Known for galloping around Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during football games and making special appearances at events, USC’s formal mascot, Traveler the horse, serves as a longstanding symbol of Trojan spirit. Behind the image of poise and strength is a team of student volunteers who work closely alongside Joanne Asman, the horse’s owner and trainer. 

As the founder and CEO of Asman and Associates, a company that services events with animals, Asman assumed the role of horsekeeping in 2003, when Patricia Saukko DeBernardi, the wife of the first Traveler rider, retired. Currently, Asman oversees three Travelers: the retired Traveler IX, the current Traveler X and the prospective Traveler XI, who will succeed Traveler X after completing training. 

Asman has owned horses since 1968. For over 35 years, her company has coordinated events that require animals — from film and TV scenes to ballroom receptions, theater performances, weddings and memorial services.

“I’ve loved horses my whole life. I got my first horse when I was 18. I graduated high school, moved out from my parents’ house, was going to college, sold my car and bought a horse. I’ve had them ever since,” Asman said. 

Asman said the process of horsekeeping involves conducting check-ups, taking the horses for walks and rides, and brushing their fur, among other feeding and cleaning duties. The horses also go to yearly veterinary appointments, where vets examine their physical soundness. 

To train the horses, Asman desensitizes the animals to loud sounds, such as fireworks, band music and audience cheers. At Griffith Park, Asman introduces the horses to obstructions such as bike riders or jumping deer in order to ease them into activity.

“I have little kids run around them all the time. I have people bang on pots and pans. I have pom poms. I have a megaphone. If there’s going to be something new at a game, I make it and work with [the horses].”   

In addition to going to band camp with the Trojan marching band, the horses train with a carpet painted to resemble the crimson-red USC end zone. 

“Horses don’t see color; they see shades. So something that’s dark, they think it’s a big black hole, so they won’t always walk across it. We tell them that it’s okay,” Asman said. “Because of their temperament, they are bred to please, so that’s why they’re easy to teach to trust.”

With the help of five to eight USC students, Asman and her crew conduct various duties ranging from making hay and supplement bags to putting on the horse’s boots. 

“[Students] make sure the horse stays safe on the field for the runs,” Asman said. “We have a rope that we hold up so that people don’t run across while the horse is coming out, especially photographers. [The students] help us keep [Traveler] safe and everything clear.”

Ellie Kurtz, a senior majoring in business administration, is one of these student volunteers. 

Familiar with the equestrian industry, Kurtz praised Asman for her work putting the animal first in show business. 

“In the show horse world, it’s a little bit of a factory. It is a business,” Kurtz said. “So, unfortunately, the norm is to sometimes cut corners to save costs. Whereas with Joanne, there’s none of that. It’s all about the horse.”

Though she has been working with Traveler for just over a year, Kurtz considers herself a lifelong equestrian, as she started horsekeeping when she was seven years old. 

“It’s my hobby and passion,” Kurtz said. “I train people how to ride and show competitive show horses.”

Not all members of Traveler’s crew have an extensive equestrian background. Maya Tauber, a 2025 alum with a bachelor’s degree in cognitive science, is another volunteer on the crew whose role entails acting as a “bodyguard” to Traveler. 

“I’m on the rope crew,” Tauber said. “When Traveler runs during touchdowns or in the beginning of the game or during the beginning of the fourth quarter, I’m on the field making sure people aren’t going in his path.” 

Through these volunteer opportunities, Kurtz and Tauber said they found connection and community. Tauber said the most fulfilling aspect of working so closely with Traveler, especially during games, is witnessing fan enthusiasm. 

“When we’re working the games, and I’m holding the rope … seeing the school spirit and the passion that people have for him and USC in general makes me really happy,” Tauber said. “I feel super honored to even be a part of it.”

Devyn Payne contributed to the report.