Famous Budweiser Clydesdales Stomp into Town

clydesdales-1HAZEN, Pa. (EYT) — The famous Budweiser Clydesdales were in Jefferson County Thursday, and it was a treat for the young and the old.

(Photo above by Mega Rock)

Thursday evening, the Clydesdales made an appearance at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. Hundreds of families were there to pose for photos with the horses.

It’s not the Clydesdale’s only appearance. Monday, they will be in the 50th Annual Brockway Old Fashioned Fourth of July parade that begins at 6 p.m.


State Sen. Joe Scarnati, of Brockway, did his part to get the awe-inspiring horses to be in the parade and make appearances in their county.

The Clydesdales are geldings, at least four-years-old. At their maturity, they stand six feet tall and weigh about a ton.

According to Wikipedia, the Budweiser Clydesdales were first introduced to the public April 7, 1933, to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition.

budweiser-clydesdales-origin

August A. Busch, Jr. presented the hitch as a gift to his father, August Anheuser Busch, Sr., who was guided outside the brewery by the ruse of being told his son had purchased him a new car, but instead was greeted by the horses, pulling a red, white and gold beer wagon.

The hitch proceeded to carry the first case of post-Prohibition beer from the St. Louis brewery in a special journey down Pestalozzi Street in St. Louis.

Recognizing the advertising and promotional potential of a horse-drawn beer wagon, Busch, Sr. had the team sent by rail to New York City, where it picked up two cases of Budweiser beer at New Jersey’s Newark Airport, and presented it to Al Smith, former governor of New York and an instrumental force in the repeal of Prohibition.

From there, the Clydesdales continued on a tour of New England and the Mid-Atlantic States, a journey that included the delivery of a case of beer to President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House.

In 1950, the Budweiser Clydesdales received their very own mascot: the Dalmatian. Traditionally used to guide horse-drawn fire carts, this spotted dog serves as friend and companion to the team, sitting beside the driver.

budweiser-clydesdales-hitch-schedule

The Clydesdales have appeared in Super Bowl tv ads since 1986.

A hitch of Clydesdales pulled the City of St. Louis’ float, co-sponsored by Budweiser, in the Tournament of Roses Parade from 1954 to 2011.

In 2014 the Clydesdales returned to the Rose Parade, this time pulling their beer wagon.

More information, including the complete hitch schedule is available here.


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