Clinton - the 3-horse town

in #travel6 years ago

Clinton
South Otago, NZ
Sitting along the main highway, it is one of those small towns you drive through on your way to one of those large towns, although you might stop for petrol and the loo, and to stretch your legs after sitting in your vehicle for too long.
If you do decided to walk around a bit, there is one tourist attraction which is a must-see.

The Clinton Clydesdales
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They are the reason Clinton is often referred to as a "3-horse town" (and which I assume is some oblique reference to those old western movies where the hero rides into to rescue some chick and shoot down all the bad dudes). The place does sit in farming country, after all.

'Cept now there are five horses.
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"Welcome to our five-horse town" doesn't have quite the same ring to it. But at least the display is great. If you ever get the chance to stop and check it out, make sure you get a photo of yourself sitting on one of the Clydesdales - you'll be the envy of your friends back home, honest.

You can actually get a sense of what it must have been like, back in the day having to rely on horse-power for both farm work and transportation.
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The Clydesdale (originating in Scotland, hence the name) is a real work-horse. Large and powerful, but gentle, although not so good for riding as they are also tall and broad-withered. Nowadays people cross them with other breeds such as the Thoroughbred to produce sport horses.

You can also check out the small display of farm equipment sitting behind the horses, including this (restored or replica) farm wagon.
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Kids (of all ages!) love clambering up into the wagon and from there it isn't too difficult to clamber onto the back of one of the horses.
And it's okay, you're allowed to!

Fun facts: Clinton was named for Henry Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle, former British Secretary of State for the Colonies source but was originally known as Popotunoa, after the nearby bush-clad hill source.
The town was ‘dry’ between 1894 and 1956, when alcohol sales resumed. source
That is a really long time!
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image source
As you can see, Clinton is situated near the bottom of the South Island.
Here is a brief article on the clever man who created the horses: http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/9565363/Clydesdales-creator-honoured
Yes, well worth stopping to stretch your legs in Clinton. :)


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(extra tags: #blog #life #tourist)

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