Rivalry gone wrong ahead of Big 12 Championship as authorities investigate potential animal cruelty when a dead longhorn was discovered mutilated in front of a fraternity house on the eve of OSU vs UT Austin.
(Video: WFAA)
Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the Oklahoma State Cowboys took on the Texas Longhorns who went on to secure a 49-21 victory for the University of Texas at Austin for their final Big 12 Championship game before moving to the SEC. Back in Stillwater, Oklahoma on Friday, the discovery of a steer carcass carved with profanity had authorities exploring a possible connection to the sports rivalry.
Video from in front of the FarmHouse Fraternity showed as authorities documented the scene where the dead animal had been discovered around 6:30 a.m. with its stomach opened and “F*CK FH” marked on its hide.
We do not condone/endorse this behavior, we are simply reporting the scenes outside of FH Fraternity this morning.
Someone took #texashateweek a little too far… pic.twitter.com/1AubelWiPv
— Barstool Pokes (@BarstoolOKST) December 1, 2023
WFAA detailed that authorities indicated the animal was believed to have been killed within 24 hours of its discovery and that a rival fraternity was suspected to be behind the grotesque prank.
A statement from the university posted on X condemned the stunt and assured that “appropriate action” would follow the findings of investigators.
“OSU is appalled at the disturbing display of animal cruelty that occurred overnight at an off-campus location near a fraternity house. The Stillwater PD is investigating the incident, and the university’s Office of Student Support and Conduct has initiated an investigation,” the school wrote. “Oklahoma State expects all students to adhere to university codes of conduct, and appropriate action will be taken based on the outcome of the investigation.”
Oklahoma State expects all students to adhere to university codes of conduct, and appropriate action will be taken based on the outcome of the investigation. 2/2
— Oklahoma State Univ. (@okstate) December 1, 2023
Meanwhile, FarmHouse Fraternity issued its own statement on Facebook decrying the responsible parties and encouraging anyone with information to come forward.
“As a chapter founded on principles driven by our agricultural roots, we’re just as sickened by this incident as our peers on campus. It is disheartening to see the disregard for proper animal welfare and treatment displayed by this situation,” the organization wrote in part. “No FarmHouse member was involved in this incident and we do not condone cruelty or defacing of livestock in any manner.”
Kennedy Thomason, a reporter for OSU’s independent publication The O’Colly, offered her own take on WFAA and said, “I can’t confirm that, but from my own opinion, yeah, that’s what I would say. There are a lot of harmless pranks that are done usually between frats, but I’ve never seen anything of this magnitude.”
Despite no evident connection to the Big 12 matchup beyond the timing and the animal used, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) appeared to reference the rivalry on X Friday afternoon when he wrote on his personal account, “That ain’t right. BIG mistake.”
Nonprofit organization The Livestock Conservancy released a statement as well noting the difference in UT’s mascot from the endangered breed that had been found dead in front of the fraternity and wrote, “As individuals and as an organization, we are saddened and heartbroken by the death of a Texas Longhorn, found this morning at an off-campus fraternity in Stillwater. Texas Longhorns (CTLR), an endangered breed listed on The Livestock Conservancy’s Conservation Priority List, are a ‘subset’ of Texas Longhorns registered by the Cattleman’s Texas Longhorn Registry.”
“These animals have a different genetic makeup than the much more common ‘Modern’ Texas Longhorns — the breed used, for example, as mascots for the University of Texas,” they said before adding, “Regardless, animal cruelty is something we take very seriously and work tirelessly to prevent.”
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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