WILKES-BARRE, PA (September 25, 2010)—The world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales will be performing at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs on Friday and Saturday, October 8 and 9.
On both of the above dates, the Budweiser Clydesdales will be on the racetrack prior to the start of the racing programs. Friday’s exhibition is set for 5:30 p.m. while it will be 4 p.m. on Saturday, Breeders Crown Day.
There’s a special Breeders Crown post of 5 p.m. on Saturday (October 9) while it’s 6:30 p.m. Friday (October 8).
No parade is complete without the Budweiser Clydesdales, pulling a red, white and gold beer wagon down a Main Street that has come to life with the cheers and applause of the onlookers.
It was in 1933, shortly after the repeal of Prohibition, when the Clydesdales became part of Anheuser-Busch. August A. Busch Jr. decided to present a hitch of the mighty horses to his father to commemorate the first bottle of post-Prohibition beer brewed in St. Louis.
Today’s Clydesdales are even bigger than their Scottish ancestors. To qualify for the world-famous, eight-horse hitch, a Budweiser Clydesdale must meet certain requirements. Size, color and disposition are the important considerations.
Standing at 18 hands high (about six feet) at the shoulder when fully mature, Budweiser Clydesdales weigh approximately 2,000 pounds. They must be
geldings, bay in color, have four white stockings and blaze of white on the face, as well as a black mane and tail.
A gentle temperament also is important, as hitch horses meet millions of people each year.
The appearance of the Budweiser Clydesdales in Northeastern Pennsylvania is made possible by Northeast Eagle Distributors Inc. of Pittston.