ST. LOUIS — Now that opening day has passed, the Budweiser Clydesdales have to wait about another 364 days to trot around Busch Stadium once again.
It’s a long day for the horses. They wake up at 6 a.m. for breakfast, get a full-body bath and have their white feet washed.
Then, they head down the street from Anheuser-Busch to Busch Stadium for some much-needed TLC from Cardinal Nation. After taking a stroll through downtown, they head inside the stadium to take part in the opening day ceremony, like they have since the late 1970s.
"It's always exciting to hear how excited people are for the Clydesdales,” handler Lauren Lambeth said. “The minute we step into that stadium, everyone screams. It's so nice. The Clydesdales love the atmosphere. I personally think this is our favorite event that we do."
Then, it’s back to the brewery where the horses get groomed and bathed again, before turning in for a quiet afternoon while the Cardinals take care of business on the field.
Thursday was a special day for the horses for more than one reason: the Budweiser Clydesdales also celebrated their 89th anniversary.
April 7, 1933, marked the end of prohibition, and on that day, August Anheuser Busch, Jr. presented the very first hitch of Clydesdales to his father, August Anheuser Busch Sr.
Fifty years later, KSDK reporter Aaron Mermelstein covered the Clydesdales golden anniversary in 1983, including an interview with Busch Jr.
"Did you ever imagine 50 years ago the Clydesdales would become the institution that they've become?” asked Mermelstein.
“I did not realize it,” responded Busch Jr., “but thank God they did."
Almost 90 years after the tradition began, the Clydesdales remain a St. Louis institution.