ST. LOUIS – Recently, NewsChannel 5 traveled out to Warm Springs Ranch in Boonville to visit the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales because we were interested in seeing where the iconic horses are born and raised. What we discovered after posting the story and accompanying photo gallery was that St. Louisans are just as curious as we are.
So, we did a little digging, and found some interesting information about the famous Clydesdales.
How do Clydesdales get their names?
When new foals are born, the first order of business is their naming. According to John Soto, a supervisor at Warm Spring Ranch, the name usually starts with the first letter of the mother's name. In the case of the recently born Clydesdale 'Memory,' her mother is named Monica. With the first letter determined, the Clydesdale handlers try to think of something clever or memorable for the horse or they utilize an major event going on at the time. In the case of Arizona, she was born on Super Bowl Sunday, which was played in Arizona.
HISTORY
According to Anheuser-Busch, Clydesdales were first introduced to Budweiser in 1933 when August A. Busch Sr.'s children gifted him six of them to celebrate the end of Prohibition.
A second set of horses was sent to New York City in April of that year to mark Prohibition's repeal. The Clydesdales were such a hit with fans they were sent on a tour of New England and even stopped to meet President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
QUALIFICATIONS
In order to be selected as part of an Anheuser-Busch hitch, the Clydesdale must meet four qualifications:
- Must be at least 4-years-old
- Must stand at least 6 feet tall from ground to shoulder
- Must weigh between 1,800 and 2,300 pounds
- Must have a bay coat, four white legs, white blaze, black mane, and black tail
Additional facts can be found on the official Clydesdale blog.
THE DALMATIAN
A traditional Dalmatian was added to the team in 1950 to mark the opening of A-B's brewery in Newark. Dalmatians have a long history of being horse-friendly, and were originally used by horse-drawn fire brigades because they were good at guarding the animals while firefighters were doing their duty, and were quick enough to run alongside them as they responded to emergencies.
Now there are three Dalmatians assigned to each of the three Clydesdale hitches; in St. Louis we have Clyde, on the East Coast they have Brewer, and on the West Coast its Chip. All three sit loyally next to the driver of the wagon.
WARM SPRINGS RANCH
In April 2014 NewsChannel 5's Heidi Glaus met up with the Clydesdales and John Soto, their "midwife" at the 340-acre Warm Springs Ranch. The facility opened for tours in 2009, and offers visitors a chance to see the exam area, lab, and breeding room.
On Super Bowl Sunday the ranch was blessed with the birth of the newest member of the Clydesdale family, a foal named Arizona. Officials at Warm Springs say she was born just minutes before Budweiser's "Lost Dog" commercial aired.
Arizona joins Memory, who was born on Sept. 11, 2014, and Hope, star of the 2013 Budweiser Super Bowl commercial "Brotherhood."
Warm Springs Ranch will open for 90-minute tours in March, and at the end, guests over age 21 are offered a sample of Budweiser beer.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Anheuser-Busch has been known to tweet out photos of Clydesdales occasionally, so you might want to follow them on Twitter @AnheuserBusch. And be sure to follow the horses on tumblr. They post plenty of adorable and funny photos and GIFs of the majestic creatures.
A-B also has an entire blog dedicated to the Clydesdales' grooming habits, general care, and public appearances. It's filled with photos of the horses throughout the years.
Still can't get enough? You can meet the Clydesdales by visiting them during one of the appearances listed on their website.
