Thunder II served as the Broncos mascot for 10 years after taking the reins in 2004. With each scoring drive, Thunder engages the crowd running full-stride from the south end zone down the center of the field to the north. Thunder made his Mile High debut on Sept. 12, 1993, during a Broncos victory over the San Diego Chargers. 88 and the impact he had on and off the field. One last thinglets address the elephant in the room. Not long ago, high in the Rocky Mountains, an amazing thing occurred in the great history of Broncos football. In addition to his appearances at all Broncos home games, Thunder also appeared at Super Bowl XXXII in San Diego and XXXIII in Miami. [16][17] Thunder shares mascot duties with Miles, a human who wears a horse head mask atop a Broncos uniform. Hes more into meditation. The Denver Broncos mascot Thunder, ridden by Ann Judge-Wegener - Denver Broncos History The Denver Broncos mascot Thunder, ridden by Ann Judge-Wegener The Denver Broncos mascot Thunder, ridden by Ann Judge-Wegener is seen on the playing field during the NFL AFC Championship playoff football game They also share their initial reactions to the Chargers' Week 5 win over the Browns and what they believe the Broncos need to doto get their first divisional win of the season. Thunder took the reins as the Broncos mascot at Super Bowl XLVIII in New York. . The original Thunder (the only stallion) passed away several years ago, and Thunder II is retired at Magness Blakes farm in Silverton, Colorado. Copyright 2023 Denver Broncos. So, the next time youre at a football game, take a moment to thank the mascots who have been delivering the thunder and laughter since the beginning. On this edition of "BroncosAtoZ," Alexis Perry and Zac Stevens are joined by KOA's Benjamin Allbright to discuss Denver's growing list of players oninjured reserveand which Broncos will need to step up in the weeks to come. [53], Thunder III had been trained specifically for the role of Thunder, beginning at age three when Judge first started working with him under saddle. But after he flies, Thunder will ride! [12][24] He was Magness-Blake's personal riding horse for several years prior to becoming the Broncos' mascot. Thunder III and I ride around a hundred and twenty tables full of guests who love seeing the mascot up close and personal. Peyton Manning's quip makes horse a hero", "Denver Broncos mascot Thunder the horse heading to the Super Bowl", "Cheerleaders and Thunder Meet the Press", "YepBroncos mascot 'Thunder' is flying FedEx", "Denver Broncos' and Seattle Seahawks' mascots head to town for Super BowI", "Get Ready for the Super Bowl at the TODAY Pep Rally", "Super Bowl 2014: Denver Broncos come galloping out at Super Bowl 48 (GIF)", "Thunder, the Broncos mascot, on his way to Super Bowl; NFL says he can gallop on field", "Denver Broncos' Equine Mascot Thunder Takes Manhattan", "Cheerleaders, Miles and Thunder bringing Broncos style to Super Bowl", "Broncos' Mascot Thunder Traveled Through Snow, Ice For Super Bowl", "Ann & Thunder, Denver Bronco's [sic] Mascot", "Broncos Mascot Thunder to Retire at Sunday Night's Game", "The Squeeze: Von's Vision, Key and Peele and Thunder II", "Handling the Broncos' horse is more than scooping poop", "Davidson: 20 years, $20 million for Volunteers of America's Western Fantasy", "Western Fantasy: It's not just the cowboys who have true grit", "A game in the life of Denver Broncos mascot, Thunder", "The Denver Broncos Mascot's $23 Million Ranch Is for Sale", "Super Bowl 2014: Broncos, Seahawks Enter the Field", "Denver Broncos Thunder during opening ceremony", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thunder_(mascot)&oldid=1137594742, Individual Arabian and part-Arabian horses, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2022, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 5 February 2023, at 13:45. Finally, for more than a quarter-century, the Denver Broncos mascots have added entertainment and shenanigans to the games. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for NFL Team Denver Broncos Tee Shirt Adult XL Miller 58 Football Graphic Athletic at the best online prices at eBay! On Tuesday, Broncos players, cheerleaders and Miles the mascot helped celebrate the holiday season with children from Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver at Thunder's Holiday Party. "Thunder" the Denver Broncos mascot walks along the sidelines on Aug. 19, 2006 at Mile High Stadium at Invesco Field in Denver, Colorado. Hancock, who was a senior in high school at the time, was Huddles during the 1986 season when Broncos was a finalist of the Super Bowl. Three purebred Arabians have held this role since 1993, all gray horses whose coats lightened with age until they turned completely white.Thunder (mascot) Thunder, provided by Thunder Spirit LLC of Denver, will be entering his 5th year during the Broncos' 2018 campaign. The best way to get the Arabian gelding to . Your email address will not be published. Chomps is a dog-like figure, based on the team's Dawg Pound section at FirstEnergy Stadium; Swagger Jr. is a bull mastiff who serves as the Cleveland Browns' newest mascot starting with the 2019 season. Thunder and his rider take the field before the game. [29] When bored, he has entertained himself by grabbing the zipper pulls of his handlers' jackets and running them up and down. Per Thunder's official media bio, the original Thunder, KB Kobask, was the mascot for 11 years before he retired at the beginning of 2004. Thunder rolled all across the foothills of Coloradobut went all but unnoticed. [18] The day after his arrival in Newark, New Jersey,[33] Thunder was hauled into New York City for television appearances on Today,[34] and Fox & Friends. [1][40], "The fact that all of this is done with an Arabian horse is satisfying Arabians are smart, kind, brave, quiet, gentle, athletic and personable. Thunder shares mascot . The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Miller told 9NEWS. -- Thunder, the beloved mascot for the Denver Broncos, is making his third trip to Super Bowl Sunday. [9] He also walked through Times Square. She is also a horse show judge who has adjudicated national and international events. Mascots can also function as team ambassadors, encouraging team spirit and establishing a sense of camaraderie among fans. He came out of retirement to lead the Broncos Super Bowl 50 Championship parade. Miles loves his new home, and the turf management folks appreciate the help he provides keeping the turf nicely trimmed. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Thunder is a purebred Arabian gelding that, according to the Denver Broncos, "displays his impressive canter from one end zone to the other," when the team makes a scoring drive or touchdown. His major public debut was in 2014 as team mascot at Super Bowl XLVIII in New Jersey. Thunder II served as the Broncos mascot for 10 years after taking the reins in 2004. When Thunder, the Denver Broncos mascot opens each home game at Sports Authority field in Denver, Colorado, more than 76,125 fans show their Love of Thunder with resounding Mile-High cheers and applause. He also appeared at Super Bowl 50 in San Francisco. Sharon Magness-Blake has been with the Denver Broncos' living, breathing mascot . Huddles: Denver's Mayor's Curious Past On this edition of "Broncos A to Z," running back Marlon Mack takes us through his 66-yard touchdown against the Chiefs in Week 14. The purebred Arabian gelding is also part of a good luck ritual for the Broncos. This year, though, fans have seen less of the handsome hunk of horseflesh. The horses were, not surprisingly, huge Broncos fans. Thunder III initially served as the understudy for Thunder II,[9] and was trained specifically for the role of team mascot from his start under saddle. I saw one in St. Clair Co. And there is, The one who forgot is the Filoli estate in Woodside, CA. Unlike most other famous horses, Thunder rides solo. One of the first stops on President Damani Leech's eventual journey to Denver was as an NCAA intern in Indianapolis. Instead of watching players on the field the way Thunder Sr. did,[19] Thunder II liked to observe the people in the stands. "Super Bowl XXXII: The Revenge Tour" is a one-hour documentary special celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Denver Broncos' first world championship. The Denver Broncos logo history spans more than five decades, and includes 5 major phases. [9] Ann Judge calls him "Tres". "All the things that I thought coming into the role about this tradition of success and winning and a rabid fan base is true," Leech said. On this edition of "Broncos Weekend," the crew sets the scenefor Denver'sWeek 8showdownwiththe Jacksonville Jaguarsfrom the historic Wembley Stadium in London. Thunder took the reins as the Broncos mascot at Super Bowl XLVIII in New York. Miles, the Broncos mascot, leads the team onto the field as the Denver Broncos face off against the New York Giants on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017 at. And on Wednesday, Leech spoke to nearly a dozen current interns who held the same role that Leech once did. DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 9: Ann Judge, riding Denver Broncos mascot Thunder, celebrates with fans after a Denver Broncos score against the Seattle Seahawks at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on . The History of Thunder When Thunder, the Denver Broncos mascot opens each home game at Sports Authority field in Denver, Colorado, more than 76,125 fans show their Love of Thunder with resounding Mile-High cheers and applause. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. On this episode of "Broncos A to Z," Alexis Perry and Zac Stevens discuss how the Broncoskick-startedtheir offense in the second halfvs.Arizona, defensive linemanDeShawnWilliams explains what has sparked his game as of late andwe sharean early preview of the Broncos' Christmas Day showdown with theLos AngelesRams. "All the things that I thought coming into the role about this tradition of success and winning and a rabid fan base is true," Leech said. Thunder is the stage name for the horse who is the official live animal mascot for the Denver Broncos football team. He was also a backwoods guide and part of the Conservation Corps in Minnesota. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. [19], Thunder's record number of runs may have been during a 5220 win on September 29, 2013, when he crossed the field eight times. All Rights Reserved. [5][19] Ann Judge, also known as Ann Judge-Wegener,[43] became Thunder's rider in 1998. For 30 years the Denver Broncos have been led into the field, at every home game, by a majestic Arabian horse called Thunder. [1][18] Ann Judge has explained that because so many unexpected things can happen, it is important that the people working with him remain calm; it is trust in his rider and handlers, not just desensitization, that helps the horse remain steady: "You want them to look to you for the appropriate response and for confidence and faith so that the flight response doesnt get initiated. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. [12] Another unexpected event occurred in 2014 during Super Bowl XLVIII when the pyrotechnics display was supposed to have been executed before Thunder led the team out but it went off unexpectedly during his run. [11] Judge grew up on an Arabian horse farm near West Lafayette, Indiana,[43] and graduated from Purdue University in 1980 with a degree in English Education. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. "Super Bowl XXXII: The Revenge Tour"features interviews with the fiveHall of Famers from that team, their head coach, Mike Shanahan, and some of the biggest stars from that 1997 team todetail their Super Bowl XXXII run and how the feeling of defeat in the divisional round the previous year fueled them throughout their 20-game championship season. He's the Denver Broncos mascot, a Colorado icon and, next year, he'll be the National Western Stock Show parade grand marshal. In addition to his appearances at all Broncos home games, Thunder also appeared at Super Bowl XXXII in San Diego and XXXIII in Miami. The remainder of his lineage traces back to the Arabian horse breeding programs of Poland and Russia. [20] Thunder II would become tense, requiring ground handlers and his rider to help steady him. The evening begins with Denvers most distinct opening tribute. The original Thunder served as the Broncos' mas- cot for 11 years before retiring at the start of the 2004 campaign. 26, 2022. The Raiders won 17-14. Thunder took the reins as the Broncos mascot at Super Bowl XLVIII in New York. The actual mascot, a horse named Thunder, was used for this newest . [53], In conjunction with Super Bowl 50, a Breyer Horse model was created of Thunder. Copyright 2023 Denver Broncos. [8] It was his first away game, and required 26 hours of trailering to reach the destination. Ann Judge rides Denver Broncos live mascot Thunder across the field after a Denver Broncos score during a game between the Denver Broncos and the. Fox 31 Denver - October 2019. [21] Thunder III is the first of the mascots to tolerate wearing earplugs, which help protect his hearing from loud noises during games. The Denver Broncos mascot Thunder leads the team onto the field before the final preseason game of the year at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022. Clutch the Bear is presented the NBA Mascot of the Year award during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on October 22, 2021 at the Toyota. [23], Thunder appears primarily at home games, but has been transported out-of-state when the Broncos played in the Super Bowl. He retired after the final home game of the 2013 season. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. family finished by Mrs. Roth. Required fields are marked *. Spectators were allowed to interact with Thunder and pet him prior to the game. You ship him FedEx. [4], Thunder II would look attentively with his ears forward, seemingly on cue, for his picture to be taken whenever a photographer pointed a camera at him. Thunder isn't just a horse. [37] Thunder was also allowed to run in the end zone after a touchdown, but because MetLife Stadium was considered a neutral zone for both teams, he was not allowed to run the length of the field. The Denver Broncos are notorious for having thunderstorms throughout the fall and winter that is Thunder storming the field. 10 / 14 Ann Judge-Wegener waves to the crowd. He is linebred to the stallion Negatiw, who appears four times in his pedigree. The original "Thunder", JB Kobask, was loaned to the Denver Broncos by Sharon Magness-Blake of Magness Arabians after she received a phone call from team officials asking if she had a "white" horse. [20] Thunder usually leaves the field before the game is over. Miles, the Horse, was the successor to Huddle and made his first appearance in 1995. Acclaimed Denver Broncos' mascot Thunder and his rider/trainer Ann Judge-Wegener will make an early appearance on NBC's Today Show and FOX's morning show, FOX & Friends on Friday, Jan. 31. An Arab thats calm, cool, and collected (Judge says she could walk him across the field if she wanted to) doesnt really fit the stereotype. "He definitely looks rejuvenated," Campbell said of his former boss. He became known as Thunder III, a 2000 Arabian gelding registered as Me N Myshadow. Before Miles came along, Huddles was the mascot chosen by Denver Broncos. Upon arrival, Thunder was stabled at the Stanford Equestrian Center. Quantity. Thunder is the stage name for the horse who is the official live animal mascot for the Denver Broncos football team. On this episode of "BroncosAtoZ," Alexis Perry and Zac Stevensidentifysome of the most encouraging moments from the Broncos' Week 17 game against Kansas City. They also touch on the possible return ofoutside linebackerRandy Gregory, how the Cardinals might try to containwide receiverJerry Jeudy and how Denver's defense might be able to shut down Arizona's biggest weapons.
