Budweiser Clydesdales Parade Down Main Street in McPherson
Handler Courtney O'Connor shares the hitch's history and what it takes to join the traveling team
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Sign up freeThe Budweiser Clydesdales visited Dillons and Culver’s Wine & Spirits in McPherson, Kansas, parading down Main Street to the McPherson County Courthouse before returning to the Dillons parking lot.
Courtney O’Connor, one of the horses’ handlers, discussed the history of the Budweiser Clydesdales and the qualifications needed to join their traveling team.
According to Anheuser-Busch, the Budweiser Clydesdales debuted in 1933 to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition. The original six-horse hitch later expanded to eight horses.
O’Connor said horses chosen for the hitch typically have bay coats, white facial blazes and four white stocking feet. Each horse may eat 50 to 60 pounds of hay and drink up to 30 gallons of water on a warm day.
The horses are born and raised at Warm Springs Ranch near Boonville, Missouri. Traveling teams transport 10 horses, along with the wagon and equipment, in three 50-foot tractor-trailers.
O’Connor said safety is essential when working around the large horses. Handlers wear protective footwear, and visitors should give the animals plenty of space.
“You have to be 21, obviously, because it’s Budweiser. You need to have a background in working with horses and have a CDL because you have to drive the semis that transport the horses,” O’Connor said.
O’Connor said college students may apply for company internships without a commercial driver’s license, but they still need experience working with horses. The McPherson visit offered residents a close look at the celebrated hitch and the people responsible for caring for the horses on the road.
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