Reveille Gains Star Status

NEW YORK, NY, Dec. 22, 2009 — Texas Aggies have always regarded “Reveille,” their beloved Collie mascot, as “top dog,” and the American Kennel Club (AKC) has now endorsed her collegiate star status — and even says she is eclipsed in canine culture only by “Snoopy” of “Peanuts” fame.

AKC joined with AOL’s PawNation.com Website to determine the country’s top 125 dogs in pop culture as part of AKC’s 125th anniversary. The results for competition in 10 categories were announced this morning at a New York news conference.

While treating Reveille’s top-dog status as a collegiate mascot almost as a foregone conclusion, officials at the nation’s premier canine organization expressed “surprise” in its news release announcing the results that the Texas A&M mascot placed second overall. That puts “Rev,” as she is affectionately known to thousands of Texas A&M University students, alumni and others, even ahead of Lassie, another Collie that has long had a special place in the hearts of Americans and fans abroad.

In the “college mascot” category, Rev placed well ahead of a host of other canine mascots, including the University of Georgia bulldog, “UGA.” Ironically, the Texas A&M and Georgia football teams clash Monday in the AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl.

Reveille VIII, in her second year as mascot for the Texas A&M student body that is now approaching 49,000, is the seventh in a line of Collies that have served as the “First Lady of Aggieland” and as the highest-ranking member of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets. The five military diamonds she wears on her formal attire clearly place her higher in rank than the cadet colonel of the corps, who boasts a mere four diamonds.

“Reveille’s role within the university is beyond a mascot,” observes Cadet Colonel Brent Lanier, the corps’ highest-ranking student. “Since her humble beginnings as a mixed breed to now a collie, I think, reflects the change of A&M over the years but also the preservation of tradition that make our University so unique.”

The Reveille tradition dates back to 1941, and all the Texas A&M mascots have been Collies except for the first, which was of mixed breeds. All but the recently retired Reveille VII are buried at a prominent site at the front of Kyle Field, the Aggies’ fabled football stadium. Rev VII is living the “life of Riley” in retirement.

Texas A&M Student Body President Kolin Loveless said he was not surprised by Rev’s winning ways. “After all, Rev outranks everyone on campus and is admired and loved beyond Aggieland. Also, it’s an obvious reflection on the legendary loyalty of the Aggie family.”

AKC experts created the initial list of pop culture dogs but the public voted in a series of 11 polls conducted on PawNation.com between Sept. 15 and Dec. 14, noted a spokesperson for the canine organization.

To view the AKC news release announcing winners in all the categories, go to http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=4027.