What Is The Army And Navy’S Mascot?

Goats have been used as mascots for centuries, with the first official U.S. Navy mascot, El Cid, debuting at the 4th Army-Navy game in 1893. Since then, El Cid has been adopted as part of the team as a Navy goat, and a tradition has been born. Colonel Gonzalez Bingham was about to introduce the first Army Mule as the mascot of West Point until 1899.

The Navy’s first goat mascot, El Cid, was the pet aboard the cruiser New York (Armored Cruiser No. 2) in 1893. The Naval Academy decided that the best representation of the Navy and Marine Corps’ spirit was a goat, and the use of a goat as their mascot began in 1893. The Army Mules are a group of mules that serve as the mascots for the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. West Point cadets went nearly a decade in their rivalry with the Naval Academy before adopting a mule as their school’s counterpart to the midshipmen’s goat.

Today, three mules serve as Army mascots: Raider, Ranger II, and General Scott. Instant replay made its American debut in the 1963 Army-Navy game. Three mules, the heirs of a tradition dating back to 1899, currently serve as Army mascots for the Corps of Cadets at the US Military Academy sporting events. The goat is the 37th in the line of goats of various breeds to hold that distinction.