Four-legged star

In an outlying suburb of western Cologne lies a small farm. It’s utterly unassuming...apart from the tablecloth-sized Cologne flag hanging from the front fence. Oh, and apart from a sign proclaiming it the home of Hennes.

Hennes VIII, to be exact - he's a billy goat revered by fans of Cologne as their club mascot. The farm is also the residence of the Schaefer family, for whom caring for goats runs in the family.

Wilhelm Schaefer looked after Cologne’s most famous goat for more than 20 years up until his death in 2006. Schaefer was a club icon in Cologne, often receiving a separate ovation when he walked into the stadium before the game with his famous livestock.

Getting ready

Since his death, his wife Hildegard has taken over the job of caring for Hennes. But Mrs Schaefer is no longer fit enough to take Hennes into the stadium herself every weekend. The 50 kilogram animal has the tendency to charge off without notice, especially when surrounded by lots of fans.

Ingo Reipka now keeps hold of Hennes’ leash on game day. He’s volunteered at the club for more than a decade and was rewarded with the job of caring for Hennes in 2007.

“It didn’t take long for me to consider the offer from the club,” he said. “Football is in my blood.”

His enthusiasm is understandable - after all, Reipka and Hennes have one of the best seats in the house, sitting just two meters from the action. If there is a downside to the job, it’s that missing a home game is not an option. Holidays are planned accordingly, he says.

Reipka also has to get Hennes looking good for the cameras on game day. First he brushes Hennes’ coat, then slips on a goat-sized Cologne jacket. After that he polishes Hennes' horns and prepares a big bag of carrots and mixed breads so that Hennes doesn’t go hungry during the game.

A long tradition

Rumor has it that the first Hennes was given to the club as a joke. In 1950, two years after Cologne was founded, a circus owner presented the billy goat to the club’s coach Hennes Weisweiler during a carnival party.

Weisweiler, not really knowing what to do with such a unique present at a social function, simply accepted. The animal was immediately christened Hennes and before long he was brought along to all the games.

Today the billy goat is one of the club’s most recognizable figures - a status reflected on the team’s jerseys. Hennes is bigger than the image of the Cologne cathedral, on which he props up his hooves. In fact, only big-name striker Lukas Podolski can match Hennes for star power.

Hennes IV remains Cologne’s most successful lucky charm, steering the club to the double in 1978 when they won both the Bundesliga title and the German Cup.

Hennes VIII is off to a good start, however, by the present era’s more modest standards. Since the start of his reign in 2008, Cologne has stayed in the first division.

The current Hennes was plucked from obscurity on a farm in Bergisch Gladbach after being voted in by fans via an online ballot. Reipka had to catch him himself that day, before driving the goat back to Cologne.