Babieca, a two-year-old goat belonging to La Legión, took part in the National Day military parade in Madrid . The animal is attached to the Tercio Don Juan de Austria 3.º and led the formation of the 5th Agrupación VIII Bandera Colón year. Babieca wore the required manto bearing the Roman numeral VIII and the unit’s emblem. The parade took place on the Paseo de la Castellana .
According to the organisers and Spanish media, the same contingent included the Tercio’s command and staff (Plana Mayor de Mando), the Escuadra de Gastadores, and the Banda de Guerra y Música de la Legión. In total, alongside the well-known goat mascot 286 horses and five dogs took part in the parade. Babieca thus joins a long tradition of animal companions of La Legión.
The name Babieca refers to the horse of El Cid Campeador, as recounted in the medieval epic Cantar de mio Cid. In the past, La Legión units have repeatedly brought goats or other animals along as mascots. In recent years, for example, the goats Killo (2024) and Pacoli (2023 and 2019) wore the manto; the goat Pepe was retired in 2016 after more than ten years of service. Historically, such animals represented companions taken by troops on campaigns—initially for supplies, and later as symbols of identity.
The presence of a mascot at the parade regularly forms part of the public perception of La Legión. Supporters see it as a living tradition and a distinctive feature of the unit during the Día de la Hispanidad celebrations. Animal welfare organisations and critics, by contrast, repeatedly raise wider questions about the use of animals at state ceremonies. In this context, official bodies emphasise that the mascots’ role during parades is purely ceremonial.
For this year’s appearance, the key details—their affiliation to Tercio Don Juan de Austria 3.º, inclusion in the 5.ª Agrupación and leading of the VIII Bandera Colón—were consistently reported by media and authorities in advance and on the day of the event. The parade in Madrid was the visible centrepiece of the main celebrations for Spain’s national day, which traditionally involve all branches of the armed forces.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).