To say the Budweiser Clydesdales are popular is as inadequate as saying a Clydesdale is just another horse. The fan circle for the impressively large animals encompasses those who love horses, football, baseball, beer, Super Bowl ads, Americana, and more. So it should come as no surprise that when Anheuser-Busch and the Fairfax County Park Authority invited the public for a meet and greet with the famous Clydesdales, many braved the rain and made the trek to Frying Pan Park. It was enough to back up traffic on Old Ox Road, necessitate opening the site’s auxiliary parking, and for long lines to form waiting to see or be photographed with the iconic horses.

Ten members of the Budweiser’s East Coast Hitch are in town with their handlers and Dalmatians for the Congressional Brewing Contest at Nationals Park in D.C. The event, now in its seventh year, brings members from both sides of the aisle “to find common ground over brewing.” The contest, which began in 2017, pits teams of two legislators, with opposite party affiliations, to compete for the Brew Democracy Cup, and a sizable donation made to their selected charity. During the year, six legislator teams work at Anheuser-Busch breweries across the country to design their own beers. The 2024 winners for their “Coastal Shine” beer are U.S. Reps. David Rouser (R-NC) and Rick Larsen (D-WA). Anheuser-Busch donated $75,000 to six charities benefiting farmers. The 2023 winners were U.S. Reps. Mike Carey (R-OH) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA).

As any other out-of-towners here for an overnight stay, the Clydesdales were in need of accommodations. Frying Pan Park, which includes the working Kidwell Farm, and is often the site of equestrian competitions and 4-H events, also offers stabling at $20 per stall in a large modern barn. Although the local facilities may be more like roughing it than their classy quarters at the 300 acre Warm Springs Ranch near St. Louis Missouri which the Clydesdales call home, the park facilities made overnighting far easier for the handlers. The horses have overnighted here on other occasions. Their schedule this time provided an opportunity to interact with the public at the park. 

Two horses were given liberty in the site’s large indoor arena to be viewed by their admirers. The public also could walk through the stabling area to see horses in their stalls, and another horse, Vince, was braided up to look his best for photo ops beside the Budweiser truck. People of all ages, and several dogs, took a moment to stand with the colossus for a photo and pat, and to wonder at his size and gentle nature.

The Clydesdale breed is much admired for size and calm disposition. They were prized in past decades as working farm horses, and are still in high demand today by police departments for patrol in urban settings and crowd control. They can be more than twice the weight of other horses, at 2,000 pounds, and pull two times their body weight. Together the eight Budweiser Clydesdales pull the 7,000 pound, equally iconic beer wagon.

East Coast Hitch manager Dave Thomas says they travel with ten horses, about 45 weeks per year; with one day off per week. The horses are selected for the teams based on standard size and coloration. Once on the team, the horse will take one of four different positions. Wheel horses are the biggest and strongest; Body horses are smaller but powerful; Swing horses cover the most distance on turns; and Lead horses are the smallest and most agile. As one looks at the team in the traces, the size differences can be noted, gradually increasing front to wagon. Horses that don’t make the team may remain on the ranch to assist in training young horses or to learn special skills that might be needed for performances, such as those seen in Budweiser commercials.

Thomas shares that each member of the team has a different personality. He says, “We like to think we run the show, but we get to be pretty good friends,” When asked if there is a team clown, without hesitation he names Tom. Apparently Tom is noted for his antics in the field, when at liberty, and his instigation of other horses to act playfully. 

The many Budweiser Clydesdale ad fans know that although the Dalmatian dog is the iconic breed for association with the beer wagons and fire trucks, Labrador Retrievers have been frequent stars of the seasonal ads in recent years. A yellow Lab named Owen stole our hearts in the past ad story when he rescued the wagon team trying to make their way on a snowy night (See Mount Vernon Gazette, February 15, 2024). Though Owen is a professional actor, 15 month old Henry, in training as a guide dog, was in the crowd during the Clydesdales’ visit, maybe envisioning a starring role on screen. Perhaps he doesn’t know that if he passes guide dog training, he’s already a star? For information about raising a guide dog puppy to change a life, see puppy.guidedog/org. 

Whoever the players, we all look forward to the next ad story.

By the way, if Thomas knows whether there will be a Budweiser Clydesdale Super Bowl commercial for the next game to delight fans, he’s not saying. But with a twinkle in his eye, he says of the Clydesdales, “they know all the positions for playing football.”