Just wanted to shed some light on this for those who may be in the area, it is next weekend. Looks spectacular on the TV ads, bunch of big hitches in the ring at the same time…amazing to watch. Of course I have to work or I would be heading up there
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I’ve been watching the commercials on TV and trying to figure out some way to manage to go. It looks fantastic.
I caught a show on RFD couple of weeks ago. Impressive, they had 8 8 horse hitches lined up. Interesting to see how they worked both ways as a group reversing across the center then lined them up in the center like a regular riding class then pulled them out one at a time to award the prize. A daunting task for ring crew and drivers. I would drive 2 hours and pay to see that in person in a heartbeat, Announcer said the full set of reins weighs 40 pounds, no joke.
No idea how it works but that was a Grandview show as is this one? Looked like a big deal competition. Anybody from Driving care to enlighten us?
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I believe you and also my brain cannot understand this at all. It really puts into perspective the strength and size of these teams. Wow.
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And the drivers.
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VERY COOL to spectate!
I’ve been to IN Stare Fair to see the 8s compete:
Percherons & Clydes.
One year we went to Finals in Shipshewana.
15 8’s in the final lineup.
Getting them all in was amazing.
Then they were called up to get prizes - 8th to 1st - from wherever they were in that line & watching them maneuver out was jawdropping.
I videoed & that took all of 15min.
Grandview isn’t Clydes only.
Belgians & Percherons are also showing.
If you do go, look for the Percheron hitch from MO: Blue Ribbon Days
Owner - Albert Cleve - breeds & trains his teams. Calls the mare 8 his Belles 
He livestreams on FB & his commentary is knowledgeable & sometimes better than the announcer’s
ETA:
This is 6s
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Thx for that link.
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I’ve seen the big hitches in person several times at the National Western Stock Show. My former farrier drives and owns one of those hitches, or at least did in the years that I was going there. It is amazing to watch. If you can get to the Clyde show, I’m sure it will be well worth it.
I also happened upon the Budweiser Clydesdales being harnessed and hitched outside the arena one day. It was fascinating; so much more complicated than driving my ponies in a cart.
Rebecca
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My Faux Grandson had a 4 of Belgians.
1 didn’t work out so he found a guy with 3 & they’ve driven all as a 6.
He’ll debut that at Fair this year.
I’ve helped him hitch just a pair & the amount of harness & thingamajigs to hitch is eyepopping.
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That’s pretty cool!
For one of my birthdays, DH gave me a lesson with a Percheron pair. He doesn’t usually do birthday presents, generally ignores the occasion, so this was quite a surprise. It was amazing!
One of his other few presents had to do with horsepower as well–lots of it. He rented me a Lotus for the weekend, and had arranged with my boss to make sure I didn’t get any work interruptions that weekend. He only told me what to wear and bring, and we went out to this industrial area and parked. I was totally confused as to what we were doing there, then the owner of hte Lotus showed up and opened the bay where the car was. I nearly swooned.
Sorry for the highjack, just one of my usual rambles.
Rebecca
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That is wonderful. DH and his father are Lotus guys. We own the Lotus Seven that his father bought in 1967 as a (scary) daily driver.
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I am sooooo jelly! 
How COOL to sit behind a pair 
I keep subtly lobbying for FG to let me drive one of his Belgians in a Ladies Cart class at Fair.
But he has 3 (formerly horsey) sisters & now their kids ahead of me in line 
I have been invited to ride in the Sponsors Wagon behind the 6, but those hitchwagons are short on suspension in the passenger compartment 
Here’s one of the nephews driving in a Youth class:
(Not behind a Belgian, this was a Friesian/HackneyX)
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I’ve seen 4, 6, and 8 horse teams at various state fairs. The most impressive though (for me) are the Budweiser Clydesdales. It’s amazing to see the driver back the wagon up to a imaginary dock and then move the whole team sideways to “clear the road for traffic”.
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I saw an 8 of Draft Mules do this 
That, and the Spin the Top maneuver where the hitch moves so the wagon pivots in place (think: pirouette) are jawdropping 
There’s a Percheron 8 that does demos: Percheron Thunder, does both the above + the driver does Roman Riding on a 6 
This is an older vid, I saw him in 2018 at Indy where he cantered the 6
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