FAIR WILL SPOTLIGHT BIG HORSES; CLYDESDALES SET TO PERFORM EACH DAY

They've been around for 58 years and have become one of the most recognized corporate symbols in America. But, according to one of their drivers, most people have the same reaction when they first see the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales in person.

"So beautiful, so big," is what first amazes most people about the team of world-famous horses, said Jim Hilgendorf, who will drive the team in the SEMO District Fair parade Monday.

A team of 10 Clydesdales arrived in Cape Girardeau Saturday afternoon for a week's stay. It's the first time in 14 years the Clydesdales have been a part of the fair.

The 70-foot, eight-horse gelding hitch will be on display today and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the fair, and the horses also will perform in the grandstand area for a free show each day at 6 p.m.

Today is Sneak-A-Peak Day at the fair. Admission is free and parking is $2. Gates open at 11 a.m.

The Clydesdales, a breed of draft horses, are indeed big and beautiful. Each animal stands from six to eight feet tall and weighs "right at a ton," Hilgendorf said.

A show such as the fair is one the crew looks forward to, Hilgendorf said.

"We get more of a reaction in a small town," he said. "In a city you don't get noticed nearly as much."

As the horses snacked on hay in portable stalls at the fair Saturday, Hilgendorf explained what it takes to keep them looking their best.

"They're hard to keep clean," he said. That's why on the day of a show each horse is given a bath, brushed and vacuumed for dust, he said. On days when the horses won't be shown, they are still cleaned and exercised, he said.

And the trademark "feathers" on the Clydesdales' ankles are usually cleaned more than once a day, he said.

Hilgendorf said the St. Louis hitch is one of five based in different areas of the country. Ten of the horses traveled to Cape Girardeau and eight will perform. In all, Anheuser-Busch owns 184 Clydesdales, he said.

The breed originated in Scotland and some of the Budweiser Clydesdales are still bred there. Others are bred on Busch-owned farms in St. Louis and San Diego, Calif.

The three traveling Clydesdale teams based in St. Louis, on the East Coast and West Coast are in constant demand. They receive as many as 8,000 requests for appearances per year but can honor only about 300, Hilgendorf said. In the winter, the horses appear mostly in the South. They are "home" in St. Louis only about six weeks a year, he said.

"It takes a lot of coordination and a lot of people" to organize the Clydesdales' schedule, he said. The horses and a seven-person crew are on the road constantly throughout the year, he said, performing at fairs, rodeos, horse shows and parades.

As for the crew, "You have to love to travel or it's impossible," he said.

The St. Louis team travels in three tractor-trailers, two for the horses and one to haul equipment. The team feasts on oats with bran and minerals added; and, of course, they munch on lots of hay.

Two other teams of Clydesdales that don't travel are based at Sea World theme parks in Orlando, Fla., and San Diego. The parks are owned by Anheuser-Busch Inc.

The team of horses will perform at the fair along with their mascot, Mickie D, a 3-year-old Dalmatian.

Hilgendorf explained the horses are easy going and each exhibits its own personality. The 10 at the fair are Roy, Bob, Rob, Dean, Andy, Brook, Bruce, Duffy, Ben and Donny. "It takes a while to really get to know each one," he said.

The horses are not shown on a regular basis until they are 4 years old, he said.

The fair parade is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Monday. The Clydesdales will be on display at the fair for the rest of the week, and will leave Cape Girardeau next Sunday.