Budweiser "Gentle Giants" Make Appearance at Classic - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

Budweiser "Gentle Giants" Make Appearance at Classic

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By Douglas Fritz - email

  • Saturday, May 25 2013 7:47 PM EDT2013-05-25 23:47:22 GMT
    One man died and another is behind bars Saturday after a son shoots and kills his father at their Overlook Drive home in Stanaford.Raleigh County Sheriff's Deputies said 23-year-old Donald Gray Dunn, Jr.
    One man died and another is behind bars Saturday after a son shoots and kills his father at their Overlook Drive home in Stanaford.Raleigh County Sheriff's Deputies said 23-year-old Donald Gray Dunn, Jr.

The world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales are on hand at the Greenbrier Classic, and scheduled to make several appearances.

The first of those was at the Toby Keith concert on Independence Day.  The eight horse hitch was hooked up to the famous red beer wagon at the West Virginia State Fair Grounds from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.  The next appearance of the so called "Gentle Giants" is Saturday, July 7 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Lewisburg.

This is just one of hundreds of appearances the horses make each year.  The animals chosen to be part of a Budweiser Clydesdale hitch must be at leas three years old, stand 18 hands high (6 feet) at the shoulder and weigh and average of 2,000 pounds.  They must also be bay in color, have four white legs and blaze of white on the face.  The mane and tail must be black.

A single Clydesdale will eat up to 20 to 25 quarts of feed, 40-50 pounds of hay and drink 30 gallons of water a day. 

Each hitch travels with a Dalmatian.  In the early days of brewing, Dalmatians were bred and trained to protect he horses and guard the wagon when the driver went inside to make deliveries.