Why a Horse-Drawn Packer Buggy Makes a 150-Mile Trip to Lambeau Every Year

If you see a horse and buggy on a Wisconsin road this fall, don't assume you've accidentally driven into the wrong century. There’s a pretty good chance you've spotted the Packer Buggy making its annual journey to Lambeau Field.

Weird Sight at Wisconsin Bar

This morning as I was scrolling through Facebook, I came across these photos posted by the lodge at the lake where my family’s cabin is located:

Obviously, seeing Packer-related stuff is the norm everywhere in Wisconsin, but a horse-drawn Packer buggy in a bar parking lot? I need to know more.

What is the 'Packer Buggy'?

The Packer Buggy is exactly what it sounds like: Green Bay Packers fans making the trip to Lambeau by horse and buggy. Although, this isn't just some random Sunday afternoon adventure.

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It's a long-standing tradition to honor a man named Robert "Packer Bob" Retzlaff who loved the Packers, Wisconsin's back roads, and the people he met along the way.

How the Packer Buggy Tradition Began

Packer Bob grew up near Tomah, Wisconsin, with 17 siblings and eventually became known as a serious Packers fan, a storyteller, and the kind of person who could seemingly turn just about anyone he met into a friend.

In 2001, Bob decided to combine two things he loved: the Packers and traveling. He climbed onto a horse named Pancho and set off on a roughly 150-to-200-mile journey from the Tomah area to Green Bay for the Packers' first home game of the season.

In 2002, Bob traded his horseback ride for a green-and-gold horse-drawn buggy, and the Packer Buggy tradition was born.

Packer Bob passed away in 2017, a few weeks after his final buddy journey, but his two nephews have been keeping the Packer Buggy rolling every year to honor him.

26th Annual Packer Buggy Journey

The 26th annual Packer Buggy journey is officially underway, and this year it began in Necedah, Wisconsin with Bud pulling the buggy on the long trek toward Lambeau Field.

And when I say "long," I mean LONG.

The trip is approximately 150 miles, which is a pretty impressive distance when your mode of transportation has four legs and doesn't run on gasoline.

Preparing a horse and buggy for a 150-mile journey takes some serious work.

The journey to Green Bay typically takes around seven to 10 days, with about 15 to 25 miles covered each day and plenty of roadside stops along the way. (I wonder where they house Bud overnight?)

So, if you're in Wisconsin soon and see a green-and-gold buggy heading down the road, give them a wave, even if you are a Bears fan.

You're not just watching a Packers fan make a very long trip to a football game.

You're watching Packer Bob's legacy continue, one hoofbeat and one Wisconsin back road at a time.