STURGIS – The iconic Budweiser Clydesdales are coming to Sturgis this year.
The Clydesdales, an enduring symbol of the brewer’s heritage, tradition and commitment to quality, will appear at the opening ceremonies of the 83rd City of Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, and again during Military Appreciation Day.
The team of horses and historic beer wagon will stage on city property on Friday, Aug. 4, head up Junction Avenue, turn right on Sherman Street, take another right on Harley-Davidson Way to Main Street. They will be parked for a time on Harley-Davidson Way adjacent to Harley-Davidson Rally Point.
A single horse and handler will leave the Public Works campus on Dudley Street about 2 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8, for Military Appreciation Day, continue down First Street and then turn onto Main Street. It will continue down Main Street to Harley-Davidson Way where it will stand stationary for a time adjacent Harley-Davidson Rally Point.
“We’re excited to have the Clydesdales return for this year’s Rally,” said Sturgis Rally & Events Director Tammy Even-Cordell. “These majestic horses are always a huge draw with rallygoers. We look forward to their procession down our streets. They are really something to see.”
Here is a list of scheduled appearances for the Budweiser Clydesdales while in Sturgis:
Monday (7/31): Central State Fair Grounds
Tuesday (8/1):
Wednesday (8/2): Sickies Garage
Thursday (8/3): Rapid City Summer Nights
Friday (8/4): City of Sturgis
Saturday (8/5): Sturgis Buffalo Chip
Sunday (8/6):
Rest Day, No Shows
Monday (8/7):– Full Throttle Saloon
Tuesday (8/8): Military Appreciation Day downtown Sturgis
Wednesday (8/9): Downtown Sturgis
Thursday (8/10): Iron Horse Saloon
Friday (8/11): Quality Brands Activation
HISTORY OF THE BUDWEISER CLYDESDALES
In April 1933, August A. Busch, Jr. and Adolphus Busch III surprised their father, August A. Busch, Sr., with the gift of a six-horse Clydesdale hitch to commemorate the repeal of Prohibition of beer.
Realizing the marketing potential of a horse-drawn beer wagon, the company also arranged to have a second six-horse Clydesdale hitch sent to New York to mark the event. The Clydesdales drew a crowd of thousands on their way to the Empire State Building. After a small ceremony, a case of Budweiser was presented to former Governor Alfred E. Smith in appreciation of his years of service in the fight against Prohibition.
This hitch continued on a tour of New England and the Mid-Atlantic states, thrilling thousands, before stopping in Washington, D.C., in April 1933 to reenact the delivery of one of the first cases of Budweiser to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Shortly after the hitch was first introduced, the six-horse Clydesdale team increased to eight. On March 30, 1950, in commemoration of the opening of the Anheuser-Busch Newark Brewery, a Dalmatian was introduced as the Budweiser Clydesdales’ mascot. Now, a Dalmatian travels with each of the Clydesdale hitches.