Budweiser Clydesdales to return to Oaklawn
The iconic Budweiser Clydesdales, which will participate in the World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade for the first time this year, will also make a return appearance to Oaklawn in conjunction with Rebel Stakes weekend, track officials announced Wednesday.
Oaklawn said in a news release that the eight-horse hitch will be harnessed to the famous red beer wagon at the track on March 16 and parade before the crowd between the fifth and sixth races. The Clydesdales will exit the track and be stationed in the infield, where the public will be allowed to see the “Gentle Giants,” as they are often referred to, up close.
Brandon Scott, assistant director of marketing for Oaklawn Racing & Gaming, said the idea to bring the Clydesdales to Oaklawn was thanks to Jay Castillo, president of Arkansas Beverage Sales Inc.
“Between races five and six, the Clydesdales will parade around the track before going to the infield,” Scott said. “They will be there for races six, seven and eight for people to come see them, have the picture taken with them, things like that. Then after the eighth race, they’ll parade again before leaving to the stable area.”
Scott said the infield will be open solely for viewing the Clydesdales.
The eighth race, he said, will be called the Clydesdale Cup
and representatives from Budweiser will present a special plaque to the winning connections.
“Budweiser has a special plaque that they present to commemorate the Clydesdales’ visit, and we had the idea that rather than us getting that plaque, we name our eighth race the Clydesdale Cup and have Jay present the plaque to the winning owner in the eighth race,” Scott said.
Until the early 1980s, Clydesdales were responsible for positioning the starting gate between the races and the horses lived in the infield.
Scott said the Budweiser Clydesdales visited Oaklawn a number of years ago and were a fan favorite.
“Everyone loved them, and we’re super excited to bring them back,” he said.
Clydesdales chosen to represent Budweiser must be at least 3 years of age, stand approximately 18 hands — or 6 feet — at the shoulder, weigh an average of 2,000 pounds, must be bay in color, have four white stockings, and a blaze of white on the face and black mane and tail. A gentle temperament is very important, since the Clydesdales meet millions of people each year.
The Budweiser Clydesdales will be marching down the 98foot stretch of Bridge Street for the 15th Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 17. Their appearance in Hot Springs is one of hundreds made annually by the traveling hitches.
Each hitch travels with a Dalmatian. In the early days of brewing, Dalmatians were bred and trained to protect the horses and guard the wagon when the driver went inside to make deliveries.
A single Clydesdale hitch horse will consume as much as 20-25 quarts of feed, 40-50 pounds of hay and 30 gallons of water per day.
The Budweiser Clydesdales can be viewed at the Anheuser-Busch breweries in St. Louis; Merrimack, N.H.; and Ft. Collins, Colo. They also may be viewed at Grant’s Farm in St. Louis and at Warm Springs Ranch, the 300-plus acre Clydesdale breeding farm located near Boonville, Mo.