Budweiser Clydesdales to make appearances at Memphis-area Kroger stores Jan. 7-10, 2025

The world-renowned Budweiser Clydesdales are coming to the Memphis area in January 2025, making public appearances at four Kroger locations.

An eight-horse hitch will be harnessed and hitched to the famous red Budweiser beer wagon on Wednesday, Jan. 8, from noon to 2 p.m., at the new Arlington Kroger, 5270 Airline Road.

Meanwhile, a single horse will make public appearances at Kroger stores on these dates:

• Tuesday, Jan. 7, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. – 5995 Stage Road in Bartlett
• Thursday, Jan. 9, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. – 3685 S. Houston Levee in Collierville
• Friday, Jan. 10, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. – 7735 Farmington Blvd. in Germantown

About the Budweiser Clydesdales

The history of the Budweiser Clydesdales can be traced to the repeal of Prohibition in the United States.

In 1933, August A. Busch, Jr., and Adolphus Busch III, gifted their father, August A. Busch, Sr., with a six-horse Clydesdale hitch to commemorate the end of the nationwide ban on the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol.

Over the years, the Clydesdales became a major part of Anheuser-Busch’s marketing efforts and a symbol of Budweiser’s tradition and heritage.

Here are some cool facts about the Clydesdales that were shared in a press release from Memphis’s Budweiser distributor, Eagle Distributing:

• Canadians of Scottish descent brought the first Clydesdales to America in the mid-1800s. Today, the giant draft horses are used primarily for breeding and show.
• Horses chosen for the Budweiser Clydesdale hitch must be at least three years of age, stand approximately 18 hands – or six feet – at the shoulder, weigh an average of 2,000 pounds, must be bay in color, have four white legs, and a blaze of white on the face and black mane and tail. A gentle temperament is very important as hitch horses meet millions of people each year.
• A single Clydesdale hitch horse will consume as much as 20-25 quarts of feed, 40-50 pounds of hay, and 30 gallons of water daily.
• Each hitch travels with a Dalmatian. In the early days of brewing, Dalmatians were bred and trained to protect the horses and guard the wagon when the driver went inside to make deliveries.
• The Budweiser Clydesdales can be viewed at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery and Grant’s Farm in St. Louis. They also may be viewed at Warm Springs Ranch, the 300-plus acre Clydesdale breeding farm located near Boonville, MO.