They are as iconic as the beer they promote. The Budweiser Clydesdales have become a brand unto themselves since the company first used them in 1933 to ceremoniously deliver beer after prohibition was repealed.
This year, the famous hitch will visit the Live Oak International horse show at Live Oak Plantation during its 25th Anniversary celebration. The horse show is scheduled for Feb. 24-28 and the Clydesdales will appear on Saturday and Sunday of the four-day event.
The eight-horse team will pull the red Budweiser wagon for the crowd to see and the wagon drivers will give out samples of their popular beer.
The Clydesdales’ appearances are so popular they have become a subsidiary of the beer maker.
There are three teams of Clydesdales that cover different sections of the country. They travel in specially equipped 50-foot tractor trailers that include air-cushioned suspension and rubber flooring to make travel more comfortable. Ten horses actually travel in each team, though only eight are used in the hitch.
Budweiser has a breeding farm named Warm Springs Ranch in Boonville, Mo. where they foal between 30 and 40 Clydesdales every year. Only those with the right markings – four white feet, white on the face and a bay coat with flowing black mane and tail – are potential future hitch members.
Those that make the cut are sent to Grants Farm in St. Louis, where they continue to grow and will go through one last cut. Traveling Budweiser Clydesdales have to be at least four years old, measure six feet at the shoulder, weigh 2,000 pounds and have a good temperament.
While they are giant animals, Clydesdales tend to be very gentle and passive. Developed in Scotland along the River Clyde, the Clydesdale was a workhorse used for plowing farmland and pulling carts.
Live Oak Plantation at one time also bred and raised show-quality Clydesdales. In fact, Chester Weber, who helps host the Live Oak Invitational, began driving as a youngster after his mother gave his father a Clydesdale for an anniversary present. Weber went on to great driving success including winning 12 USEF National Four-in-Hand championships and three World Equestrian Games Silver medals.
It’s the third time the Budweiser Clydesdales have visited Live Oak International. The last time was in 2014. They are always a crowd favorite.
Don’t miss the Budweiser Clydesdales; get your tickets for the Live Oak International event today!
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This year the @Budweiser Clydesdales will be at the #LiveOakInt event! Learn more! https://t.co/3IAWb4EsVf pic.twitter.com/7N3ShciLWF
— Live Oak Int (@LiveOakInt) January 22, 2016
