ASHLAND — Nadine Whitmore joined a growing crowd at the Ashland County Fair on Sunday to witness something she’s idolized since childhood.
“Seeing a Budweiser Clydesdale is on my bucket list,” Whitmore said.
The 56-year-old made the hour trek north from Galena on Sunday with her husband and daughter as soon as she learned the full, eight-horse hitch would make an appearance at the Ashland County Fair.
The Clydesdales — with names like “Bud” and “Rocco” — rolled into the fairgrounds in three red Budweiser semi-trailers.
Whitmore stood in the crowd, her outstretched hand clutching a phone as she snapped photos.
“It’s the little things in life,” she said, chuckling gleefully.
As a kid, Whitmore watched a movie that featured the Clydesdales and vacationed at Busch Gardens in Florida.
“Since then, I wanted to raise and take care of them. I’ve always been a huge fan. And it’s the only Super Bowl commercial I watch for,” she said.
The giant draft horses staged at the Buckeye Triangle Area. Anhueser-Busch employees unloaded the iconic beer wagon and horses as onlookers amassed.
One boy begged his mom: “I wanna pet one.” Others gawked at the sheer size of the horses.
Barry Litten, the fair’s co-manager and maintenance superintendent was beside himself as he watched the Clydesdales hitching to the beer wagon.
“I’m just tickled we got them here,” he said.
Litten said he had been in communications with the Budweiser crew since last September.
“I wanted them here for the 175th anniversary. But I’ll take it. We lucked out because they were already in Wooster,” he said.
An Anhueser-Busch employee spoke about each of the eight horses as they hitched onto the wagon. The team is one of three that travel the country. This one was from St. Louis, home of the beer brand’s original factory.
Then, the horses clopped down the road toward the fairground’s livestock area before racking in front of the grandstand.
The team also made stops in Wooster, Mansfield and Bellville.
