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Tuesday, September 27, 2011

How some Jack Daniels and Ducks Made a Hotel Famous -- The Peabody Ducks



About 80 years ago, the then General Manager of The Peabody in Memphis, Tennessee, and a friend, had just returned from a hunting trip.  They had a little too much Jack Daniel's, and thought it would be funny to place some of their live duck decoys  in the foutain of the Peabody. Three small ducks were selected and the rest was history.

Then in 1940, Bellman Edward Pembroke, a former circus animal trainer, began guiding  the ducks to the fountain each day and taught them the now-famous Peabody Duck March.  Mr. Pembroke became the Peabody Duckmaster and served in that capacity for 50 years until his retirement in 1991.

The Peabody ducks have been a long-time attraction -- drawing visitors to the Memphis hotel.

And since opening  in 1986, The Peabody Orlando has continued,  the tradition of The Peabody Ducks  March.  Each morning, promptly at 11 a.m., the Duckmaster of the Peabody Orlando leads the ducks usually with a young helper down a special elevator, and they march towards the fountain and up a red carpeted staircase.

On a recent morning, as guests at the Orlando Peabody, we watched the Duckmaster lay the red carpet and waited as other hotel guests gathered near the spectacular marble fountain for the daily ritual.  Sure enough, on cue, the Duckmaster and helper led the mallards down the red carpet and into the fountain where a sumptuous meal was waiting for them in the pool.    It's an event to see -- at least once.   

The Clock at Musee D’Orsay