![Budweiser Clydesdales Boston](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/Budweiser_Clydesdales_Boston.jpg)
The Budweiser Clydesdales are a group of
Clydesdale Clydesdale is an archaic name for Lanarkshire, a traditional county in Scotland. The name may also refer to:
Sports
* Clydesdale F.C., a former football club in Glasgow
* Clydesdale RFC, Glasgow, a former rugby union club
* Clydesdale RFC, South ...
horses used for promotions and commercials by the
Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch Companies, LLC is an American brewing company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Since 2008, it has been wholly owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (AB InBev), now the world's largest brewing company, which owns multiple glo ...
Brewing Company. There are several "hitches" or teams of horses, that travel around the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and other countries that remain in their official homes at the company headquarters at the Anheuser-Busch brewery complex in
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...
, or at
Merrimack, New Hampshire
Merrimack is a New England town, town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 26,632 as of the 2020 census.
There are four villages in the town: Merrimack Village (formerly kno ...
. At St. Louis, they are housed in a historic brick and stained-glass stable built in 1885. There are eight horses
driven at any one time, but ten horses are on each team to provide alternates for the hitch when needed. Assorted Clydesdales are also used as
animal actor
Following is a list of animal actors. Those listed should have either a substantial number of performances or, in rare cases, a high-profile role.
, c. 1907–?
,
* ''The Kid Brother'' (1927) (uncredited)
* ''The Cameraman'' (1928) (uncredited) ...
s in television commercials for
Budweiser beer
Budweiser () is an American-style pale lager, part of AB InBev. Introduced in 1876 by Carl Conrad & Co. of St. Louis, Missouri, Budweiser has become a large selling beer company in the United States.
''Budweiser'' may also refer to an unrela ...
, particularly in
Super Bowl ads.
Location
Many of the
Clydesdales
The Clydesdale is a Scottish breed of draught horse. It is named for its area of origin, the Clydesdale or valley of the River Clyde, much of which is within the county of Lanarkshire.
The origins of the breed lie in the eighteenth century ...
owned by Anheuser-Busch are raised at
Grant's Farm
Grant's Farm is a historic farm, and long-standing landmark in Grantwood Village, Missouri, built by Ulysses S. Grant on land given to him and his wife by his father in law Frederick Fayette Dent shortly after they became married in 1848. It ...
near
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
. The Budweiser Clydesdale Stables at Grant's Farm house approximately 35
mares,
stallion
A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded (castrated).
Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" nec ...
s and
foal
A foal is an equine up to one year old; this term is used mainly for horses, but can be used for donkeys. More specific terms are colt for a male foal and filly for a female foal, and are used until the horse is three or four. When the foal i ...
s, with an average of 15 foals produced each year. Anheuser-Busch owns a total of about 250 Clydesdales, kept at various locations throughout the United States, one of the largest herds of Clydesdale horses in the world.
The largest breeding facility is at Warm Springs Ranch near
Boonville, Missouri
Boonville is a city and the county seat of Cooper County, Missouri, United States. The population was 7,964 at the 2020 census. The city was the site of a skirmish early in the Civil War, on July 17, 1861. Union forces defeated the Missouri Stat ...
which is about 150 miles west of
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
.
InBev
InBev () is a brewing company that resulted from the merger between Belgium-based company Interbrew and Brazilian brewer AmBev which took place in 2004. It existed independently until the acquisition of Anheuser-Busch in 2008, which formed Anheu ...
consolidated operations there in 2008. More than half of the company's herd is kept there. The Ranch offers tours of its facilities.
Another breeding ranch was near
Romoland, California
Romoland is a census-designated place (CDP) in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 1,684 at the 2010 census, down from 2,764 at the 2000 census.
History
On June 25, 1900, the first Ethanac Post Office was established ac ...
, about 60 miles southeast of Los Angeles, but it was closed.
The three Clydesdale teams that tour internationally are based near the company's brewing facilities in
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
,
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Larimer County, Colorado
Larimer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 359 ...
, and
Merrimack, New Hampshire
Merrimack is a New England town, town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 26,632 as of the 2020 census.
There are four villages in the town: Merrimack Village (formerly kno ...
.
The company also buys high-quality Clydesdales from other sources on occasion.
The Clydesdales were fixtures at
Busch Gardens. However, after InBev sold the amusement parks, the link to the Budweiser Clydesdales ended in 2009. The new owners have brought back Clydesdales but they are not the "Budweiser Clydesdales."
Origins
![Budweiser Stables 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Budweiser_Stables_01.jpg)
The original Budweiser Clydesdales were purchased from Patrick Shea, owner of Shea's Brewery in
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...
,
Manitoba
Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
who had also used them for promoting his brewery. Rebranded for Budweiser, the horses were first introduced to the American public on April 7, 1933, to celebrate
the repeal of
Prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...
.
August A. Busch, Jr.
August Anheuser "Gussie" Busch Jr. (March 28, 1899 – September 29, 1989) was an American brewing magnate who built the Anheuser-Busch Companies into the largest brewery in the world by 1957 as company chairman from 1946 to 1975.Holian, T ...
presented the hitch as a gift to his father,
August Anheuser Busch, Sr.
August Anheuser Busch Sr. (December 29, 1865 – February 10, 1934) was an American brewing magnate who served as the President and Chief executive officer, CEO of Anheuser-Busch, based in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1913 to 1934. It became the wo ...
, 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
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, where it picked up two cases of Budweiser beer at New Jersey's
Newark Airport, and presented it to
Al Smith
Alfred Emanuel Smith (December 30, 1873 – October 4, 1944) was an American politician who served four terms as Governor of New York and was the Democratic Party's candidate for president in 1928.
The son of an Irish-American mother and a C ...
, 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
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
and the
Mid-Atlantic States, a journey that included the delivery of a case of beer to President
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
at the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
.
Qualifications
![Budweiser-team aug2009](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Budweiser-team_aug2009.jpg)
To qualify for one of the hitches, a Budweiser Clydesdale must be a
gelding
A gelding is a castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. Castration, as well as the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male equine to be calmer and better-behaved, makin ...
with an even temperament and strong,
draft horse
A draft horse (US), draught horse (UK) or dray horse (from the Old English ''dragan'' meaning "to draw or haul"; compare Dutch ''dragen'' and German ''tragen'' meaning "to carry" and Danish ''drage'' meaning "to draw" or "to fare"), less often ...
appearance,
["Grant's Farm: Clydesdale Stables"](_blank)
Web page accessed March 9, 2017 be at least four years old, stand at least at the
withers
The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, it is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle ar ...
when fully mature, and weigh between . In addition, each horse must be
bay in color (a reddish-brown coat with a black mane and tail), have four
white stocking feet, and a
blaze of white on the face.
Traveling hitches
Originally the Clydesdales were transported by train. Cross-country truck transport was introduced in 1940.
Today, the traveling hitches are on the road at least 10 months every year, based in
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...
,
Merrimack, New Hampshire
Merrimack is a New England town, town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 26,632 as of the 2020 census.
There are four villages in the town: Merrimack Village (formerly kno ...
and
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Larimer County, Colorado
Larimer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 359 ...
. At St. Louis, there are several tours that provide a visit to the Budweiser Clydesdale Paddock and Stables. The first Clydesdale hitch was based in Merrimack, New Hampshire. Horses no longer reside there, but the stables are open for viewing. Fort Collins is the home to the Clydesdales West Coast Team. When the horses are not touring, they can be seen as part of a tour and visitors can have a picture taken with them. There are ten horses that travel on each team.
Eight are in harness when performing at any one time and the other two horses provide alternates for the hitch as needed. Several professional handlers accompany each team. Often, one handler has night duty to provide round-the-clock care for the horses. Transportation for each hitch requires three 50-foot
semis
The semis, literally meaning half, was a small Roman bronze coin that was valued at half an as. During the Roman Republic, the semis was distinguished by an 'S' (indicating semis) or 6 dots (indicating a theoretical weight of 6 uncia). Some o ...
. Two carry the horses, the third transports a red, white and gold beer wagon and other equipment.
The horses' comfort is enhanced with "air-cushioned suspension and thick rubber flooring", and cameras in the trailers enable the drivers to watch the horses during transport. The team stops each night at local stables.
![Budweiser Clydesdale Dalmatian](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Budweiser_Clydesdale_Dalmatian.JPG)
An obedience-trained
Dalmatian dog also travels with each hitch, a Budweiser tradition since the 1950s. Historically, the role of the dogs was to guard the wagon and protect the team while the driver went inside buildings to make deliveries.
When the team performs today, the Dalmatians sit on the wagon, seated next to the driver.
The wagons are
Studebaker
Studebaker was an American wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana, with a building at 1600 Broadway, Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 as the Studebaker Brothers M ...
wagons modified to carry water, originally manufactured circa 1900.
Super Bowl tradition
Television advertising featuring the Budweiser Clydesdales had been a longstanding
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
tradition, beginning with an ad during
Super Bowl XX in 1986. In 2010, the new parent company,
Anheuser-Busch InBev, announced that there would not be a Clydesdales ad aired during the 2010 Super Bowl. However, the company reversed its position after asking fans to vote on
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
whether to include the horses in an ad, compared against two other potential spots. As a result, the company aired a Clydesdale-focused ad during the fourth quarter, one of nine ads aired by the company during the game.
Rose Parade
![BeerWagonPartialyDecorted20131230 183020](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/BeerWagonPartialyDecorted20131230_183020.jpg)
A hitch of Clydesdales pulled the City of St. Louis' float, co-sponsored by Budweiser, in the
Tournament of Roses Parade
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
from 1954 to 2011.
In 2014 the Clydesdales returned to the Rose Parade, this time pulling their beer wagon. The President of the Tournament of Roses rode on the beer wagon instead of the usual classic car.
[KTLA Channel 5 broadcast, 1 Jan 2014]
See also
*
Driving (horse)
Driving, when applied to horses, ponies, mules, or donkeys, is a broad term for hitching equines to a wagon, carriage, cart, sleigh, or other horse-drawn vehicle by means of a harness and working them in this way. It encompasses a wide range o ...
*
Draft horse
A draft horse (US), draught horse (UK) or dray horse (from the Old English ''dragan'' meaning "to draw or haul"; compare Dutch ''dragen'' and German ''tragen'' meaning "to carry" and Danish ''drage'' meaning "to draw" or "to fare"), less often ...
*
Draft horse showing
Draft horse showing (UK and Commonwealth; draught horse, dray horse or carthorse) refers to horse shows exclusively for horses of the draft horse breeds. In North America, though a small number of draft horses are also shown under saddle, the term ...
References
References 8 & 9 no longer effective
Further reading
"What About the Budweiser Clydesdales? ''(free login required)''Brown, Kimberly. "Larger than life: The Budweiser Clydesdales" ''(free login required)''
External links
*
*
ttp://www.budweisertours.com/ Find information on tours, including the Clydesdalesbr>
Budweiser "Brotherhood" 2013 Super Bowl CommercialSuper Bowl's Baby Clydesdale: A Budweiser Story produced and aired by
ABC News
ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...
{{St. Louis Cardinals
Horse actors
Draft horses
Anheuser-Busch advertising
1933 introductions
Horses in advertising
St. Louis Cardinals