The crowd roars as Emma Morgan lines up by Ralphie’s pen to run the buffalo down Boulder’s Folsom Field, a routine she’s familiar with as a fourth-year handler.
But this time, she has a new view at the front of the buffalo. Morgan watches as a CU employee counts her down, and when it reaches zero, Morgan yells “Sko Buffs” to start the run. She runs Ralphie out of her pen, tunes out the noise and focuses on her teammates and the buffalo.
After running the buffalo down the field and back, Morgan lets go of Ralphie as the buffalo runs back into her trailer. Her teammates immediately run to her and surround her, jumping, cheering and hugging her, because Morgan just became the first woman to lead Ralphie down the field in a front position in the tradition’s nearly 60-year history…