Since 1954 at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, FL., Texas Tech University’s official living mascot is Masked Rider, starting with Texas Tech student Joe Kirk Fulton.

Every year since, a Tech student has carried the tradition to represent the culture of the University to each game, event, and spirit around Lubbock.

Charlie Snider took the reins of the 2016-2017 Masked Rider starting in March as the fifty-fifth rider. His partner in crime is Fearless Champion.

Fearless Champion has been the living mascot for the past four years, and is the fourteenth horse to serve.

Snider has to past GPA, and riding qualifications to be eligible for this position.

He began his duty in March of this year and is now the sole caretaker of Fearless.

“Every morning I get up and I come to his stale, clean his stale, and feed him,” Snider said. “Check and make sure he’s healthy, he’s good to go for the day.”

Snider said he spends at least four hours a day with him, 365 days a year.

“He’s kind of a goofball, he’ll like mess around with you,” Snider said. “Really likes ice. So if you have a cup of ice he’ll try to steal it out of your hands.” 

Snider said his game day routine starts about eight hours before the game starts. So the duo will be out near Jones Stadium at 11 a.m. Saturday for the 7 p.m. kickoff. 

The costumed mascot other fans might recognize is Raider Red. 

Raider Red was created by a local newspaper cartoonist in 1971. Since then, students have embodied his character to carry on the Tech tradition.

Texas Tech’s Cheer and Mascot Coach Bruce Bills says four students serve as this position and take shifts for games, events, and appearances throughout Lubbock.

“The student’s identity is kept secret from the public so no one knows so it’s always Raider Red in there, it’s no one person in the costume'” Bruce said.

To try-out for this position, Bills said a student must be qualified through Saddle Tramps or High Riders. Then a committee of advisors will meet with each of the candidates.

“That committee selects, does an interview with them and then narrows it down and then they actually get in costume and they have to do some of the signature moves,” Bills said. “He has a certain walk that we like to see, just kind of see how he engages with fans.”

Students are elected in March and begin training very soon after.

“We have some trainings and practices through out the summer that they kind of developed the skill and kind of get it all unison within the program so things carry on each year,”

Bills said new mascots will learn the routine from previous mascots, and can add new ideas to their version of the character.

“Learning the walk and little mannerisms that they do,” Bills said. “The students that get to be Raider Red are very creative with their ideas and see what they come up with as far as little props things that they can use throughout the game.” 

Raider Red will be at Raider Alley hours before the game and will make his way into the stadium to greet more fans.