There go Rocko and Denver and King and Roger, Jack and Rock and Cash and Sparky, but do you recall the Clydesdale's handler name at all?
Rudy Helmuth, a five-year veteran handler of the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company, is a part of one of the three hitches that travel the country for 300 days a year. Helmuth's hitch is based out of Saint Louis, Missouri.
"I grew up on a farm in Iowa and we used to use horses for farming," Helmuth said. "Since a very young age, I have been around these horse horses."
Draft horses, or dray horses – meaning "to draw or haul" – are seen as working horses. Clydesdales are one of the breeds and Budweiser has put them to work pleasing fans all over the country.
Although the horses may be seen today with intricately braided manes and a glimmering wagon trailing them, Clydesdales aren't to be messed with. They are capable of pulling one ton at 5 mph.
Being a Budweiser Clydesdale handler had always been a dream of Helmuth's. To apply one must be 21-years-old, be willing to work on the road 300 days a year and have a Commercial Drivers License to drive Budweiser's semi trucks.
"It's truly a dream job for me," Helmuth said. "Right at first it was very exciting when you got your shirt with your name on it and everything. Now we come to big events and see big crowds."
Helmuth said what draws people to the Clydesdales is their immense history and heritage. According to the Budweiser website, the Budweiser Clydesdales made their first appearance on April 7, 1933, in celebration of the repeal of prohibition.
They have appeared at former President Harry Truman and former President Bill Clinton's inaugural parades.
The Clydesdales have their own mascot, a Dalmatian, that sits comfortably and prompt next to the handler, Helmuth.
"It's such a long-lasting tradition and with the Super Bowl commercials and all the traveling we do, people just knows the Budweiser Clydesdales," Helmuth said. "It's a long history that is able to continue on today. A lot of times things like that have gone away in the past and we are still here."
Helmuth said many people aren't able to see the horses up close, but instead on television. He sees it as a rewarding experience and his job rests on those who come to enjoy the horses.
Helmuth said there are a lot of long days, but Anheuser-Busch is a great company to work for and the crowds just add to the novelty of the job.
"The horses attract the people and we have met so many incredible fans and made connections throughout the world that we would have never made without the horses," Helmuth said.
Helmuth said he thoroughly enjoys going to the south in the winter months for the warmer weather, great food and nice people. Helmuth said he had just left Texas and was headed to Florida after his brief stop in Opelika and Auburn.
"Every week we have a different experience," Helmuth said.
Helmuth recalled the craziest events being in New Orleans, Louisiana, for the Mardi Gras parades. Helmuth said having eight horses in crowds of that magnitude paired with the amount of alcohol that is consumed during Mardi Gras it can get a bit insane.
Helmuth said in intense situations it pays to know each horse individually. He said knowing the personality of the horse will help to prevent anything major from happening. The horses have brains thought, Helmuth said they will do what they want.
"The key is to know what they are going to do before they do it," Helmuth said.
Helmuth said the handler must stay calm, especially in the hands. He said it's important to have everything under control for the comfort of the horses when children start throwing things at the horses, balloons are popped, fireworks go off, people start screaming or dogs get too close.
"The horses can sense [handlers being nervous]," Helmuth said.
Those horses have jobs to do on these county-wide visits. Rocko and Denver are the closest to the wagon and are known as the Wheel Team. King and Roger are the Body Team. The Swing Team consists of Jack and Rock. Lastly, the Lead Team is Cash and Sparky.
The Clydesdale team travels with 10 horses and at each stop, they strap up eight for the show. Helmuth smiled ear-to-ear as he talked about each horse and the crowd that awaited his high step up onto the shiny red wagon.
"I love my job and I will continue doing it for as long as I can," Helmuth said.
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