"Supporting a Trojan tradition as entrenched as a "Fight on!" refrain, USC alumnus Bill Tilley and his wife, Nadine, have given $2 million to the Traveler Mascot Program to assure the future of the university's equine icon.

The Tilleys - longtime devotees of the USC football program who have attended most home games since marrying in 1975 - hold a special affection for the team's mascot.

Nadine Tilley breeds and trains champion Spanish Andalusian horses, the same breed as Traveler. She currently houses 23 Andalusians at her family horse ranch in Hemet, Calif. The horses have won numerous regional and national titles.

It was she who inspired the late Richard Saukko, Traveler's original rider, to change the breed of future Travelers after he spotted her atop a majestic Andalusian in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade.

The couple saw their gift as a way to assure Traveler's immortality..." Read the entire USC article >>