Unusual Nicknames: New Braunfels Unicorns

New Braunfels High School is believed to be the first—and only—school to use the Unicorn as its mascot – a tradition that has lasted for more than 100 years. The origin of the mascot can be traced back to Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels of Germany, who is credited with founding and settling New Braunfels, Texas, in 1845.

The Solms family’s coat of arms featured a blue lion on a gold field with blue rectangular accents. According to the school, some believe the Unicorn mascot originated because one of the lion’s ears was left off and the remaining ear was mistaken for a horn due to the image’s low-resolution quality. Others believe the original coat of arms they viewed featured a crown on the lion, and the front spike of the crown was misinterpreted as a horn.

At NBHS, the male Unicorn mascot is named Eugene and the female is Eunice.

The school also has a large paper-mâché mascot named Buford, which travels to football games and is featured at other special events such as graduation. Buford is hauled to road games by a small group of teachers and former employees known as the “Buford Haulers.”

During games and events, a female student group called the Unicorn Handlers is often seen accompanying Buford. Another spirit group, the Blue Crew, is a male-led organization that helps rally school spirit.