TOLEDO, OH (Toledo News Now) - The Budweiser Clydesdale Horses are known for their role in representing the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company and Budweiser beer for almost a century. This weekend, the team is making a stop in the Toledo area.
The team will be making an appearance at Fifth Third Field on Friday and at the Lucas County Fairgrounds on Sunday as part of their world tour.
Clydesdale Handler Mark Weber says the famous Budweiser Clydesdales have been touring the country and the world for 82 years, but not just any horse can sign up for the gig.
"We call them the American icons," said Weber. "To make it as a Budweiser Clydesdale, or to be on our team, they have to be bay in color, they have to have a black mane and tail, a white nose and the four white socks."
Weber says the Clydesdales are significantly larger than average horses.
"They're going to be around 2,000 lbs., they're all going to be 18 hands or taller. They can pull twice their own weight, so they can pull 2 tons a piece," he said.
This group has recently been on tour in China, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Canada along with the U.S.
"Whenever we're on the road we travel with 10 (horses) and we always hitch eight to the wagon," said Weber. "It doesn't really matter, anywhere we go, they're usually pretty well-received. There's a lot of history and heritage with horses in general, but especially our horses."
A special guest is also traveling with the horses: seven-month-old Dalmatian puppy, Barley. He's the newest member of the Budweiser Clydesdale family, and a friend and companion of the team, riding alongside the Clydesdales on their hitch.
Since 1950, the Budweiser Clydesdales have had Dalmatians as their mascots.
"Dalmatians were originally brought to the United States for coaching dogs; high-society people had them to guard their horses," said Weber. "Then later on, they were such a good breed for doing that, beer delivery companies would have the dogs to guard the horses. They would also guard the beer when they were in making the deliveries. They did also like the fact that the Dalmatians were so easy to spot."
Barley has been on the road with the Budweiser Clydesdales, and while they're no strangers to fame, the group brings back memories for many across the nation.
"I couldn't tell you the amounts of stories I've heard from people, 'oh my grandpa had horses or farms with horses,' or 'we had horses when I was a kid.' So there's a lot of love for these horses everywhere we go," said Weber. "You'll notice that our horses on average pretty much know when they're on camera, and they're somewhat of little divas. They're used to the publicity and I think they feed off of it because they'll strike a pose when the camera's on them. They know they're high maintenance and they don't mind that."
The Clydesdale handlers encourage everyone to catch a glimpse of the iconic horses while they have a chance.
Friday, July 17, 2015: Fifth Third Field, Huron Street near Home Plate Gate from 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Sunday, July 19, 2015: Lucas County Fairgrounds, 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
For more information on the Budweiser Clydesdale Horses, click here.
