Rivalry prizes are as much a part of college football as the band, the spirit squad or tailgating.

In most cases, their origins are as interesting and unique as the prize itself.

I believe Wyoming plays for three of the most unique rivalry prizes of any school in the country.

Of course the Bronze Boot is the most special of all, and carries the most meaning.  The Cowboys will play for that a week from today (Nov. 5) at Ft. Collins.  But the Bridger Rifle, which the Cowboys and Utah State battle for on Nov. 19, also is way cool.

It seems the prize that doesn't always get as much attention among Cowboy fans, but is equally interesting, will be played for tomorrow evening in War Memorial Stadium when the Pokes host the University of Hawai'i under the lights.  Kickoff is scheduled for just before 8 p.m. on this Halloween weekend.

The Paniolo Trophy has much meaning. In just 40 seasons this most interesting prize has created some rich history.  

This trophy was created by a group of Wyoming natives who lived in Hawai'i when the series began back in the late 1970's.  While the two schools met in Honolulu for the very first time in 1978, the prize was created a year later by these loyal Wyomingites, led by George Fowler, for the 1979 campaign. The group called themselves the Wyoming Paniolo Society.  Paniolo is Hawai'ian for cowboy.

Originally the trophy was a cowboy on horseback preparing to rope a calf.  The group named it the Paniolo Trophy.

One of my close friends in the business and a heck of a writer, Ferd Lewis of the Honolulu Star Advertiser, wrote a column about the trophy and its history some six years ago.  In his piece he outlined how the term "Hawai'ian Cowboy originated.

Quoting Ferd, "One hundred and six years ago Ikua Purdy did the remarkable—he roped, threw and tied a steer in what reports of the time described as a 56-second blur.

"More amazing to onlookers in Wyoming was that he journeyed from the faraway ranch lands of Hawai'I to win the event in the world's foremost cowboy competition, Cheyenne Frontier Days.

"By force of their performances, Purdy and his fellow Hawai'ian competitors who had traveled with him by steamship and train, introduced a new word to their high-plains brethren in 1908: "paniolo"—Hawai'ian for "cowboy".

Sadly, that original "lariat-launching" cowboy on horseback was lost.

For 19 seasons the two schools battled for the fragile prize, carting it across the Pacific numerous times. When the original Western Athletic Conference broke up and Wyoming and Hawai'i were no longer league members together, the series was on hiatus for some 15 years.

When UH was admitted to the Mountain West in 2012, the two schools looked forward to playing for it again, just like in the past. When they began looking for the unique prize, however, nobody could find it.

Finger-pointing ensued.  Each school had its own idea of what happened to it.  In the meantime media made hay over the disappearance.  But it was never found.

For the record, the Cowboys had won the last game between the two before the interruption. But, according to Wyoming, it left the Trophy in Honolulu for needed repairs.  Hawai'i didn't agree.  Nevertheless it is ancient history now, and thanks to some very caring individuals the tradition continues.

Both schools are very grateful to The Paniolo Preservation Society of Hawai'I which became involved to keep the tradition going. This is where Purdy enters the picture, according to Lewis.  Some 16 years ago, the Society commissioned renowned western artist Fred Fellows to create a larger-than-life statue of Purdy (1873-1945) on horseback, the first Hawai'ian in the National Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame.  The statue stands 16-feet tall by 27-feet long and is located near the Parker Ranch Shopping Center on Purdy's native Hawai'i island.

When it was dedicated, some 100 maquettes were also created and sold for $3,200 each to help fund the project.

To preserve the tradition, Dr. Billy Bergin, whose wife, Patricia is President of the Society, came through and donated one of those maquettes, now valued at well over the originally price, to serve as the present trophy. I got to know Dr. Bergin— unfortunately only by phone—during this process.  He is a wonderful man who cares deeply for his state and for the history of cowboys and cowgirls.  I hope one day I may meet him in person because he has the utmost respect for what cowboy tradition means in Wyoming as well as in his beloved state.

I must say, the new prize is far more impressive than the original trophy.  It is a beautiful maquette.

The year following the introduction of the new statue, Wyoming won 49-42 in Laramie.  All Cowboy fans felt the Trophy was very much at home in Laramie.

However, the last time the two teams clashed, in Honolulu, the Rainbow-Warriors won the game. The Trophy has resided there since 2018.

For the record, Wyoming has the edge in keeping the prize, winning 14 times to the Rainbow-Warriors' nine.  The Cowboys lead the overall series, 14-10

That brings us to tomorrow night.  While I haven't actually seen it yet, I trust the 'Bows brought the Paniolo Trophy with them.  They actually won at Fresno State last Saturday night, and stayed on the Mainland this week, arriving in Denver last Sunday.  So the prize has had plenty of opportunity to re-acclimate to the high country.  Hawai'i is coming to the Gem City this evening.

Wyoming will play for all three prizes this year, the Boot, the Rifle and the Paniolo.  Of course Cowboy fans hope that all three will reside in Laramie when this COVID-shortened season comes to a close.

So I have two wishes for the Paniolo: first, it stays here where it belongs, and secondly that the two schools take better care of this beautiful prize, than they did the original one.