Clydesdales to visit Maricopa today between noon and 3 p.m.

Those who’ve never seen the world famous Budweiser Clydesdales will finally get the chance to see them practically in their own back yard between noon and 3 p.m. when they visit several locations in Maricopa today, thanks to Golden Eagle Distributors, Inc.

The eight-horse hitch will travel from Bashas’ to Fry’s Marketplace and finish at City Hall (see schedule below).

The Clydesdales’ appearance in Maricopa is one of 300 made annually by the five traveling hitches. Canadians of Scottish descent brought the first Clydesdales to America in the mid-1800s. Today, the giant draft horses are used primarily for breeding and show.

Horses chosen for the Budweiser Clydesdale hitch must be at least three years of age, stand approximately 18 hands – or six 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, as hitch horses often meet millions of people each year.

A single Clydesdale hitch horse will consume as much as 20 to 25 quarts of feed, 40 to 50 pounds of hay and 30 gallons of water per day.

Each hitch travels with a dalmatian dog. 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.

Budweiser Clydesdale traveling hitches are based in St. Louis; Menifee, Calif.; San Antonio; San Diego and Merrimack, N.H.

Schedule:
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Set-up and Show at Circle K 6639
12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. Native New Yorker
1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Bashas’
1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Arena Sports Grill
2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Fry’s
2:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Pizza and Wings
3 p.m. to 4 p.m. City Hall

Photo by Bev Sykes