George Bush jr. spared the first female turkey in the history of White House Thanksgiving turkey pardons today, 15 years ago, an act that was apparently so unfamiliar that then-president Bush twice referred to Katie, a 13,6kg all-white clump of feathers, as ”he.”
”He looks a little nervous, doesn’t he?” Bush said during the 10min Rose Garden ceremony in 2002. ”He probably thinks he’s going to have a press conference.”
A short time later, Bush did refer to the bird as Katie, complimenting her as ”a fine looking turkey.”
Bush then approached the turkey carefully and petted it rather catiously, a precaution after 2001’s bird abruptly thrust its head forward and tried to peck him.
The tradition of White House turkey pardons can be traced back to President Harry S. Truman in 1947.
Truman was given one live turkey and two dressed turkeys the week before Thanksgiving in 1947.
Truman then donated the live bird to a local farm, where the turkey was guaranteed a long life unmolested by stuffing or gravy.
At the time, the 12 years prior, every White House turkey and an alternate have been sent to the Kidwell Farm in Frying Pan Park in Herndon, Virginia, USA, which is the place where Katie and her alternate, Zack, were dispatched to.
