Wilson & Company Six Horse Hitch

Color illustration of six brown horses pulling two people on a red cart; the sky is blue and the grass is green, with red text around the top rim and white, black, and red text in the lower-right corner

In 1917, Thomas E. Wilson, the head of Wilson & Co. meatpackers and Wilson Sporting Goods, introduced the Six-Horse Hitch of Clydesdales as part of a bold marketing campaign. The team quickly became famous, winning championships at the International Livestock Exposition in Chicago and making appearances across the country, including the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair. During World War II, the horses toured more than 150 cities to help sell war bonds, raising millions of dollars in the process.

In 1933, Anheuser-Busch purchased Wilson’s team to launch its own hitch, later known as the Budweiser Clydesdales. This button was part of Wilson’s promotional campaign, which was designed around the company’s six-horse hitch.