You may have seen them in beer commercials, particularly during the Super Bowl. Chances are, you've glanced at a clock that immortalizes them in an eating or drinking establishment. Maybe you've even been lucky enough to catch them in action at a fair, parade or other event.
A team of the legendary Budweiser Clydesdale horses made an appearance in Crookston Monday, spending the night at the Red River Valley Equestrian Center after leaving Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada earlier in the day. The team completed a tour of Canada, spending several days at the Calgary Stampede, and headed for the Iron Range in Minnesota today. Their visit to Crookston, however, did not involve performing.
“They needed somewhere to stay overnight, a layover, and we fit the bill perfectly in terms of accommodations and location,” said Lannis Bergsgaard, RRV Shows Board member. “The group asked for 11 stalls – 10 for the horses and one for the dog. They're just planning on resting and not doing much for the night.”
“They asked to keep it low-key,” Lannis's wife, Sharon added. “Word has gotten out that they're here and people have been trickling in to see the horses, but it's not like an advertised event where a bunch of people show up.”
So, what's so special about these horses? Clydesdales, Lannis explained, are much different from the types of horses typically seen in the newly-renovated boarding stables. Originating in Scotland, they are powerful draft horses that were bred to pull heavy loads. This is apparent in their distinctive appearance: white feathery hair on all four lower legs above and feet; and a towering, muscular body about 6 feet high at the shoulder.
Their appearance isn't the only thing setting them apart, though. Clydesdales are known as gentle giants because of their mild-mannered, docile demeanor, he said. These days the horses are often used to pull sleighs, carriages and carts with people because of their easy-going personalities as well as their elegant appearance and fluid, graceful movements. Due to their size, the horses are rarely ridden.
Clydesdales are not abundant in the world, Lannis said, with only about 5,000 worldwide, but those numbers are climbing due to breeding, especially in the United States.
Budweiser Clydesdales
The breed is perhaps most recognized as the longtime mascot for Budweiser beer and the Anheuser Busch brewing company. The story of how Clydesdales became the company mascot, according to the company, is the stuff legends are made of: In April, 1933, August A. Busch, Jr. surprised his father, August Anheuser Busch, Sr., with a hitch of the horses pulling a red, white and gold beer wagon at the company's brewery in St. Louis, Mo., to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition. The elder Busch, seeing the marketing value in the whole thing, managed to turn the team of horses hauling a beer cart into one of the most well-known and popular company mascots. The original team toured the East Coast and eventually brought a case of beer to none other than President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House.
Fast forward to today and you have the Anheuser-Busch-owned Clydesdale herd of around 250, most of which are raised at Grant's Farm near St. Louis. It has three traveling hitch teams, based in St. Louis, Boonville, Mo. and Merrimack, N.H., that travel around the country some 10 months out the year. Other horses from the herd are animal actors used in commercials.
Lannis said each of the three hitches consists of 10 horses and a Dalmation dog that rides in the cart with the driver. Eight Clydesdales work at one time pulling the cart, with two extra to alternate. Along with several professional handlers, they're all transported in three 50-foot Bud-logo-emblazoned semis – two carrying the horses, one hauling the equipment.
Although Anheuser-Busch was purchased by Belgium beer-maker InBev two years ago, the horses will remain a company fixture. That's because the merger agreement requires that the combined company continue to support the Clydesdales operations.
“We're happy we were able to accommodate them,” said Lannis. “This wouldn't have been possible a few months age, before we cleaned and renovated the building. Maybe in the future they'll actually perform in the area.”
