I am not much of a Bud drinker, but I do love the Clydesdales! According to Wikipedia, there are only about 5,000 of these horses in the world, and the breed is in danger of extinction. Budweiser Clydesdales always have the bay coloring with white markings (including the fluffy hooves), but there are Clydesdales of many colors. They started as draft horses in Scotland, and they’re BIG: 2,000 lbs or 907 kg.
The Clydesdales trotted around a small circuit of the downtown, stopping periodically to make “beer deliveries.”
It was fun to see them, but I missed the great theme song, “Here Comes the King.” Here’s the original Budweiser commercial from 1967, with vocals by Linda November.
The rig looks almost identical to the original, right down to the wooden “cases” of beer, the green jackets on the drivers and the alert dog (a Dalmatian?) on the seat next to them.
Now, why can’t there be Guinness beer deliveries?
Linnet Moss 
You’ve made me all sad 😉 – the brewery in my home town (world-famous Beck’s) used to have a horse-drawn cart for deliveries in the city centre of Bremen, which I remember from childhood. When the brewery was sold to an international beverage company, the pencil pushers in the finance dept. decided that 12 horses were too expensive in upkeep to justify the costs. The cart delivered beer for the last time in 2005. I believe that the loss in marketing value was far greater than the costs saved…
As for Guinness in Dublin – they replaced their horses very early on. At some time, they had 150 horses, Clydesdales among them, in their Dublin St James’s Gate stables…
That is very sad! It is typical that a large corporation takes over and homogenizes everything, doing away with local variation and diversity, including beloved symbols and practices. Well, at least it makes for some sweet childhood memories. Interesting about the Guinness factory. I had wondered about that.
I just read that they replaced the horse-drawn carts as early as 1932! I think Guinness was always quite a progressive company, possibly also to do with its Quaker history. It certainly was very progressive in terms of looking after and caring for their employees in much coveted housing that was equipped with all mod-cons. They also extended that care to the public by establishing The Iveagh Trust http://www.theiveaghtrust.ie/?page_id=34 which sought to end the misery and poverty of tenement living. (Dublin apparently had the worst slums in all of the Empire…)
Shocking photos in that link! I wish more companies had that kind of community spirit. Interesting about the Quaker connection too-it makes sense to me.
There was a strong Protestant presence in the company. My in-laws’ ancestors were involved, too, and they were part of the Moravian church.
Ah, the Moravians, very prominent in Pennsylvania, just as the Quakers were/are.
Shire horses for me… all the way 🙂
You like ’em big and muscular, eh? Me too. Reading about the Shire horses, I see that the modern ones have a bit of Clydesdale in them, which accounts for their pretty “feathered” feet…
ah…. Guinness — certainly we can come up with something! how about a dozen burly bare-chested stout (no pun N tin dead) in kilts pullin’ the cart?
5k clydes’ in the whole whirled? I hope yer kidding!
Sadly no. They aren’t used much as work horses any more, so they are only bred by people who fancy them for shows.
a few years back I thought all “big” horses were Clydes. I stopped to talk to a ranch manager while I was photographing his baby Percherons (old post of mine — maybe 3 or 4 years back?) and he “educated” me. (I thought his foals were Clydes …)
I can imagine those were some big babies!
Perfect! I’ll be the driver 🙂
Ohhh, too bad people don’t make anything of tradition anymore. The horses are superb. I think they may still be some around here, possibly used in the parades but they may just be a relate breed, i am not that familiar sadly. But i am pretty sure a few remain. It’s ridiculous really when such big companies do away with them, yes they are expenses to breed and keep for normal you and me but in the costs of companies such as these they really are only a drop in the sea 😦
Yes, and they touch people’s hearts.
I just saw Martin Clunes’ “Heavy Horsepower” documentary the other night. Worth checking out if you love Clydesdales.
http://www.movies-net.com/martin-clunes-heavy-horsepower/24329
Hey thanks! I also like Martin Clunes!