NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales are once again back in New Orleans and ready to hit the streets for Mardi Gras parades, but before the parades, you can now visit them in City Park for the New Orleans Police Department’s fundraiser, “Horses, Hops and Cops.”
“I think they are amazing. They are magnificent. They are God’s great creations,” said Carolyn Russo from Slidell.
Russo is in awe of the Budweiser Clydesdale horses, which made their arrival in New Orleans from St. Louis.
“I want to take one home,” she said.
Well, that’s a big “neigh” to that, but she can still watch them here at the NOPD’s horse stables in City Park, as these magnificent horses get ready to march and trot during Mardi Gras.
“How can you not fall in love with them? They are an amazing animal. Seeing a 2,000-pound Budweiser Clydesdale marching down the street, you give it attention,” said Budweiser Clydesdale handler Alec Smith.
Handlers said that the horses are between 18 and 19 hands high, which is about six feet and four inches.
“Their size is tremendous,” Russo said.
The Clydesdales’ tie-in with Budweiser dates back to 1933 when the son of Budweiser’s CEO gifted his dad the horses to celebrate the repeal of prohibition. The horses were later used to pull beer wagons.
Now, they are known for their appearances in the popular television commercials.
“As you can see, we braid their manes and tails,” said Smith.
“I just want to hug them. They look like a giant teddy bear horse. They remind us of how beautiful the world is. That’s what I love about them,” said Russo.
The Budweiser Clydesdales will be in seven Mardi Gras parades this carnival season.
On Wednesday night, the NOPD will be hosting its annual “Horses, Hops and Cops” to benefit its mounted horse unit.
At the event, you can check out the Clydesdales. “Horses, Hops and Cops” goes from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
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