The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) arrived in the Barrie area on Friday to the sound of hooves clicking on the ground as the RCMP Musical Ride wowed the crowd in the Barrie Fair’s return after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
The Musical Ride, whose members performed Friday at the Essa Agriplex near Thornton, dates to 1901 and has been performed for Royal visits, with the first one for the Prince of Wales in 1908. It has also travelled the world, with riders showing off their skills to audiences across Europe, Japan, and abroad.
The origin of the ride is described by the national police service as a way “to break the monotony of endless riding drills."
“Members of the Force commonly competed amongst themselves and performed tricks on horseback. In 1876, some of these tricks and exercises were performed at Fort Macleod, Alta. This is believed to be the first public performance of what would eventually evolve into the Musical Ride," according to the RCMP.
The group consists of 32 riders plus the “member in charge,” who oversees and leads the event.
Cavalry drills are choreographed to music as the horses crisscross and circle each other in a variety of different ways.
Historically, the Musical Ride travels to 40 venues per year between May and October, but due to the pandemic, is slowly ramping up its operations once again.
The horses are stabled in Ottawa at their latest facility, built in 1993, which also houses a visitor centre.
The current riding season is dedicated to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee marking 70 years of her service as the queen to the Commonwealth.
