Budweiser Draft Sold at Slaughter Auction

[Sunlei]

August 18, 2015


A Clydesdale, now named Duke, was recently rescued at the *New Holland auction by the Connecticut Draft Horse Rescue. After posting Duke on their Facebook page, Duke’s former handler could hardly contain her excitement at seeing him again. Laurie Bouthiller-Gendron was Duke’s handler in 2006 at the Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. Duke was well loved and cared for, being loved by thousands of people who came through the theme park.

Connecticut Draft Horse Rescue contacted the Budweiser Clydesdale manager, who was able to confirm his identity through a positive microchipping match. The manager explained how Duke had fallen from such a plush life to one of starvation and neglect. In 2009, Duke was sold to a private party with a first right of refusal clause. His new owner disappeared and did not honor the first right of refusal. Duke’s ownership is unknown until he was sold at New Holland auction, starved, injured, abused.

Budweiser has made a donation to the Connecticut Draft Horse Rescue in honor of Duke.


*New Holland Auction, Lancaster County, PA.. where 'kill buyers' (those who gather cheap/auction horses and sell by a truckload to slaughter) pay by the pound for horses.

original story and many more pictures of a healing Duke at the rescue, link here- https://www.facebook.com/ctdraftrescue

[haikugal]

1. I'm so happy he was rescued!

What a shame...to his new life and recovery!!

[HFRN]

2. Bud Clydsdale tradition goes back to 1933

they delivered kegs to the White House, as a 'Thank You'

(true story)

[femmocrat]

3. I hope they find the SOB who did that to him.

I'm happy he was rescued. Hope he is restored to health.

Also, I am ashamed this horse auction is in Pennsylvania. This is where they found him: http://readingeagle.com/news/article/new-holland-horse-sale-site-a-hub-of-controversy#.VdSwH-l-8y4

[MindPilot]

4. Isn't that a draught horse?

Draft is a breeze or an unfinished document, draught means to pull something like a loaded wagon or beer from a tap.

[LanternWaste]

5. Draft in US, Draught or Dray in UK.

Draft in US, Draught or Dray in UK. Both words from 'dragan', meaning to pull.

[femmocrat]

6. Connecticut Draft Horse Rescue site on FB:

https://www.facebook.com/ctdraftrescue

[BarbaRosa]

7. Damn.

A number of years ago the Budweiser horses and beer wagon came to our town and I had the opportunity to see them as they paraded around our town plaza. I don't know if Duke was one of them or not, but they are magnificent creatures. How could anyone do this to such a great horse?

[Sunlei]

8. I thought it was really nice, Budweiser made a donation to the Connecticut Draft Horse Rescue.

A couple years ago I helped 'rescue' a New Holland auction horse. The kill buyers (meat men batchers, who gather a truckload of 'cheap' horses to sell to slaughter) didn't even want her, she was $25 auction 'sale'.

Unfortunately , even with some good Vets help & the horse tried very hard for 10 days to live, she was to far gone to recover.

Sale contracts of 'unwanted horses' should be much tighter especially for a place like Budweiser.

[BarbaRosa]

11. Yes I thought the donation was a nice touch,

but I would have thought Budweiser would have a retirement farm for their iconic horses. I guess today's corporate climate doesn't allow that sort of thing.

Kudos to you for the help you mentioned.

Here in New Mexico we have had a on going controversy about a horse slaughter plant in Roswell. I just don't understand slaughtering horses.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/19/horse-slaughter-industry-new-mexico-legal-hurdle

[csziggy]

13. I know the handlers would be upset at this outcome!

We used to put up the East Coast Budweiser team when they made the trip from the Super Bowl in Tampa to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. They'd stop overnight at our farm and then leave the following morning. They treated the horses very well - they only traveled about six hours a day, the horses were cared for before the handlers would take care of themselves, and there was a handler at the barn every moment the horses were there.

One year they stayed here a full week for a local appearance. Same rules - the horses came first, followed by the team dog, then the handlers could take care of their own needs. Horses were watched 24 hours a day. They arrived a couple of days before their appearances started, the appearances never lasted more than a very few hours and the horses got plenty of rest and relaxation. They made sure the horses had a full day off before they hit the road for their next destination.

That week the handlers were thrilled - we had a paddock next to the barn where they could turn the horses out for a while each day. They turned them out in three horse groups and those massive animals played like foals romping. We have video of one group galloping directly at the camera and swerving at the last minute, bucking and kicking. It's impressive!

Another year we had a mare with foal at side stop overnight. She had her foal at Busch Gardens in Tampa and was on the way to St. Louis to be bred to one of the Clydesdale stallions. The foal was about three weeks old and already huge. He made some of my full grown horses look spindly.

They no longer come to our place. Red Hills Horse Trials have a deal with them - the local Budweiser distributorship gets advertising at the event and the farm that hosts it gives the teams stall space any time they are passing through.

[BarbaRosa]

14. That was the impression I got when I saw them.

What I could see inside the horse hauler, it looked like first class accommodations, and their treatment was first class as well. I think this is why this story so affected me so I just couldn't imagine the horses being discarded in such a manner.

It must have a joy to see the horses the way you did.

[csziggy]

16. They even carry two "spare" horses to give the others time off

I expect that they thought the person who got the horse from Budweiser would care for it. I wonder what happened to that person? Maybe they died and the executor of the estate did not realize there was a buy back clause? That's the only thing I could think of that a horse lover would be in a situation where they couldn't get the horse back to where he would be taken care of.

It was always a huge deal for us when they came! We had to set up stringent rules - the only way we allowed visitors was if they came to help bed down the stalls ahead of time, cleaned them while the horses were here and cleaned the stalls after the horses had left.

It amused the handlers that I had a strict "no booze" rule - no beer or alcoholic beverages on the farm, at leave none around the horses. But they appreciated that it was for the horses' safety. (I'd had a client who would show up with a 12 pack and she and her boyfriend would get plastered and do stupid things not only with her horse but with other people's animals. I threw her out and posted that rule. Never had that problem again!)

[BarbaRosa]

20. Thanks for the info.

I don't feel as outraged as I was at first.

[Generic Other]

9. Like Black Beauty

[Sunlei]

10. yes, like Black Beauty & a happy ending. That's a good horse rescue they'll get Duke healthy again.

[Generic Other]

12. So happy to hear this

May the horse live out its days in peace.

[Amishman]

15. The neglectful owner could be from anywhere, not just PA.

I am very close to New Holland, and it is a huge hub for all kinds of farm animal and livestock sales. Animals are brought there from all over the mid-atlantic states.

That being said, I know from living in the area that a good number of Amish do not treat their animals well and they use New Holland to dump older animals rather than caring for them in old age. Horses around here are sometimes treated as a disposable tool, to be used for a long as convenient and then discarded. This is part of why New Holland has a reputation for purchasing horses for slaughter, and that reputation feeds on itself. Since that type of buyer does frequent this auction, it makes it an enticing place to bring any animal in poor health to sell off quickly.

(I highly doubt the Amish would have anything to do with Duke, a pedigreed show horse would be too expensive to buy to use for plowing. I only bring the Amish connection up as I see it around me and it bothers me.)

[Sunlei]

17. New Holland is the final dumping ground for many 'low end' used up animals.

Amish animals work hard for their owners.

Some of the buggy horses get driven to auction and end up in the slaughter pens with harness sweat marks still on them.

They just want a couple dollars in their pocket instead of pasturing the old work horses. or euthanizing/ bury on the farm.

[KamaAina]

18. Just in time for Duke to make an appearance at a Cardinals playoff game!

[bklyncowgirl]

19. I can see the next Super Bowl commercial now--Dog finds his old friend at auction--Horse rescued.

I'm tearing up already.

It's a shame the owner didn't live up to the first refusal stipulation in the contract. Unfortunately Poor Duke may have gone through several hands before he ended up at New Holland. Glad he's in good hands.