NEW ORLEANS — Every year the NOPD teams up with the famous Budweiser Clydesdale horses for a fundraiser that benefits their mounted division.
It’s called Horses, hops, and cops.
These large horse breeds are crowd pleasers, and trainers explain how carnival crowds are their favorite.
“The more energy the crowd has I think the better of a show our horses put on. I mean they know when their song comes on and they know when people start cheering and they know that they are hot stuff,” says Clydesdale handler, Shelby McCoy.
McCoy says they travel across the country with 10 horses, 8 of which form a team for the Budweiser hitch.
This is a tradition that started in 1933 when the Busch family decided to celebrate the repeal of prohibition.
The horses stand at 18 hands tall which mean about 6 feet tall.
Another fun fact, each horse eats 40 to 50 pounds of hay every day.
“I think the biggest thing is wow! They are so big. I think a lot of people are surprised at how calm and docile they are even in these crazy environments,” says McCoy.
My personal favorite horse we met at the stables today is named Merlin.
He’s the largest Clydesdale on the team, and one of the youngest.
“This will be his second Mardi Gras with us and he did great last year and I think he had a good time on Bourbon Street the other night when we were down there. He really strutted his stuff and looked good,” says McCoy.
These majestic creatures are more than ready for the spotlight.
If you are interested in seeing them up close and personal, the horses, hops, and cops event will take place Monday night from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the NOPD mounted division stables.
