Anthony Petrina named Duckmaster at The Peabody Memphis
The world-famous Peabody Ducks are marching under new leadership these days. Anthony Petrina has stepped into the prominent role of Duckmaster at The Peabody Memphis. In addition, Doug Weatherford has been named Assistant Duckmaster. The role of Duckmaster originated at The Peabody Memphis more than 70 years ago, and Petrina is only the fifth Duckmaster in the hotel’s history. The Duckmaster is responsible for the care and well-being of the Peabody Ducks, including feeding and training the teams for their twice-daily marches. When not tending to the five North American mallards, he acts as a public ambassador for the hotel, greeting guests in the Grand Lobby, doing media interviews, making community outreach appearances, and occasionally traveling with the ducks to promote Peabody Hotels. The Assistant Duckmaster tends to The Peabody’s flock on the Duckmaster’s days off and conducts history tours for hotel guests. At just 25-years-old, Petrina bears the profound responsibility of continuing the time-honored tradition of the March of the Peabody Ducks that began in the early 1930s. At 11 a.m. each morning, the Peabody Ducks march from their rooftop Royal Duck Palace - along a red carpet to the tune of John Philip Sousa’s “King Cotton March” - to a marble fountain at the center of the hotel’s lobby. There they splash and preen until 5 p.m., when the procession reverses and the ducks retire for the evening. The title “Duckmaster” originated at The Peabody in 1941 when the hotel hired a former Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey animal trainer named Edward Pembroke as a Bellman. Pembroke offered to help with delivering the ducks to the fountain each day and conceived the now-famous Peabody Duck March. Mr. Pembroke served as Peabody Duckmaster for 50 years until retiring in 1991. Anthony Petrina was recruited to the position of Duckmaster from within the hotel, having worked in Capriccio Grill since 2010. He studied hotel and resort management at the University of Memphis. Doug Weatherford, a Memphis native and hospitality industry veteran, spent much of his career working in hotels. Now semi-retired, his love of Memphis and deep interest in its history are what led him to the role of Assistant Duckmaster.
