Traditions are an integral element of the human experience in every culture and community throughout the world. Certain families and cultures do simple things that bring flavor, fun, and spice to life! Looking forward to small events such as holidays or mealtimes is an excellent way to bring people together and bond with them.
Many athletic stadiums have distinctive customs that have been passed down through the generations!
If you’ve ever heard of the “after-game handshake,” it’s simply a reminder to be sportsmanlike since you’ll be staring the opposing team in the eyes and shaking their hand after the game! It reminds players that the other squad is human and ought to be respected. It’s the kind of tradition that has been in athletics for so long that many people don’t know where it comes from!
For almost five decades, one remarkable ritual has taken place at Anheuser-Busch Stadium:
We’ve all seen the enormous Superbowl advertisements with Clydesdale horses, haven’t we? They’re a mainstay, and numerous ads have been created around them! While they may appear to be new, they have really been around for quite some time.
They were originally observed in reference to beer following Prohibition in America!
The Budweiser Clydesdales first appeared in public on April 7, 1933, to commemorate the lifting of Prohibition. Outside the brewery, August A. Busch Jr. delivered the horses, which were towing a red, white, and gold beer wagon, to his father, August A. Busch Sr. The difficulty was transporting the first case of post-Prohibition beer from the brewery on Pestalozzi Street in St. Louis. Recognizing the advertising and promotional possibilities of a horse-drawn beer wagon, Busch Sr. organized a tour through New England and the Mid-Atlantic states for the team of horses. – MLB
You can imagine how happy people were to see those horses! They basically meant that people wouldn’t have to conceal drinking anymore, which was a really exciting idea!
Part of the tradition may still be found at Cardinals baseball games in St. Louis today.
The Clydesdale horses have always galloped around the field and completed a lap on opening day! It’s been around for nearly five decades and is a popular sight to behold and cheer on. People come only to observe the big moment; it’s become such a tradition!
For over five decades, the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales have been a part of the Cardinals’ Opening Day tradition and hence a symbol of Cards baseball and St. Louis. – MLB
They were eventually able to break into the stadium with the horses last month since they had live games again!
Live sports have suffered as a result of COVID. Seeing the horses go around the field was not possible last year, and the first time people could participate in the ritual in a long time was in April 2021.
In this video, you can watch them run around majestically!
They look stunning as they race out of the gate! Their large bodies and white-tufted feet are incredibly impressive. It’s no surprise that people like seeing the horse-train whiz about! There’s even a Dalmatian sitting on top, looking around.