Friday, September 5, 2008

Labor Day Weekend 2008, Clydesdales





Budweiser Clydesdales
Labor Day Weekend 2008
Last Saturday was our annual Labor Day Big Hitch Parade. The highlight of the parade are the 6 antique ore wagons pulled by a 20 mule team. However, this year was special because one of the six Budweiser teams came. The day after the parade they brought the team to the horse pasture across the highway from me. I spent over 2 hours photographing these amazing animals, their handler/drivers and two year old Dalmation, Bradley, buffed-out wagon, not to mention the three beautiful semi-trucks that carry them over 300 days of the year around the country! Oh, two other great parade entries: a tiny wagon pulled by 6 Corgis and two Texas Longhorns with riders! This is the largest non-motorized parade in the USA. Last year all Labor Day activities were cancelled due to the huge fires here. It's the last busy weekend before fall slack hits. The locals love the slow down time before a busy ski winter.







8 comments:

Susan Carlin said...

Omigosh... I think my Dad went to this same event. They live in Jerome and said they drove up to Sun Valley and saw Clydesdales in a parade. Sounds like the ones you saw, right? Thanks for the pix!

Mary Sheehan Winn said...

Magnificent is the only word that comes to mind! WOW.

Jennifer Bellinger said...

Hi Susan. Yes, this would have been the parade he saw. Be sure and give him my name and the next time he is up here have him call. It would be fun to meet him. I think I would recognise him from your portrait video!

Kelley Carey MacDonald said...

These are beautiful photos - I love the Clydesdales! I think I'd like to see a painting of Jack, though.... :)

Jennifer Bellinger said...

Hi Kelly,
Yes, you are right..I do need to do a painting of Jack the Pub Dog. He's a riot! I have always loved horses, had some as a kid..but I especially love draft horses. I have a friend who has Norweigian Fiords, a small (14 hands) draft horse. They are so gentle.

Frank Gardner said...

Great photos.

Jennifer Bellinger said...

Thanks Mary,
The power and beauty of draft horses captured my heart when I was a little girl. I have a good friend here who has Norwegian Fjords. They are small for a draft horse, about 14 hands. I'm lucky that I can visit them (and my friends, too, of course!) Two foals this summer!

Jennifer Bellinger said...

Thanks, Frank. It was so much fun to just pick a spot, stand there with my telephoto and zoom back as they came at me!