Wadworth Brewery horses kick up their hooves at start of summer break (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Dray horses offered a pint before being turned loose in Poulshot

2:42pm Friday 3rd August 2012 in Devizes By Lewis Cowen

More than 1,000 people turned up in Poulshot this morning to see the three Wadworth dray horses, Max, Monty and Prince, released into a field to begin their annual two-week break.

After downing a pint of Wadworth ale at the Raven pub, the horses were led down to the field where they will be spending the next fortnight.

The three kicked up their hooves and romped across the field to the delight of hundreds of onlookers who had come from near and far to see the spectacle.

Photographers took their lives in their hands standing in the field as the heavy animals gambolled around like foals.

Major John Bartholomew, when he was chairman of Wadworth was responsible for bringing back the tradition of dray horses to deliver around Devizes.

He said: “This is a lovely day and I am so pleased to see so many people here.”