Governor Ivey pardons turkeys Giblet and Puddin’ in honor of Thanksgiving tradition

Emery Akin
·3 min read
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MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — On Monday, Governor Kay Ivey pardoned two turkeys, Giblet and Puddin’, on the 75th anniversary of a long-standing Alabama – and American – tradition.

The fortunate fowl will avoid the Thanksgiving table thanks to a social media poll, which allowed users to determine the fate of two lucky birds.

The pair beat out Cluck and Dolly, Rosemary and Sage and Butterball and Maple. Giblet and Puddin’ will return to Bates Turkey Farm in Fort Deposit. The annual event took place at the Governor’s Mansion and featured song performances from Hoover’s Riverchase Day School and Montgomery Christian School students.

But how did this tradition begin?

  • Turkey Clyde 55, left, awaits an official pardon from Alabama Gov. Bob Riley Tuesday morning, Nov. 16, 2004 with escort “Henrietta” on the front lawn of the Governor’s Mansion in Montgomery, Ala. The first lady Patsy Riley and Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, right, stand alongside the Governor in front of elementary students from several Alabama schools. Pardoning a turkey from Thanksgiving dinner started in 1949 by Alabama Gov. James “Big Jim” Folsom.
  • Alabama Gov. Bob Riley pardons the life of a turkey named “Clyde” during a ceremony on the lawn of the Governor’s Mansion, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2005, in Montgomery, Ala. The annual Thanksgiving tradition is in its 58th year.
    Alabama Gov. Bob Riley pardons the life of a turkey named “Clyde” during a ceremony on the lawn of the Governor’s Mansion, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2005, in Montgomery, Ala. The annual Thanksgiving tradition is in its 58th year.
  • Alabama Gov. Bob Riley gives Clyde the Turkey a pat on the head Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2003, after issuing him a pardon during the annual turkey presentation to the governor by the Alabama Egg and Poultry Association. Turkey producer Bill Bates presented Riley with the turkey at the governor’s mansion in Montgomery, Ala.
    Alabama Gov. Bob Riley gives Clyde the Turkey a pat on the head Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2003, after issuing him a pardon during the annual turkey presentation to the governor by the Alabama Egg and Poultry Association. Turkey producer Bill Bates presented Riley with the turkey at the governor’s mansion in Montgomery, Ala.
  • Alabama turkey producer Bill Bates, left, presents Gov. Bob Riley with a Thanksgiving turkey after the governor pardoned Clyde the Thanksgiving turkey during ceremonies at the governor’s mansion in Montgomery, Ala., Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010. Riley allowed a group of children to determine Clyde’s fate, and he was pardoned for the 61st straight year.
    Alabama turkey producer Bill Bates, left, presents Gov. Bob Riley with a Thanksgiving turkey after the governor pardoned Clyde the Thanksgiving turkey during ceremonies at the governor’s mansion in Montgomery, Ala., Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010. Riley allowed a group of children to determine Clyde’s fate, and he was pardoned for the 61st straight year.

Is there a difference between dressing and stuffing?

According to the Associated Press (2004), the ritual of pardoning a turkey began in 1949 when the first Alabama turkey was pardoned by Gov. James “Big Jim” Folsom. His actions preceded a national tradition some believe started when Abraham Lincoln pardoned a Christmas turkey his son had grown fond of.

However, Folsom was ahead of his time, as the first president to pardon a Thanksgiving turkey was President John F. Kennedy in 1963, and was formalized in 1989 under President George H.W. Bush.

As of 2004, every turkey brought to an Alabama governor by Bill Bates, a turkey grower in Greeneville, had been named Clyde, according to the AP.

“Jim Folsom tried to kill that first one we brought. He got loose and flew all over the office,” Bates told the AP (2004).

Sadly, not every Alabama Clyde was as fortunate as its predecessor. The 2003 Clyde was killed in Hurricane Ivan just a few months prior to 2004 Clyde’s nomination.

In 2005, Clyde was pardoned by Gov. Bob Riley. The following year, an exposé was written in the Birmingham News (2006) detailing his horrific ending.

Following his pardon, 2005 Clyde was taken to the Alabama Farmers Market in Montgomery, where Bates thought it would be good to have him on display for educational purposes. That is, until PETA found out.

At PETA’s behest, 2005 Clyde was returned to Bates Turkey Farm, according to the Birmingham News, which detailed his experience as such:

“Clyde wasn’t concerned. He was armed with a pardon from the governor that declared that never would such a fate befall him. Contrary to Saturday morning cartoons, coyotes can’t read. Not even pardons … To make a long story short, the coyote had a Thanksgiving dinner without all of the trimmings.”

In 2018, Governor Ivey pardoned the annual Clyde, in addition to another turkey, Henrietta. Through 2021, Ivey pardoned two turkeys each year with the same names.

It wasn’t until 2022 that the pardoned turkeys were no longer named Clyde, but instead were given names voted on by the people, perhaps breaking the generational curse.

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