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The Musty You Never Knew

For nearly a century, the Mustang has been a symbol of Cal Poly. But even the most devoted alumnus might be surprised by some of the facts that University Archives dug up about the history of Cal Poly’s mascot.

Here come the Cal Poly …. Mules?
Cal Poly students selected the school mascot by vote in the fall of 1925 as part of the process of designing a school flag donated by the American Legion. The final two choices were the Mustangs and the Mules, and while the Mustangs won the majority of votes, the junior sports teams were known as the Mules into the 1940s.

Ride High, You Mustangs
The Mustang mascot was immortalized in 1947 with the Cal Poly fight song “Ride High, You Mustangs,” written by Director of Music H. P. Davidson. Beyond the well-known opening lines, the rest of the song’s lyrics are based on old cowboy lingo — such as “burn the breeze” and “kick the frost out” (move fast), “chin the moon” (get excited), and “cut a rusty” (cause mischief).

A student rides “Poly Prince,” the first live horse to represent Cal Poly.

Suiting up
In 1949, the Rally Club constructed a campus mascot costume consisting of a papier mâché horse head with a metal frame, worn over athletic gear. It was a very different vibe from today’s plush suit, the first version of which was purchased in 1981 with help from Athletics, the Alumni Association and Associated Students Inc.

Poly Prince, a live mascot
In 1954 the Boots and Spurs club bought the college its first live mascot: a thoroughbred named Poly Prince. Even though Poly Prince wasn’t technically a mustang, “the present papier mâché horsy … just can’t compare with the real thing,” the club said in a campus announcement.

A Mustang by any other name
As early as 1962, students began referring informally to the mascot as “Musty,” sometimes spelled “Musti.” No one knows who started the name, but by 1984 it had come into standard use by campus institutions like the student newspaper.

Mrs. Musty
The archivists were surprised to find that Musty briefly had a wife! “Misty” was mentioned in student newspapers between 1962 and 1965. The couple was apparently official enough that students at rival Fresno State made a pact in 1965 to not steal Musty and Misty during the football season.

Students pose with the original plush Musty mascot at a Homecoming rally in 1984

Chase, the live mustang
In 2014, Cal Poly received an actual live mustang mascot as a gift from alumnus Robin Baggett (Business Administration ’73), and his wife, Michelle. The live mascot was ceremonially named Chase, after former Cal Poly president Margaret Chase, and was the first member of a Mustang Herd that would serve the university, boost school spirit, and provide learning opportunities for students working with America’s wild horses.

Who is Musty?

Student performers have serious fun bringing Cal Poly’s beloved mascot to life at campus events.

As the Cal Poly Magazine team assembled this issue, we sifted through hundreds of vibrant images of a university coming back to life.

The photo we ultimately chose for our print cover featured a pep rally at full tilt, complete with cheerleaders and an exuberant Musty the Mustang, epitomizing the joy of our reunited campus community.

Looking at that photo, we couldn’t help but wonder: who was front-and-center inside our beloved mascot? And what is it like to inhabit this enduring symbol of Mustang pride?

As it turns out, three students currently bring Musty the Mustang to life, according to Cal Poly Athletics. Their identities are kept secret for a combination of security and logistical reasons, as well as to keep the mystique of the character alive in the minds of fans from year to year.

One of the current students, a first-year majoring in liberal arts, described the thrilling experience of transforming into Musty.

“The atmosphere was dense with anticipation and excitement for the new school year, especially returning to events after COVID stripped us away from those opportunities,” said the student, who portrayed Musty at several events in September. “I feed off of the energy of my crowd. When I see them pumped, it challenges me to match and surpass their hype.”

Jason Namanny, who supports the student mascots through Cal Poly Athletics, said student performers must apply for the role and take on special training to walk, dance and otherwise inhabit the Musty persona. A team of handlers also support Musty during days the mascot is booked for multiple events — which can include anything from a club showcase to an athletic competition.

As Musty, it metaphorically feels like 1,000 volts of energy surge through me… it’s magical, every single time.

“Musty is a symbol for Cal Poly that represents all the students, not an avenue to fame for an individual student or two,” Namanny said.

All three students performing as Musty this year are new to the role, as past student mascots moved on from the program during the pandemic, and all three are in their first year at Cal Poly.

“It was a huge selling point for me to imagine dancing in a sweaty horse suit — only able to speak through gestures — and taking pictures with friends who have no idea it’s you,” said one of the students. “The opportunity to dive into a whole new character, especially one that belonged to a part of campus I have not participated in, was super exciting.”

Musty helped spread cheer throughout Campus Comeback events. Photo by Joe Johnston.

Even though all three students have some previous mascot experience, the role of Musty still comes with some unexpected challenges.

“You must be aware about where Musty’s head is pointing,” says one student. “Sometimes where you want to look is not where Musty should be looking!”

One of the most exciting aspects of performing as Musty is the opportunity to pump up the crowd at Cal Poly’s home football games, which are some of Musty’s biggest performances. Each student talked about the thrill of taking the field and motivating a stadium full of spectators to switch into “full dance mode.”

“As Musty, it metaphorically feels like 1,000 volts of energy surge through me,” says one student. “That is when I can dance like crazy, I feel the high of the adrenaline, and I feed off of the crowd’s excitement. It’s magical, every single time.”

Another says their favorite moment happens at the start of every football game: greeting Mustang Band.

“The students in the marching band are the most lively, happy, and enthusiastic people in the entire crowd. I can count on their cheers when Musty walks by. The wild support of the band serves as an amazing reminder that Musty encompasses the values of Cal Poly, and I too represent those values.”

At the end of the day, the hard work is worth it to see people together again — smiling and cheering on the Mustangs.

“The feeling of being the symbol of Cal Poly is absolutely amazing,” says a first-year engineer in the mascot program. “Every person treats Musty with a little bit of love, respect, and enthusiasm, and Musty delivers it right back.

“The energy around Musty is always positive, and I am certainly proud to spread that energy to others.”

And the mascot’s name is …

Cal Poly has chosen a name for its live horse mascot: Chase, after past president Margaret Chase, according to a university press release.

Chase was Cal Poly’s second president and the only woman to hold the position. She served on an interim basis in 1924, between the resignation of Nicholas Riccardi and the appointment of Benjamin Crandall.

Chase was interim president during a difficult time for the university. Cal Poly faced financial problems and was under intense scrutiny of its educational mission.

The winning name was submitted by Catherine Trujillo, a curator at Cal Poly’s Robert E. Kennedy Library, in a public naming contest. The name was chosen by Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong and a committee with members from different campus organizations.

“It is a metaphor to encourage our community of scholars to always pursue and chase after their dreams,” Trujillo said in her submission. “It is also a throwback to our campus history and the powerful women who helped Cal Poly become what it is today.”

According to an email by university spokesperson Matt Lazier, there are three horses in the mascot program. The first mustang was donated by an alumnus, and two more were adopted from the Federal Bureau of Land Management — which removes mustangs from western rangelands to prevent overpopulation. The horses are cared for by Cal Poly’s animal science department.

A live mascot has appeared at every Cal Poly football home game this year. The committee overseeing the horses would like to bring them to other athletics events as well.

Emily Kucera contributed to this report.

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