Clydesdales clomp into O.C.

Powerful Clydesdales marched through the Orange County Fair on Wednesday afternoon in the inaugural Budweiser Clydesdales Parade, which will be repeated at 5 p.m. through Sunday.

The hairy-hoovedhorses, stabled in the fair’s livestock area, are iconic to St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch. The brewer has used the breed for 75 years in marketing and promotional campaigns for its brand of beers. Teams are made up of 10horses, two of which act as rotating alternates, and travel around the county year-round.

The Budweiser Clydesdales made their first appearance in 1933 as a gift from August A. Busch, Jr. and Adolphus Busch to their father. The horses represented a “weary nation’s return to optimism” after the repeal of prohibition, according to the company’s website.

—Sarah Peters