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SPECIAL BREED IS BORN
A look into the rich, colorful history of the
special Clydesdale breed begins in the early 19th century, along
the River Clyde in Lanarkshire, Scotland.
The region, located in a valley, or " dale, II was known for its
rich soil and abundant crops. The farmers were in great need of
strong horses for hauling, plowing and carting all the necessary
farm equipment and workers.
One of the Dukes of Hamilton, a local wealthy landowner, imported
to the region six
Great Flemish Horses, a breed that had already been regularly
shipped to Scotland to be used as warhorses and for farm work.
The Duke made his six prize horses available for breeding to local
mares, and the Clydesdale breed was born.
 People
from outside Lanarkshire began to refer to the big, powerful
horses as "the Clydesman's horse," a name that eventually became
"Clydesdale."
During the initial years on the road, the Clydesdales were
transported by train. Before truck transport was introduced in
1940, the horses, wagons and harness equipment had to be unloaded
from the trains, put on local trucks and then unloaded again
wherever the horses were stabled.
Now, the horses travel in style aboard custom-designed tractor
trailers. And their travels take them throughout North America and
occasionally overseas.
Appearances for this year include performances at the Mardi
Gras celebration in New Orleans, and at major sporting events,
including Nascar racing, as well as the Orange Bowl and Rose Bowl
parades, and many county and state fairs, to name just a few.
The Clydesdales travel to hundreds of appearances each year to
meet cheering crowds and happy faces. Whether it's a parade in
Iowa or a rodeo in Texas, the Clydesdales are often the hit of the
big crowds that turn out to see their favorite horses. The
Clydesdale hitches travel some 100,000 miles a year, and with each
mile they cover, so continues the Anheuser-Busch tradition.
CLYDESDALE
FACT SHEET
THE CLYDESDALE BREED
Farmers living in the 19th century along the banks of the
River Clyde in Lanarkshire, Scotland, bred the Great Flemish
Horse, the forerunner of the Clydesdale. These first draft horses
pulled loads of more than one ton at a walking speed of five miles
per hour. Soon their reputation spread beyond the Scottish
borders.
In the mid-1800s, Canadians of Scottish descent brought the first
Clydesdales to the United States where the draft horses resumed
their existence on farms. Today, the Clydesdales are used
primarily for breeding and show.
THE
BUDWEISER
CLYDESDALES
They were formally introduced to
August. A. Busch Sr. and Anheuser-Busch on Apri17 , 1933, to
celebrate the repeal of Prohibition. August A. Busch J r .wanted
to commemorate the special day. T o his father's delight, the
hitch thundered down Pestalozzi Street carrying the first case of
post-Prohibition beer from the St. Louis brewery .
HITCH
REQUIREMENTS
To qualify for one of the six
hitches (five traveling and one stationary), a Budweiser
Clydesdale must be a gelding at least four years of age. He must
stand 72 inches, or 6 feet, at the shoulder when fully mature,
weigh between 1,800 and 2,300 pounds, be bay in color, have four
white stocking feet, a blaze of white on the face, and a black
mane and tail.
Each hitch horse will consume as much as 20 to 25 quarts of feed,
50 to 60 pounds of hay and 30 gallons of water per day.
HITCH
LOCATIONS
Five traveling Budweiser Clydesdale
hitches are based in St. Louis, Missouri; Menifee, California; San
Diego, California; Merrimack, New Hampshire; and San Antonio,
Texas. The Budweiser Clydesdales can be viewed at the
Anheuser-Busch breweries in St. Louis, Merrimack and Ft. Collins,
Colorado.
The Budweiser Clydesdales also may be viewed at Grant's Farm, the
281-acre ancestral home of the Busch family, in St. Louis and at
the following Anheuser-Busch theme parks: Busch Gardens in
Williamsburg, Virginia, and Tampa, Florida, and at the Sea World
theme parks in Orlando, Florida; San Diego, California; and San
Antonio, Texas.
CLYDESDALE OPERATIONS
Based in St. Louis, Clydesdale
Operations is responsible for maintaining and scheduling the five
traveling hitches. They receive thousands of requests for the
"gentle giants" every year. Each request is evaluated on the type
of event, dates, history of appearances in that particular area
and other input from Anheuser-Busch management representatives.
STABLES
The official home of the Budweiser
Clydesdales is an ornate brick and stained-glass stable built in
1885 on the historic 100-acre Anheuser-Busch brewery complex in
St. Louis. The building is one of three located on the brewery
grounds that are registered as historic landmarks by the federal
government.
HANDLERS
Expert grooms travel on the road
with the hitch. They are on the road at least 10 months every
year. When necessary , one handler has night duty to provide
round-the-clock care for the horses, ensuring their safety and
comfort.
TRANSPORT
Ten horses, the famous red, white
and gold beer wagon and other essential equipment are transported
in three 50-foot tractor trailers, which weigh 24 tons when fully
loaded. Cameras in the trailers (with monitors in the cabs)
enable the drivers to keep a watchful eye on their precious cargo
during transport. The team stops each night at local stables so
the "gentle giants" can rest. Air-cushion suspension and thick
rubber flooring in the trailers ease the rigors of traveling.
DRIVERS
Driving the 12 tons of wagon and
horses requires quite a bit of strength and skill. The 40 pounds
of reins the driver holds, plus the tension of the reins, equals
75 pounds. All hitch drivers are put through a rigorous training
period before they are given the reins.
HARNESS
Each harness and collar weighs 130
pounds, and the entire set of eight is valued at more than
$70,000. The harness is handcrafted from brass and leather. Pure
linen thread is used for the stitching. The harness is made to fit
any horse, but the collars come in different sizes and must be
individually fitted like a suit of clothes.
NAMES
Duke, Captain, Mark and Bud are just
a few of the names given to the Budweiser Clydesdales. Names are
kept short to make it easier for the driver to give commands to
the horses during a performance.
HORSESHOES
Clydesdale horseshoes measure more
than 20 inches from end to end and weigh about five pounds more
than twice as long and five times as heavy as the shoe worn by a
riding horse. A horse's hoof is made of a nerveless, horn-like
substance similar to the human fingernail, so being fitted for
shoes affects the animal no more than a manicure affects people.
WAGON
Turn-of-the-century beer wagons have
been meticulously restored and are kept in excellent repair. The
wagons are equipped with two braking systems: a hydraulic pedal
device that slows the vehicle for turns and descents down hills,
and a hand brake that locks the rear wheels when the wagon is at a
halt.
DALMATIANS
Dalmatians have traveled with the
hitch since the 1950s. In the early days of brewing,
Dalmatians were bred and trained to protect the horses and guard
the wagon when the driver went inside to make deliveries. The
black-and-white spotted dogs were swift enough to keep up with the
wagons, and their light-colored bodies and markings made them
easier to see during the twilight hours. Today , the Dalmatians
are perched atop the wagon, seated next to the driver .
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