Traveler, George Tirebiter, and Saukko

Traveler, the noble white horse that appears at all USC home football games with a regal Trojan warrior astride, is one of the most famous college mascots. Besides these horses (Traveler I - VII), USC once even had a canine mascot. A mutt named George Tirebiter I (famous for chasing cars through the USC campus) first appeared at football games in 1940. He survived a publicized dognapping by UCLA in 1947, but succumbed under the tires of an automobile in 1950. He was succeeded by George II for 3 years (1950-52), then George III for 1 year (1953) and finally George IV for 1 year (1957). Saukko first appeared on Traveler in the outfit that actor Charlton Heston wore in "Ben Hur." That proved to be too cumbersome, so Saukko crafted his own leather costume in 1962, modeled after the Tommy Trojan statue on the USC campus (still being used). But he still sometimes wore Heston's helmet. Interestingly, Saukko was once employed by Jim Crowley, one of Notre Dame's "Four Horsemen.

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