Summary:

– Tarin Clark and the RUF/NEKS maintain the Sooner Schooner and its ponies.

– The wagon, introduced in 1964, represents Oklahoma pioneer heritage.

– Schooner has experienced spills, penalties and continues to be a fan favorite.

NORMAN — Tarin Clark vividly remembers the first time he sprinted onto Owen Field field alongside the Sooner Schooner, Oklahoma’s iconic covered wagon mascot.

It was 2017, and he was a new member of the RUF/NEKS, the all-male spirit group that helps maintain the Schooner and its ponies. He could barely collect his thoughts as he proudly carried a United States flag after the Sooners scored against Tulane.

“When they say it’s like you’re getting shot out of a cannon, they’re not lying,” said Clark, now the adviser for the RUF/NEKS. “You’re real

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