Budweiser Welcomes Cooper the Foal, First Baby Clydesdale Born at New Missouri Breeding Farm

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (March 4, 2009) - The Budweiser Clydesdales are welcoming a new member to the herd - Cooper, the first baby Clydesdale born at the horses' new breeding farm near Boonville in Cooper County, Mo.  Cooper was born on Tuesday, Feb. 24, stands about four feet tall and weighs approximately 160 pounds.

"Cooper is a true Budweiser Clydesdale, with four white feet, a blaze of white on his face, bay in color and a black mane and tail," said Jim Poole, general manager of Clydesdale Operations for Anheuser-Busch.  "He's happy,healthy and just learned to walk.  We're hoping he'll grow to be six feet tall so he can join the eight-horse hitch in another four years."

The 350-acre breeding farm serves as the breeding headquarters for the Budweiser Clydesdales,working closely with the Clydesdale breeding facility at Grant's Farm in St. Louis.  Construction was completed in late 2008.  The farm has a specially designed mare/stallion and foaling barn complete with a state-of-the-art veterinary lab.  Dedicated staff is on-site around the clock to ensure the baby Clydesdales are welcomed into the world in comfort and safety.

"Cooper is one of about 40 foals we expect to be born this year at our two breeding facilities," Poole said.  "We named him in appreciation of the warm welcome we've received from our neighbors in Cooper County."

The Budweiser Clydesdales are one of the world's most recognizable corporate icons and were introduced in 1933 to commemorate the repeal of Prohibition for beer.  Anheuser-Busch owns more than 250 of the renowned breed, including traveling hitches that make more than 500 appearances per year.  The Budweiser Clydesdales can also be seen at Sea World and Busch Gardens theme parks and at the Anheuser‑Busch breweries in St. Louis, Merrimack, N.H. and Ft. Collins, Colo.

The first television advertisement featuring the Budweiser Clydesdales aired in 1956 and commercials featuring the majestic horses have been popular ever since.  The Clydesdales have been featured in 15 Super Bowl ads including an unprecedented three ads during this year's game.  Two of this year's Clydesdale ads, "Circus" and "Fetch," ranked number two and three, respectively, on USA TODAY's "Ad Meter," generally regarded as the top Super Bowl advertising consumer poll.

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 48.5 percent share of U.S. beer sales.  The company brews the world's largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light.  Anheuser-Busch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico's leading brewer.  Anheuser-Busch ranked No. 1 among beverage companies in FORTUNE Magazine's Most Admired U.S. and Global Companies lists in 2008.  Anheuser - Busch is one of the largest theme park operators in the United States, is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and one of the world's largest recyclers of aluminum cans.  The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer, and continues to operate under the Anheuser-Busch name and logo.