Battle for the Golden Horseshoe

The Battle for the Golden Horseshoe is an annual rivalry college football game played between the UC Davis Aggies and the Cal Poly Mustangs. Although the two teams have met on the gridiron since 1939, the rivalry officially began with the 2004 game at Cal Poly. The winner of the game receives the Golden Horseshoe Trophy, which was also created in 2004 for the inaugural game. Due to a misunderstanding, both schools constructed a trophy for the rivalry and brought it to the inaugural game. The teams decided that the rivalry would adopt the trophy created by the winner of that game; UC Davis won 36–33 and was therefore allowed to make its trophy the official one to be exchanged in all subsequent meetings.

Through 2017, the series is tied 7–7; UC Davis won the trophy in 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, and 2017, while Cal Poly took it in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016. UC Davis leads the all-time series is at 22–20–2.

There is also controversy regarding the addition of gems to the trophy after each win. The Mustang Maniacs, the student group who holds the trophy while it is under Cal Poly's control, added blue and green gems to the trophy from 2006 to 2008. But when the Aggie Pack regained control of the trophy in 2009, they removed the gems, wishing to keep the trophy in its original condition.