Tense moment involving Budweiser Clydesdale at San Antonio Rodeo goes viral online

Nail-biting video footage of eight Budweiser Clydesdales getting tangled in their harnesses at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo over the weekend has gone viral worldwide.

Video of the incident, in which one of the horses pulling the iconic beer wagon  wound up on the ground amid the confusion, has garnered 3.8 million views since being posted Sunday.

The Budweiser Clydesdales and their handlers entered the arena during Saturday’s matinee rodeo and tried to perform a “parking maneuver” with the carriage. During the attempt, the two front horses faltered, causing a collision with the pair behind them.

It’s unclear whether the horses were spooked by something in the arena or were confused by a command from the two coachmen.

During the collision, one of the Clydesdales became entangled in its harness, which according to rodeo announcer Wayne Brooke cost up to $100,000. The animal ended up on its side in the dirt.

A caretaker rushed down and put a blanket over the horse’s eyes to calm it while a crew worked to remove the harness.

After some time, caretakers tried to get the horse to stand under its own power, but the Clydesdale tripped and fell once again.

The arena fell silent as fear spread that the horse had broken its leg and would need to be put down.

However, on the second attempt, the Clydesdale stood on all four legs and walked out of the arena to thunderous applause. The horse was back to pulling the carriage the following day, according to an Express-News report.

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This article appears in Feb 22 – Mar 7, 2023.