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Cowboy Joe, meet Cowboy Joe: UW’s famous mascot is helping train his eventual successor

Cowboy Joe VI, left, and Cowboy Joe V touch noses while taking a walk out in the snow with handler Kali Soudani Jan. 31, 2025. (Garrett Grochowski, Oil City News)

LARAMIE, Wyo. — What’s better than one pony? Two, of course. At least that’s what the handlers of the University of Wyoming’s prolific and larger-than-life equine mascot, Cowboy Joe, thought when they took in the pony’s 7- to 9-month-old lookalike for the purposes of training him up to follow in Joe’s footsteps.

While the current Cowboy Joe still has a long time before he considers retirement, his handlers said that having two takes the load a bit off each of them. And besides, it’s not every day that you find the perfect candidate, according to UW Equine and Arena Manager Elias Hutchinson.

Cowboy Joe does have quite a lot of responsibilities across the University of Wyoming campus. Most notable among his duties is his triumphant — and extremely cute — gallop across the Wyoming end zone when the home team scores a touchdown at UW football games. Besides that, he is often interacting with fans and children at various events.

His job very clearly requires a cool head and easygoing temperament, which not every horse has.

“You can train a horse to do a lot of things, but certain things will become more natural. If they’re very hyperactive, some of that will grow out of them,” Hutchinson said. “But if they’re a baby and they’re not crazy, there’s a high likelihood that when they’re on the field, going out and doing stuff, they’ll adapt quicker. It would be right off the bat, honestly.”

Second-year Cowboy Joe handler and current law student Kali Soudani, who has spent a lot of time emotionally supporting and helping train the current Cowboy Joe, said she believes fulfilling those necessary qualifications comes from somewhere deeper.

“Being what Cowboy Joe is and doing what he does is honestly a soul thing to me. You may believe in God or some other divine force, but honestly I think they come to us with this soul understanding that this is going to be their job,” Soudani said. “I’ve worked with a lot of horses in my life, and I’ve never worked with a horse that could do what Cowboy Joe does at every football game.”

Cowboy Joe V and handler Kali Soudani share a close personal bond earned over two years of close interaction and trust-building. (Garrett Grochowski, Oil City News).

Cowboy Joe VI, the new kid on the block, seems to be the perfect fit to Hutchinson and Soudani. However, he’s still got a lot of learning to do. Like Hutchinson said, this new pony does have an advantage as a cool-headed, gentle and agreeable fellow.

A mascot’s life isn’t an easy one, though, so having a big brother to look up to will go a long way in getting the newbie ready for game day. It also means that there isn’t as much pressure to get Cowboy Joe VI fully trained, as Cowboy Joe V is still always ready for action.

“If I want to do certain things like I want to touch his feet that day, but if he only lets me get to his elbow, I guess that’s where we’re going that day. And that’s fine. With that in mind, he’s doing super well,” Hutchinson said.

And if Cowboy Joe VI is having a hard time, there is always Cowboy Joe V to cuddle up to.

“Both of them are incredibly sweet creatures. I’ve noticed that when Baby Joe gets a little unsure, he goes to Big Joe for protection. That’s a very cute thing to watch,” Soudani said. “I think they’re both going to be really strong, wonderful boys.”

That’s not always the case in the animal kingdom, and horses are no exception.

“I’ve never seen them fight, which is actually kind of remarkable,” Hutchinson said.

According to his handlers, the “dominant” Big Joe should normally be possessive about food, but not this guy: He’ll let the little horse do whatever he wants.

Cowboy Joe VI, who is not even a yearling, gets his portrait taken Jan. 31, 2025. He will eventually take over mascot duties for the current Cowboy Joe. (Garrett Grochowski, Oil City News).
The Cowboy Joes have already established a close bond with one another. When Cowboy Joe VI is unsure of something, he looks to his senior for comfort. (Garrett Grochowski, Oil City News).

Despite the initial insecurity, Baby Joe — as Soudani calls him — does come with some built-in confidence. This will be necessary when he begins to get approached by strangers and confronted with loud noises at UW sporting events.

“If he was super afraid and had zero self-confidence, he would see someone come in his pen or another horse and just try to get away, but he’s not. He’ll turn and approach you,” Hutchinson said. “That tells me everything you need to know about when he’s on the field doing stuff. He’s not going to be looking to get away and be afraid. He’s gonna take it head on.”

Even so, there are a lot of factors at large, loud and unpredictable sporting events that can be emotionally hard for a horse if they aren’t properly taken care of. As one of the handlers on the field with Cowboy Joe every game, Soudani ensured that the current and future Cowboy Joes are always going to be taken care of and happy on game days.

“All of the girls — we have a regimen, unless you’re out of town, to be working with Joe, building confidence with Joe so that if he gets frightened, he can look to us,” Soudani said. “I know Joe gets hungry on football days, so I’m never going to leave without a bag of hay for him. He eats it at half-time, and then we have a much happier horse throughout the rest of the football game. It’s those little things, taking care of and checking in with him, that make the difference.”

Cowboy Joe VI is still getting used to personal touch. Here, handler Elias Hutchinson shows off Cowboy Joe’s smoky mane while also building trust through contact Jan. 31, 2025. (Garrett Grochowski, Oil City News).
Cowboy Joe V is currently around 13 years old, with his handlers estimating he still has around seven years of service before he fully retires. Here he poses for his picture with his trusted handler, Kali Soudani, out of frame Jan. 31, 2025. (Garrett Grochowski, Oil City News).

So, will fans be seeing this new Cowboy Joe anytime soon? Well, probably not for a while. Baby Joe, who is distinctive from Big Joe by his smokier mane and blue eyes, will still need a lot more training before he joins the big leagues with Big Joe. Besides, Big Joe might still be enjoying the mascot life a little too much.

“He’ll close his eyes and take a nap on the field in my arms,” Soudani said. “It’s very adorable. He loves seeing fans at the tailgate. He gets really excited to see little kids and everyone’s families. He loves the scratches on his head and all those things.”

When Little Joe does get more familiar with university life, Hutchinson said it’ll be a slower transition for Cowboy Joe VI to take over as primary mascot.

“I do think all Cowboy Joes finished their days here, but because he’s only 13 he’s got a long time — especially if we do a good job managing that,” Hutchinson said. “I think his retirement will be starting to pull him away from tedious stuff where we don’t need, you know, the A-list starter. More petting zoo–type stuff.”

That’ll be at least a year away, he added. And for a lucky few, for the next few years UW will likely be seeing double while both Joes are still in their prime. Prepare to give double the treats and quadruple the head scratches.

Cowboy Joe VI, left, and Cowboy Joe V touch noses while taking a walk out in the snow with handler Kali Soudani Jan. 31, 2025. (Garrett Grochowski, Oil City News)

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