Clydesdales March on Main Street

By Submission
Turley Publications

STURBRIDGE– Thanks to a letter written by town resident Anne Chojnicki, one of the most iconic team of horses in the country – the Budweiser Clydesdales – appeared on Route 20 last weekend.
The team arrived in the parking lot of the Sturbridge Host Hotel around 2 p.m. and soon after residents and visitors alike gathered to snap photos of the eight-horse team and their familiar red beer wagon, which was in tow.
Later, Route 20 was lined with spectators who watched as the team paraded down the westbound lane of the highway towards Old Sturbridge Village, where visitors again could meet and photograph the Clydesdales, along with Santa Claus, while enjoying music and caroling.
Anheuser-Busch owns more than 250 of the breed, including traveling hitches that make more than 500 appearances per year.
“Because of their wide popularity, it is extremely difficult to secure an appearance by the Clydesdales,” said Michael Cimini, owner of Yankee Spirits and a trustee of Old Sturbridge Village.
“In fact, it’s been nearly 20 years since the team last visited Central Massachusetts.”
The Budweiser Clydesdales are one of the world’s most recognizable corporate icons and were introduced in 1933 to deliver cases of beer to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the White House after the repeal of Prohibition.
The first television advertisement featuring the Clydesdales aired in 1956, and in recent years those ads have become some of the most popular ever to air during Super Bowl broadcasts.
To be selected for the Budweiser Hitch, as the team is called, Clydesdales must be at least three years of age, stand six feet tall at the shoulder, and weigh an average of 2,000 pounds, according to David Fields, president of Budweiser distributor Consolidated Beverages in Auburn, Mass.
Each horse must have four white stockings, a white blaze on its face and a black mane and tail. A gentle temperament is also a crucial trait because the horses meet millions of people each year.
It is believed that Canadians of Scottish descent first brought Clydesdales to the United States in the mid 19th century. Originally work horses, Clydesdales today are used primarily for breeding and show. Each Budweiser hitch also includes a Dalmatian dog. In the early days of the beer industry, these dogs were trained to protect the horses and guard the beer wagon while the driver went inside stores and pubs to deliver the beer.