Jonesboro, AR — (JonesboroRightNow.com) — June 14, 2025 — The hot temperatures didn’t stop people from coming to downtown Jonesboro Saturday to see the legendary Budweiser Clydesdales.
Hundreds of people from across Northeast Arkansas and outside the state came to the area to see the horses, following them along for the March on Main from the unloading process all the way to the end.
Several people jumped at the opportunity to see the horses in person, including Chad Owens.
“We’ve been to Grant’s Farm before but did not get to see the Clydesdale horses while we were there, and so I thought this was a good opportunity to come see the horses,” Owens said.
Amanda Hook said it was her first time seeing the horses in person, only seeing them on the Budweiser commercials. She said seeing a creature of that size was “pretty awesome,” adding that her son definitely was enjoying every minute of it.
“I know he’s going to be talking about it all week, about all the different parts of them getting ready and getting hitched and going down the road,” Hook said.
On April 7, 1933, the Budweiser Clydesdales were introduced to celebrate the end of Prohibition in the United States. Ever since, the eight-horse hitch (originally six) has toured across the country, even going outside of the country on a few occasions, bringing along the iconic red wagon and two Dalmatians.
Brady Janssen, who has been one of the handlers for the horses for eight years, said it has been an honor carrying on a legacy and getting to know a lot of people along the way.
“It’s a lifestyle. We love them,” Janssen said. “They are our co-workers, and we’re their well-being and depend on us, so they’re our family, and the tradition of keeping that going and keeping the smiles on people’s faces and seeing different people is very important to me.”
Janssen said a lot of work goes into making sure the horses are handled properly as they move from city to city. He added that the moving of locations is often one of their biggest challenges.
Typically, the team travels with 10 horses, but they will give some of them a break, often rotating some when necessary. The team also tries to make sure they keep the horses’ routines consistent, whether that be through their diets, the condition of their stalls, and exercise.
“The horses stay on an hour hand lock every morning, and just to kind of stretch their legs and keep them in shape, then you’ll probably start getting ready for your show for the day,” Janssen said.
Preparing the eight horses for the big show can take about five hours, according to Janssen. Part of the preparations also account for event safety, ensuring people stay at least five feet away from the horses due to their size.
“All these horses have been trained by the best, so their safety is of the utmost importance, but we also wouldn’t put them into a situation where we don’t think that they’re going to not enjoy,” Janssen said.
Janssen said coming to communities like Jonesboro, there was a lot of excitement before the big day.
“It really kind of makes us excited to do what we do and promote the brand, but also just to put smiles on people’s faces, because they’re quite the creature,” Janssen said.
Having an event like this happen in Jonesboro is a big plus for people like Hook.
“We don’t have to go to Memphis, we don’t have to go to Little Rock, we’re right here at home experiencing these events, so it’s awesome that our town has grown to be so big to accommodate these wonderful parades,” Hook said.
The event also had several photo opportunities of the horses, making sure those in attendance got to see the creatures as close as they could.
During the march, there was a special presentation where a $10,000 scholarship was presented by Folds of Honor, a nonprofit providing scholarships to families of fallen or disabled service members.
“It’s really neat to be a part of that, because it’s a really cool organization overall, and so being able to help raise awareness but even have more of a purpose to our tours and traveling is really cool in that way,” Janssen said.