Part of the tradition of attending a USC football game is getting a chance to see the Trojan mascot ride out to the middle of the field on top of his white steed, Traveler. Sadly, USC has announced the passing of the latest in the line of horse mascots. Traveler VII, the horse that became the official on-field horse mascot for USC beginning in 2003, passed away at the age of 23.
The announcement of the passing of the former USC horse mascot was shared with a message on Facebook.
Traveler VII was retired from his USC duties following the Rose Bowl from the 2016 season, in which USC rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat Penn State in what was the highest-scoring Rose Bowl until this past season when Georgia and Oklahoma edged the game from the previous season. USC introduced Traveler IX at USC’s 2017 season opener against Western Michigan last fall.
Traveler VIII passed away at 14 years of age in 2013, never getting the opportunity to race onto the field and patrol the sidelines at a USC game.