Garbed in orange and blue, he can be seen on horseback or on foot. He stirs up the crowd and encourages the sports teams. But as the mascot, it's his job.
University students and sports teams refer to themselves as Cavaliers, but few really know what that mascot really symbolizes.
"He's the guy that runs around on a horse with a feather and saves people," first-year Engineering student Maria Bocanegra tried.
"It's a person from the old ages who is an aristocrat and a gentleman," first-year College student Al Carry said.
"It's the guy from the English Civil War," first-year College student Jon Breece said. "He supported King Charles I."
The word cavalier actually means a knight or mounted soldier. The term was developed in 1641 and was used to refer to the royalists in the English Civil War. The cavaliers represented corruption and immorality. In fact, the name only was used by members of the parliament - enemies of the cavaliers - as a term of abuse.
The term cavalier came to be used by settlers in Virginia, who romanticized the meaning of the word.
"The myth is that the settlers were followers of cavaliers," said D. Alan Williams, professor emeritus of Virginia colonial history. "They believed they were descendants of the cavaliers. Most came as indentured servants though, and relatively few were followers of Charles I."
The settlers wanted to establish the English country gentry, and so the myth built up extensively.
Yet Thomas Jefferson himself was an anti-royalist, according to Assistant History Professor Paul Halliday. Therefore, he would have looked down upon the cavaliers who supported the king.
"It is ironic that the Cavalier is our mascot given that this is Thomas Jefferson's University," Halliday said, leaning back in his chair.
Although the University was founded in 1819, the Cavalier didnot become a school mascot until more than 100 years later. In 1923, the school newspaper created a contest in order to pick an alma mater song and a fight song. Written by Lawrence Lee Jr., class of '24, with music by Fulton Lewis Jr., class of '25, "The Cavalier Song" was selected as the best fight song.
The song did not become a part of University tradition in the way the "Good Ole Song" has, but instead inspired the creation of a mascot: the Cavalier. Before 1923, students did not refer to themselves and the sports teams as Cavaliers, but within a year, this had changed.
"The cavaliers believed in something, and maybe U.Va. wanted a mascot where people believed in the University," Breece said. "It stands for tradition and romantic ideals."
In terms of athletics, the Cavalier, as well as the crossed sabers logo, is a distinguishing mark.
"The Cavalier, much like the University, is a very unique mascot," Associate Director of Athletics Andrew Rader said. "It's not like we are the tigers or the bears. A cavalier is a person who fights for honor."
The horseback Cavalier who rides into Scott Stadium before each football game has encouraged and excited Cavalier fans since 1963.
"I have always looked forward to seeing the Cavalier ride out on the horse," first-year College student Whitney Spivey said. "Being an avid horseback rider, I think it would be a really fun job to have."
The mounted Cavalier departed in 1974 because of the addition of Astroturf and was forced to perform on foot. In 1989, however, he was reinstated.
The Charlottesville mounted police unit provided the horse for a student rider for the games until 1998. Eric Gibson, a local businessman, and his 16-year-old horse Blazer acted as the Cavalier mascot for the next two years. For this year, Kim Kirschnick, a local resident and accomplished rider, has the honor of riding his 12-year old thoroughbred Little Woman into Scott Stadium.
Before the game, Kirschnick spends time entertaining the fans.
"I get there two hours before the game, and I spend about an hour riding through the parking lot trying to make a connection with the fans and get everyone excited," Kirschnick said. "My goal is to be a part of the team entrance and to try and generate support for the team. The fans love their football team, and they sure seem to love the cavalier and the horse."
In addition to the mounted Cavalier, Cav Man is the mascot in an orange costume with a large character head who appears at many athletic events. The Cavalier suit was created in the late 1970s, and different men who are members of Team Cav Man, which is part of the cheerleading squad, alternate acting as the mascot.
"Cav Man's duty is to inspire the crowd and fill the gaps in the game when nothing really interesting is going on," said Cav Man, who wished that his identity remain anonymous.
Third-year College student and former Virginia football player Darnell Hollier recalled a humorous incident with Cav Man. Hollier said that Cav Man took the hat off of one of the prospective football players who was sitting in the recruit section. The player angrily stood up and tried to take the hat off of the mascot, until he was restrained from causing damage to Cav Man.
Most people, though, show great support for Cav Man.
"He gets the crowd pumped up and ready for the game," first-year College student Kim Turner said.
In 1999, the Promotions and Marketing Office created a computer-generated Cavalier mascot, who wards off the mascots of other colleges in a video shown prior to the football games. At the Florida State game on Oct. 20, Scott Stadium roared as the computerized Cav Man rode past the Corner and to the Rotunda to blast the Seminole who proudly walked out of his teepee.
"He's the dude that buried the Seminole," first-year College student Hunter Jamerson said of the Cavalier. "The girl behind me said she wanted to have Cav Man's baby."
Ann Holland, the wife of former Director of Althletics Terry Holland, helped to develop the story line for the video.
"She wanted to show the history of U.Va. and the Charlottesville community," Rader said. "The intent of Cav Man was to encourage more people to get into the stadium early and create a preview and creative entrance for the teams."
Although most students take pride in Cav Man, not all do.
"I don't like Cav Man because it trivializes our mascot and what it stands for," Breece said.
As Hollier watched Cav Man on the screen at the Florida State game, he said he saw the superhero in him too.
"The Cavalier has got some Batman in him," Hollier said.
Despite the various depictions of the Cavalier, his image remains one of mystery and honor among many students.
As Breece said, "The Cavalier represents to me tradition and the strong U.Va. pride that binds us all together"
Read More
How study abroad taught me to stop studying
By Grace Scott | 4 days agoTurns out, it took attending one of the most prestigious universities in the world for me to realize there's more to life than studying.
Collyn Clark reflects on Space Workforce 2030, building an inclusive space industry
By Carly Stender | 5 days agoClark said programs such as the SWF 2030 internship can serve as launch pads for a career in the aerospace industry.
The White Spot: an iconic diner etched in student nightlife
By Alexa Graham | May 7, 2024The White Spot is a timeless diner for Charlottesville residents and students looking for a greasy spoon infused with University spirit.
