The Musical Ride of the

Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; , GRC) is the Law enforcement in Canada, national police service of Canada. The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada; it also provides police services under contract to 11 Provinces and terri ...

is a special unit showcasing the equestrian skills performed by 32

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

who are regular members of the force. It holds events held in Canada and worldwide to promote the RCMP. The first official ride was held in 1887 in Regina, District of Assiniboia, and was commanded by

Inspector Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it. Australia The rank of Inspector is present in all Australian police forces excep ...

William George Matthews.

History

In the 1920s and 1930s, there were two cavalry units, one in Regina and one in

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

. The activities of the Musical Ride temporarily ceased in 1939, because of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and did not resume until 1948. In 1966, riding on horseback ceased to be part of police duties for new members of the RCMP. The unit then moved to Pakenham, Ontario in 1968 and became a separate unit. The RCMP and the Musical Ride were all men at its foundation. The first woman was incorporated to the Ride in 1981. During its annual tour of Canada and abroad, usually from May to October, the Musical Ride visits 40 to 50 locations. Domestically, it is found every 1 July in

Canada Day Canada Day, formerly known as Dominion Day, is the national day of Canada. A Public holidays in Canada, federal statutory holiday, it celebrates the anniversary of Canadian Confederation which occurred on July 1, 1867, with the passing of the B ...

and has performed at the Expo 67, the 1976 Olympic Games in

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, the 1988 Winter Olympics in

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, and the

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. In 2020, as the result of the

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, the Musical Ride first held an on-line GC Surplus auction of its surplus horses and horse semen. In former years, the biennial auction process was more tightly controlled.

Traditions

Commissioner’s inspection

Every spring, the RCMP Commissioner visits the Musical Ride stables before its summer tour in what is known as the Commissioner's Inspection. It dates back to 22 July 1952, when Commissioner Leonard Nicholson carried out the first inspection at what is now the Musical Ride Centre. The Commissioner then watches the first official performance of the season, before taking the salute in a march past that commences the tour.

Landau

The RCMP operates four carriages for escorting guests of the state, the most senior being the Canadian State Landau, used only for the Canadian royal family, the

Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada () is the federal representative of the . The monarch of Canada is also sovereign and head of state of 14 other Commonwealth realms and resides in the United Kingdom. The monarch, on the Advice (constitutional la ...

or a foreign head of state. It was gifted by the Earl Grey to the RCMP in 1911 had has been operated by the Musical Ride ever since. The other three carriages are used for semi-state occasions (an example being an ambassador visit) are the following: the Box Driven Landau, Vis-à-vis and Victoria. In the summer of 2020, the Musical Ride received a gift of a

landau Landau (), officially Landau in der Pfalz (, ), is an autonomous (''kreisfrei'') town surrounded by the Südliche Weinstraße ("Southern Wine Route") district of southern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a university town (since 1990), a long ...

from a donor from

Quebec City Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...

, which is used today by the Musical Ride for state escorts. If the escort is in place for the sovereign, a total of 44 horses and a guidon party ride with the State Landau. By contrast, a semi-state escort would include only eight horses.

Notable members

* J. Greg Peters, 16th Usher of the Black Rod of the Senate of Canada W.T.Bruce Whillans, Supt. OIC Musical Ride 2004 - 2009. CO Musical Ride services 2009 - 2010. Cst on the ride 1980/81. Musical Ride Trainer of horses, Musical Ride and Riders 1987 - 2008. Operations NCO Baie Verte, NL. Lead investigator, project billionaire Jan 2000, file manager Samantha Walsh murder Feb 2000. District Commander Deer Lake NL 2003 -2004. Personal meeting with Queen Elisabeth II on July 1, 2010…in GG residence to discuss breeding program. Invited by the Queen to attend a fox hunt in England. Escorted the Queen at Queens plate on July 3rd, 2010. Invited by the Queen to join her in the Royal box to watch her horse compete in the race. Retired July 15, 2010 with best wishes from the Queen.

Within contemporary culture

The Musical Ride is featured on the Canadian fifty-dollar bill of the Scenes of Canada banknote series produced from 1969 to 1979. A fictionalized version of the Musical Ride is depicted on Canadian police procedural TV series '' Due South'' (season 2, episode 14, "All the Queen's Horses", first broadcast in 1997).

Musical Rides across Canada

In Canada, due to the impact of the unit has had in preserving Canadian military cavalry traditions, the "musical ride" can also refer to similar mounted units in the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army () is the command (military formation), command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also re ...

such as the Strathcona Ceremonial Mounted Troop, Governor General's Horse Guards Cavalry Squadron and the Royal Canadian Dragoons Scarlet Guard.

Gallery

File:Musical Ride 1939 NY World Fair.jpg, RCMP horsemen performing at the 1939 World's Fair File:Canada Day - Musical Ride.jpg, The Musical Ride performed on

Parliament Hill Parliament Hill (), colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern bank of the Ottawa River that houses the Parliament of Canada in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. It accommodates a suite of Gothic revival buildings whose ...

, 2007 File:RCMP Musical Ride Parade in Roblin.png, Musical Ride parade in

Roblin, Manitoba Roblin is an incorporated urban community located within the Municipality of Roblin in Manitoba, Canada. Situated approximately 400 kilometres (250 miles) northwest of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Prior to 1 January 2015, Roblin was designated as a town. ...

, 1992

References

External links

RCMP Musical Ride website''The Musical Ride''
(1955 documentary film) at the

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; ) is a Canadian public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary films, animation, web documentaries, and altern ...

{{commons category, Musical Ride Divisions and units of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Canadian ceremonial units Equestrianism Entertainment events in Canada Recurring events established in 1887 1887 establishments in Canada