The Budweiser Clydesdales made a notable appearance in Wilkes County during the NASCAR All-Star Week, culminating in the NASCAR All-Star Race on May 18. This event marked the third time the North Wilkesboro Speedway hosted the race, and the full Clydesdale team was present to entertain the crowd.
The Clydesdales have a rich history dating back to 1933 when two sons of August A. Busch Sr. gifted their father a six-horse hitch to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition. This led to a marketing strategy that included a tour showcasing the horses, which drew large crowds, including a reenactment of delivering Budweiser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in Washington, D.C. The original hitch expanded to eight horses, and a Dalmatian mascot was introduced in 1950.
Each Clydesdale hitch consists of ten horses, including two spares, with each horse being a gelding that stands at least 18 hands tall and weighs between 1,800 and 2,300 pounds. The breed originated in Scotland and has been used for heavy hauling since the mid-1700s, with a formal breed society established in 1877.
