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February 23, 2009

Lordly mascot dominates Raceland gym

By MIKE JAMES

RACELAND — School mascots. You’ve seen them — students suited up in goofy, big-headed animal costumes, clowning for the home-team crowd.

This is not that kind of mascot.

The ram that gazes majestically over the mezzanine railing in the Raceland-Worthington High School gym is 400 pounds of bronze-hued cast aluminum. Six feet tall from his hooves to the horns that curl over his massive head, the sculpture personifies the pride Raceland fans have for their school.

It first showed up for the Derby Classic in December and has dominated the gym ever since.

The ram came to Raceland on the back of Dan Howell’s pickup. Howell, a 1978 graduate and die-hard Ram fan, brought it back from DeLand, Fla., where he and a good friend with ties to the area had first seen it several years ago.

Howell’s buddy, Ronald O’Brien, is a Pike Countian transplanted to the Sunshine State, where he owns a restaurant in DeLand. Some years ago, he and Howell spotted the ram standing outside an area business that specializes in outdoor ornaments.

They tried to buy it but the owner wasn’t interested and rebuffed several requests. But last year, the owner had a change of heart and O’Brien swooped in and bought the ram.

He was just being a friend, Howell said. “He’s the best guy you could think of.”

Howell hopped in his pickup with his son and another helper and drove straight to Florida. They wrestled the ram into the pickup bed and headed north.

But not before a detour to nearby Daytona, where the hard-packed beach is considered a major boulevard and both locals and visitors promenade on motorcycles and autos of all descriptions.

Then it was north on I-95 with the ram’s head peeking over the cab, looking toward Kentucky.

The sculpture is a hit, said Raceland athletic director Bill Farley. He has noticed students treat it respectfully and so far have resisted the temptation to climb onto its broad back.

“We always talk about Ram pride,” Farley said. “That’s just the way we show Ram pride.”

“It’s pretty cool,” said Cory Yearout, an eighth-grader who was sitting at a nearby table. “I’ve never seen anything like it ever in a school gymnasium.

“It makes our school stand out,” he said,

The school hopes to make a rolling platform so the ram can be trundled to football and basketball games, Farley said.

“This was something completely unexpected but very much appreciated,” he said.

MIKE JAMES can be reached at mjames@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2652.

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