Budweiser Clydesdales make stop at Galleria

To close out their extended weekend in Birmingham for the downtown Veterans Day parade, the famous team of Budweiser Clydesdales came to the Riverchase Galleria.

On Sunday morning, a crowd gathered in the Macy's parking lot at the galleria to watch the team of draft horses pull the beer wagon through the lot and on a loop around the mall. Accompanying the driver was the Dalmatian that traditionally serves as team mascot.

According to the Anheuser-Busch website, the Clydesdale tradition started in the 1930s. The brewing company owns about 250 Clydesdales, which are bred at a special facility in Missouri. To make the team, each Clydesdale must have a bay coat and black mane and tail, a white blaze on the face and four white stocking feet. A representative at the Galleria showing said each Clydesdale can pull approximately 4,000 pounds, and their harnesses weigh about 130 pounds each.

The Budweiser Clydesdales are stabled in facilities in Missouri, New Hampshire and Colorado, but frequently travel around the country. For more information about the Clydesdales and upcoming travel stops, visit the Anheuser-Busch website.