5
I
Even a manicure!
Anyone who sees the Heineken Brass Band march by is often amazed at the superb billy-
goat walking ahead of the band. That's our band's mascot. The goat doesn't walk alone.
For 18 years Jan Knuiman from 's-Hertogenbosch (Holland) has been our mascot's
escort. As you watch them go past, you don't realise how much work is involved in getting a goat
toperform.That'swhywe wenttohaveachatwiththemanwhoknows all there istoknowabout it.
Training
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Out training with the goats along Holland's dykes.
Some of the goats don't wait for tobacco crumbs to fall: they
help them&lves.
Ready to set off for a band performance. In the background, Jan's wife with one of
the a^igree rabbits he breeds.
Do they understand each other? It certainly looks like it.
Jan Knuiman: chief goat trainer keeping a tight rein on the billy-goats.
may perhaps go along with the band,
but he still cannot be completely
trusted. He's certain to try and make a
sudden leap. "But I never let go of
him," says Jan confidently. "And if
need be, I just put my hand in his neck
and push him down. And of course I
talk to him at the same time. It's the
voice that's important, that's what the
animal recognises."
The fact of it is that since Jan has been
the escort, no single goat has had the
idea of having a lie-down in front of the
marching bandsmen. Or of standing
still, being overtaken by the musicians
and then entangling his horns in the
MASCOT
"Before my time the band had a goat
called 'Pilske'. I don't know who'd
taught him to do it, but every so often
that animal would come to a halt
outside a pub and refuse to budge a
step further. He had to have a glass of
beer first. That might have been an
amusing habit for the spectators to
watchbut it's just not onMy goats do
what they have to do: march!," says
Jan Knuiman.
True indeed. Jan Knuiman has the
knack of making the animals keep in
step. It's not easy, it's extremely
difficult to force a goat to do this. A
billy-goat is awfully stubborn. That's
why he shouldn't be older than about
six months when he starts his training.
"Once I've got him trained to behave
nicely for me that still doesn't mean
he'll behave for everybody else" Jan
explains further. "Some time ago I was
with the band at a party. There was a
general there as well, and he and his
friend wanted to be photographed with
just the goat. They asked me to move
away out of the picture. I did, but I
could see from the goat's nose what he
was going to do. And before you knew
it, he'd leapt forward. Both the
gentlemen had a tight hold of him and
so there they lay face-down on the
street in their best suits." The bright,
small eyes of our chief goat escort
twinkle with merriment.
"He goes everywhere with me. He
always walks to my right", Jan
explains. "He's calm when I'm calm.
But if I get excited about something,
the goat senses it and gets lively as
well." There are always at least two
goats in training as one has to be kept in
reserve. A couple of times a week Jan
walks along the dykes and roads in his
home-town together with the animals
currently in his care. The oldest goat is
always the leader and walks in front.
The younger ones are fastened to him.
Jan Knuiman points out the route,
holding the harness tightly. That's how
they get used to traffic and to noise.
After weeks of training a young goat
belts carrying the drums. That causes
real chaos. This slight man with his
splendid moustache seems to
command respect from his goats.
Perhaps it's because he does more than
just train them. He also does his
utmost to look after them well. He
gives them a manicure by filing their
hoofs, lays a stone floor around their
stall to get them used to hard surfaces,
puts them in the bath when they need it
(a white billy-goat soon shows the
dirt!) and makes sure that they have a
comfortable place to stay when they're
away from home. For such journeys
the animals travel in a small trailer, but
when they arrive they must be given a
stall.with plenty of spaceHe also spoils
them. Only a little, though. Jan rolls
his own cigarettes. And rolling tobacco
is a titbit for goats. When he rolls a
cigarette, some tobacco always
'accidently' falls on the ground.
There is a close bond between the
animals and their human companion.
Sometimes it seems as if the goat wants
to say something to him. 'Do they
understand each other's thoughts?'
you then wonder in spite of yourself.
It's a funny sight to see how the animal
trusts his master and follows him
everywhere. And, if Jan is not therefor
a while, his family takes over for him.
Riet, his wife, and his four children
have always lent a helping hand and
still do whenever they're needed. They
are completely caught up in his hobby.
"This has been my hobby for eighteen
years", says Jan simply. "I hope to be
able to do it for many more years yet
and I certainly intend to complete the
25 years. It's really fine work."
Heineken's billy-goat mascots certainly
live in the lap of luxury.