important qualities a team member must have is knowing how to handle themselves in a tense situation and remain calm. They must be able to recognize when Bullet is about to do something unusual and be prepared to respond appropriately.

Similarly, a member must be able to handle not only a horse, but themselves when put on the spot. As a very visible representative of the university, communication and public relation skills are very important. They must be prepared to answer questions about anything and if needed, politely tell people they need to move.

After the tryouts are completed, the applicants are ranked. The top ranked person is selected as the Spirit Rider and the next four are part of the ground crew.

Before a game, Bullet is bathed and his trailer washed and cleaned. All the equipment used is gathered and checked. During halftime, Bullet and the Spirit Rider Team go up to the northwest corner of the stadium to have their pictures taken with fans and answer questions, the most common being “What is his name” and “How old is he”.

Dr Cooper has been in charge of the Spirit Rider Team since 1999. He received his Bachelors degree in Animal Science from Texas Tech, Masters from the University of Illinois and his PhD from Oklahoma State. His wife’s name is Emily and they have two sons, Braden (3 years) and Bryce (2 months).

His favorite thing of being associated with Bullet and the Spirit Rider Team is the visibility across the state. They cannot go anywhere without people associating Bullet with OSU.

Elmore City – 1999

Class: Senior

Major: Animal Science

He will be getting married in May.

What Jason likes best about working with Bullet: “I like going to the games the best. Getting to be right down close to the action and feeling like a part of what’s going on. It gives a sense of pride in your university and the program.”

Claremore, OK – 2000

Class: Junior

Major: Agriculture Communication, Animal Science

What Meriruth likes best about working with Bullet: “I really like getting to go around and see all the fans. It’s so cool to see all the support the fans give Bullet even though he’s not an official mascot. It’s amazing to see how the fans react to Bullet. I guess the horse being an animal relates to so many people. I love being down there on the field and up on the court at halftime getting to hear people’s reactions about Bullet.”

“It’s such a great way to combine my passion for working with horses and show school spirit.”

Reydon, OK - 1999

Class: Senior

Major: Animal Science, Pre-Vet

What Judith likes best about working with Bullet: “Just seeing all the people and how much they love Bullet.”

“He’s a great horse and loves the crowds. Loves the people. He’s excited to see everybody when he goes to the football games.”

Aurora, Mo – 1999

Class: Senior

Major: Animal Science, Pre-Vet

What Jennifer likes best about working with Bullet: “I think the outreach and communication with public. Meet so people and so many different varieties of people from our rivals, to little kids to elderly people. Everyone wants to come up and talk to Bullet.”

“I like the way that everybody has such a love for Bullet. That’s something that needed to be passed on….I think he’s a huge influence on everybody.”

Eufaula, OK - 1999

Class: Senior

Major: Agriculture Education

What David likes best about working with Bullet: “With Bullet being the most well known horse in Oklahoma, it’s really fun to talk to people that don’t know a lot about horses. They’re so excited about him and want to know more about him.”

“I ran for this because I knew I really had a chance to impact those kids when they came up and pet Bullet. I really enjoy that with the young kids.”

The Spirit Rider program has been a great addition to the Oklahoma State experience. It is something that fans of all ages can appreciate and look forward too. So next time you're at the game, stop by and say 'Hi' to Bullet and the Spirit Riders.