There was a lot of “Thunder” at Lamar’s first football game of the season and it wasn’t all weather-related

Members of Lamar’s first Thunder Herdsmen team are (left to right: Priya Mayjoy, Aracely Saldana, Ayden Mayjoy, Brock Chenoweth, Stetson Hawkins, Doc Wilson, Brennan Brodecky, Eli Sanchez, Yahir Roman,  and  Kasen Harvey.  Herdsman Dolton Lira is not pictured as he is also a football player and this photo was taken just before the game.  

Before Friday night’s football game had to be delayed due to severe weather, a different kind of thunder made an appearance.  “Thunder” the Lamar High School’s live bison mascot, was able to make her much-anticipated field running debut that night.  Proudly leading Thunder onto the turf  were the Thunder Herdsmen, a team of 11 students who have trained with the bison for several weeks learning how to safely train and run her.  Wearing black long-sleeved shirts emblazoned with an orange “THUNDER” on one sleeve and matching black cowboy hats, the Herdsmen led Thunder onto the turf, to the crowd’s delight. The shirts and hats were provided by the school district from the cheerleading fund; however, the Herdsmen are planning on carhopping at Sonic very soon to raise funds to help reimburse the school.  Thunder also made a successful run Saturday morning at the stadium for the boys soccer team’s first game of the year. Both Thunder teams won their games.

The Thunder Herdsmen lead Thunder the bison onto the field before the season’s first boys soccer game – photo courtesy of Shots by YDG

Chad Hawkins, the man who had a  self-described “crazy idea” to purchase a bison a year ago, spoke with me about Thunder, who celebrated her first birthday in June. When the state insisted that Lamar no longer be called the Savages or face expensive fines, the school district decided on becoming the Lamar Thunder, with the logo featuring a thundering bison. The CU Buffalos live mascot “Ralphie” and West Texas’s own “Thunder” gave Hawkins the idea to bring a live bison mascot to Lamar.  Many locals and alumni were upset about the name change and Hawkins felt that school spirit needed a boost.  He remembers the level of school pride and spirit when he was a student at LHS and wanted to bring that back. He told me a story about a local woman who told him she insisted on wearing her old Lamar Savages clothing until recently when she decided it was time to embrace the new name and purchase some Thunder shirts.  Another woman told him that her daughter had refused to wear a Thunder shirt until recently when she told her mom to go ahead and buy her the shirt which she now proudly wears.  This new sense of pride is exactly what Hawkins had in mind and it thrills him that people have been so supportive and excited about Thunder and that she is serving as an ambassador for the schools.

Last summer, Hawkins took that leap of faith, purchasing Thunder from a local ranch and raising her from a young age.  Since she needed to be bottle-fed at first, she bonded strongly with Hawkins, who was her main caretaker. He jokes that she’s always thought of him as “mom” and has grown even more attached to her throughout this past year.  He said he was so proud that she cooperates with and runs for the Herdsmen since she always wants to be with him, although it took a few practices to get her comfortable with someone other than “mom”.

When I spoke with Hawkins last summer right after he got Thunder, he told me that his goal was to have her run onto the fields for sporting events. This summer he decided to form a team of students to act as herdsmen for her, laughingly telling me that he’s “too old and fat to run her myself”.  His son Stetson, a junior, was the original member of the Herdsmen and after he talked to a few of his friends and word got out that a team was forming, ultimately 11 students signed on.  When asked if all the Herdsmen were “farm kids”, Hawkins said that surprisingly, the answer is no.  Several of them just wanted to be part of something special.  “These kids have to be tough” he said, referencing the physical work involved in training and running with a bison.  If the tradition of a live bison continues in Lamar, these students can look back proudly and say they were the original Herdsmen, a pretty cool story to tell their kids and grandkids some day!

Hawkins bought Thunder with his own money and provides for her financially as well.   She eats mostly alfalfa with some grains added in the morning.  I asked him how much he thinks he spends monthly on her care. “Well, I feed a lot of horses and a lot of cows, so we just added more for having a bison. She’s bigger than a cow so she eats more. I haven’t done the numbers to see what just her food costs are as I don’t want to know” he said with a laugh. If anyone has doubts about how well she has it, they shouldn’t.  She’s treated like a beloved pet at the Hawkins farm.  She is fed quality food, gets fly sprayed multiple times a day to keep her comfortable, is petted often by not only the Hawkins family, but the Herdsmen, cheerleaders and anyone else who gets to see her up close.  She certainly doesn’t lack for quality attention. It turns out Thunder has a big fondness for horse apple treats which comes in handy while training her.  Using positive reinforcement, every time she does a successful run, she gets a treat.  If she cooperates with being trailered, she gets a treat.  “Plus, my wife and kids give her treats often as do other kids who come to visit” Hawkins said.  She readily took to loading into a trailer and seems to know when she’s headed to the stadium to run and definitely knows where she is once she gets there.  When she gets her harness put on, Hawkins said “she gets really excited”.

The plan for this year is to have Thunder run at every home football game and hopefully all soccer games as well.  Hawkins wants to have her make an appearance at least once to every school sport this school year.  Obviously, she can’t be taken inside for games, but will be set up outside, allowing for people coming to the games to have the opportunity to meet her in person. She may even walk in the school’s homecoming parade this year.

As for Thunder’s future as a mascot, it depends on many factors, including how large she ultimately becomes.  Currently, Hawkins estimates her weight at about 750 pounds (she was to be officially weighed on Labor Day) but could reach 1,300 pounds or more at maturity. If she gets too big to handle or her temperament changes, she’ll “retire” and either return to the Emick ranch or remain with the Hawkins family, which is more likely.  “We’re pretty close” Chad said, referencing Thunder and himself, and isn’t sure he could ever give her up.  If and when she retires, Hawkins hopes that a new bison will replace her. For now, he’s focusing on raising that school spirit one run at a time. “My goal is by the end of the year to have the stands at the stadium packed” said Hawkins. “It’s all just pretty exciting”.

You can follow Thunder on Facebook at her page “Thunder Lamar”.

By: Barbara Crimond