Budweiser brought its Beer Wagon to Manhattan on Saturday, Aug. 29, with Clydesdales parading through Aggieville after some time in City Park for a meet-and-greet.
Carter Sawyer, senior in architectural engineering, said a large crowd gathered in City Park in the late afternoon for a chance to meet the well-known horses and take pictures.
Spencer Marshall, sales and service supervisor at Flint Hills Beverage, said the parade was less of an attempt to advertise or increase sales and more of a celebration of the good work that Flint Hills Beverage does, and to honor the owners.
Marshall and Carter Beardsley, merchandisers at Flint Hills Beverage, said they are the fifth-largest Kansas wholesaler of Anheuser-Busch, the producer of Budweiser beer. Manhattan has them to thank for the appearance of Budweiser, as their high sales of Budweiser brought on the appearance of the Clydesdales, Marshall Beardsley said.
At the meet-and-greet, the Clydesdales were brought out from their trailers by their team of handlers. The large, red trailers have air-cushioned suspension and rubber flooring to help the horses stay comfortable, as well as cameras so drivers can watch over them as they travel.
The Budweiser Clydesdales, although most often featured in Budweiser commercials, have a history dating back to the early 1930s, according to Anheuser-Busch. Brothers August A. Busch Jr. and Adolphus Busch III gifted a six-horse Clydesdale team to their father to celebrate the end of the Prohibition. After seeing the appeal of the Clydesdales for marketing purposes, Anheuser-Busch sent another team of Clydesdales on a tour through New York City and other regions in the U.S. According to Budweiser, the Budweiser Clydesdales also appeared in former President Harry Truman’s and former President Bill Clinton’s parades, and have also earned their own mascot: a dalmation that travels with them.
The dalmatian mascot was even in attendance on Saturday, Sawyer said.
“I got to see the dalmatian mascot during the parade which was so cool, I never thought I would be able to see that in real life,” Sawyer said.
