Broncos' mascot stranded in snowstorm finally arrives for Super Bowl

STANFORD, Calif. (KTVU) - It was a rough road getting to the Super Bowl for Thunder. While the name suggests he’s adept at surviving the elements, Thunder, the Denver Broncos mascot, and his handlers actually got stranded in Rock Springs Wyoming during a snowstorm.

Thunder, who arrived on Wednesday ahead of the big game, had the grime washed away from his coat following the exhausting road trip at his temporary lodgings— Stanford’s Red Barn.

"Oh my gosh it's horse utopia," says rider and trainer, Ann Judge.

"And they said sorry you're not going anywhere I-80 is closed due to 50- 60 mile an hour wind gusts that snowstorm Kayla was producing. So we just sat tight in Wyoming for 24 hours," says Judge.

Of course, Thunder is no stranger to travel troubles.

In fact, the last time he went to a Super Bowl, the weather was so bad; his owners were forced to ship him through FedEx.

"We FedEx-ed him! Thunder here got on a plane and flew to New York City," says Judge.

Through it all, Thunder is a good sport. In fact, it's his easy temperament and good nature that got him the mascot job in the first place.

He leads the team out of the tunnel, and participates in the pre and post-game ceremonies, right in the thick of the excitement.

"So you can hear the team, you hear the pyro, you hear the 80,000 plus fans," says Judge.

Of course, this weekend is no ordinary game, and his trainer says Thunder knows it.

"I just took him for a lope around Stanford for a half an hour, didn't even break a sweat. So he's in shape, he's ready to go, just like our players," Judge says.

Thunder hasn't seen his set up over at Levi's yet, though he has a dress rehearsal on Friday. His only special request at the stadium— that they have lots of carrots and plenty of hay on hand so he too can snack during the big game.