Cowboy Joe Handlers
Cowboy Joe's handlers have the privilege of working with and grooming Joe before events, trailering him to events, and showing him off at home football games and other community and university functions. Handlers have the unique opportunity to spend time with Cowboy Joe and express their deep-rooted passion for the history of the University of Wyoming. Cowboy Joe represents a long-standing tradition and is an attraction to adults and children alike. Cowboy Joe and his handlers embody the slogan, The World Needs More Cowboys. Joe travels with his handlers to all home football games, parades around the state, UW graduation, the National Western Stock Show, Wyoming State Fair, and The Border Wars against Colorado State University, to name a few. Cowboy Joe's handlers demonstrate school spirit and care for the rowdy, adorable pony mascot at all his events.
Current Handlers
Chase is a senior at UW, studying Criminal Justice with a minor in History. When she is not wrangling Cowboy Joe, she serves as the President of the Chi Omega Sorority.
Sage is a sophomore studying Animal Science with a concentration in Pre-Vet medicine. She is currently the Public Relations Director for the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. Outside of academics, she volunteers at the Cheyenne Frontier Days.
Tess is going into her third year as a Cowboy Joe Handler. She is a senior at UW studying Physiology. In her free time she loves to rock climb and bake sourdough.
Cowboy Joe V
Fans of the University of Wyoming Cowboy football enjoy watching Cowboy Joe V, a fifth generation Wyoming mascot, as the pony trots around War Memorial Stadium after each Cowboy score. This 13-year old Shetland pony is more than just a mascot at Cowboy and Cowgirl events - he loves to meet people and is very popular with the kids. Next time you see Cowboy Joe V be sure to stop and say hello!
Cowboy Joe is a tradition which started in 1950 when the Farthing Family of Cheyenne
made a generous donation of a young pony to become Wyoming's mascot. Cowboy Joe also
represents UW in parades around the region, appears in Tailgate Park on football game
days and leads the band and team in the pre-game Cowboy Walk.
The University of Wyoming has earned its Research Level 1 (R1) status from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, placing Wyoming's only four-year university with the top research universities in the United States.