Express Clydesdales Clinch World Champion Six-Horse Hitch at Calgary Stampede
OKLAHOMA CITY - July 13, 2017
In their 14th appearance at the prestigious Calgary Stampede Heavy Horse competition in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the decorated Express Clydesdales of Express Employment Professionals emerged as the Six-Horse Hitch World Champions.
The Clydesdales also won first place in the Clydesdale/Shire Six-Horse Hitch, Clydesdale/Shire Four-Horse Hitch, Clydesdale/Shire Team of Geldings, Clydesdale/Shire Unicorn, Champion Clydesdale Gelding, Junior Cart, and the Clydesdale/Shire Ladies Cart competitions.
Additionally, the Express Clydesdales team was named the champion in the Intermediate Youth Decorator, Intermediate Showmanship and Overall Youth Showmanship for the Junior Youth Team competitions, as well as reserve champion in the Overall Youth Decorator Event.
Nationally recognized as one of the best drivers in the industry, Josh Minshull serves as general manager of the Express Clydesdales and led the team to their multiple first place finishes.
"We look forward to the Calgary Stampede every year because it brings out some of the best competitors in the world," Minshull said. "The Express Clydesdale team worked incredibly hard to prepare for this competition and we are proud to bring these awards back to Oklahoma."
The Clydesdale barn and welcome center are located on the Express Ranches, a 6,000 acre ranch in Yukon, Okla. There are 22 Clydesdale geldings on the ranch, standing 17-18 hands high and weighing around 2,000 pounds each. Their shoes are the size of dinner plates and weigh more than three pounds each.
This spring, the Clydesdale team welcomed a new colt and filly as part of the Express Clydesdales breeding program. This was the third year for the endeavor, which was initiated because of the declining numbers of the rare black-and-white Clydesdales. The public helped named the colt "Nation" through an online poll in honor of a teenager who has been visiting the horses for several years.
The Express Clydesdales have participated in many nationally recognized parades and promotional events including Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Tournament of Roses Parade, Fiesta Bowl Parade, Orange Bowl Parade, Hollywood Parade, the Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade, the International Finals Rodeo, and the Professional Bull Riders World Finals.
The world-renowned Clydesdales escorted Britain's Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and his wife, Kate, during their visit to North America in 2011.
Serving as ambassadors for Express Employment Professionals, the Express Clydesdales make nearly 200 appearances a year, helping raise money for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and other charities.
For more information about the team, visit
ExpressClydesdales.com.
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About Express Employment Professionals
Express Employment Professionals puts people to work. It generated $3.05 billion in sales and employed a record 510,000 people in 2016. Its long-term goal is to put a million people to work annually. For more information, visit
ExpressPros.com.
For More Information:
Sheena Karami
Express Employment Professionals
(405) 840-5000
sheena.karami@expresspros.com
@ExpressClyde
@ExpressPros