Chris Throgmartin Official Web Site

Majestic, Beauty and Poetry in Motion

The Budweiser Clydesdales

If you have never seen them before, they will amaze you. The animals, the preparation, the attention to detail are all part of the Budweiser Clydesdales show. I was lucky enough to catch their demonstration here at the Palm Creek Resort and was able to get to their staging area early to watch them pull in and go through the entire set up before their demonstration began. The pictures below capture the action of the three semi caravan, the horses in their stall's, the unloading, grooming and hitching and of course the magical march that these gorgeous animals demonstrate.

For a little history, the Budweiser Clydesdales were originally a gift from the son of Mr. Busch to his father in 1933 to celebrate the end of Prohibition. A full team along with the bright red wagon started the proud tradition which today encompasses 5 of these teams that travel North America putting on demonstrations for crowds at parades and other gatherings.

The Anheuser Busch people are extremely picky over which Clydesdales make the cut and only the best are hand picked to pull these wagons in teams. Each Clydesdale must be a minimum of 18 hands tall. They weigh over one ton ( 2000 - 2,300 lbs ). They consume 50 to 60 lbs of hay per day in addition to a vitamin enriched grain mixture. Their water is closely monitored as well to ensure nothing but pure water. It takes on average 5 hours to prepare all the horses for one show. This includes grooming, shampooing and brushing.

To watch them perform is amazing. They march in unison, their legs stepping high and each hoof placement made in precise timing. Even the height of each hoof on each horse is raised to the same level as the others.

If you ever have the chance to catch one of their demonstrations/shows, do yourself a favor and take the time to see them. They are truly a majestic animal to see perform.

Enjoy the pictures,

Chris


The Clydesdale Truck. This is one of three that travels in a caravan. 1 truck holds the wagon, gear, feed, harnesses, etc. The other two trucks hold the horses.	Two of the horses stand ready to be unloaded. Their inside compartments are amazingly clean, sport a thick rubber floor for comfort and each trailer has its own ventilation system.

One of the eight horses disembarks the trailer down a rubber padded ramp.	Out of the trailer and onto the ground. The horses head straight to a staging area where they are brushed first and then have their reins and gear fitted.

The Wagon all polished and ready to go. I watched the handlers hand polish all the brass on this wagon before the horses were hitched to it.	Once the gear is installed, they are hitched up to the wagon, one at a time.

Hitched and ready, this horse patiently waits for his teammates to be hitched.	One horse eyes me and strikes a pose for my camera.

Dang these horses are big. Check out the size of those hooves..	Each brass and chrome piece is shined to perfection before each show.

One gorgeous animal don't ya think ?	It's show time !

Driver, Asst. driver and the famous Dalmatian dog ride atop the wagon.	The sound of the hooves, and the unison in which they hit the ground is amazing. Check out the hooves of the horses closest to the wagon. Each raised at the same level at the same exact time.