SCHLITZ 40-HORSE HITCH

*Driven by Dick Sparrow, Zearing, Iowa*

For the first time in 68 years a 40-horse hitch, super spectacular of the greatest old circus parades, thrilled America again in 1972. Forty beautiful Belgian draft horses pulled the huge Columbia bandwagon in the annual Schlitz Circus Parade in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on the Fourth of July.

A million people lined the streets to cheer. Millions more watched it on national television.

This stellar feature of the 10th annual Old Milwaukee Days celebration, sponsored by the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company, re-created the 40-horse hitch of early day circus parades.

The last "forty" seen previously was in Barnum & Bailey Circus street parades in 1904. The thrill of the "forty" remained, however, in the dreams of circus fans, especially those of C. P. (Chappie) Fox, director of the Circus World Museum, Baraboo, Wisconsin. Then Robert A. Uihlein, Jr., chairman and president of Schlitz, personally chose Dick Sparrow, a veteran draft horse breeder and circus parade driver, to organize and train another 40-horse hitch.

The Schlitz 40-horse hitch is actually more spectacular than any displayed by old time circuses. The Schlitz horses each weigh about one ton and are all color matched (sorrel, with blond manes and tails). Their harness is rich black and brilliant orange.

The famous Columbia bandwagon, which the "forty" pulled in the 1972 Schlitz Circus Parade, was built in 1902 for the Barnum & Bailey Circus. It was one of 65 historic circus wagons from the Circus World Museum, owned by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, plus 700 horses, 2,500 costumed people and 36 bands that were in the Milwaukee parade, which has been called the grandest and most colorful historic presentation in America.

1973's Schlitz Circus Parade, on the 4th of July, will feature the now famous 40-Horse Hitch.

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