Performance Dates And Times Announced For Musical Ride

By Robert Thomas

They have performed for royalty. They have performed in foreign lands. They have performed in small communities across Canada. And now they are set to perform in Moose Jaw.

As part of the Moose Jaw Hometown Fair, June 23rd to June 26th, the RCMP Musical Ride is set to put on four shows.

“We are happy they are going to be here over the three days of the (Hometown) Fair and participating in the parade,” George Fowler general manager of the Moose Jaw Exhibition Company said, adding “we are very happy to have them coming for four days.”

The Musical Ride - photo credit RCMP Musical Ride

The Mounties dressed in their traditional red serge uniform mounted on black horses will perform four times during the Fair with all shows being free as part of the gate admission.

The four performances will be:

Friday, June 24 at 7:00 pm
Saturday, June 25 at 3:00 pm & 8:00 pm
Sunday, June 26 at 4:00 pm

All performances are scheduled to be outside in the West Arena at the Fair Grounds located just west of the Golden Mile Arena. There is no reserved seating but the grandstands adjacent the arena have capacity for approximately 500 spectators. Performances are free other than the cost of a ticket to the Fair itself.

There is plenty of interest in the Musical Ride. The Musical Ride last performed at the Fair in 2015.

“There are certainly more people getting ahold of us about the Musical Ride than most other parts of the Fair. It seems to be a point of interest for people,” Fowler said.

“We have been starting to get phone calls when they will be performing their shows. People want to know the dates and times.”

Fowler said with walkup and no reserved seating the Fair will be providing entertainment with Magic By Chris and Mr Circus as people wait for the Musical Ride.

With four performances during the Fair he said there should be plenty of opportunity for fairgoers to catch the Mounties in their famous performance, Fowler said.

As part of the Musical Ride being at the Moose Jaw Hometown Fair fairgoers will have opportunities to meet the RCMP members who are part of the group.

FACTS ABOUT THE RCMP’S MUSICAL RIDE

Overview

Horses have always been an important part of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). In the early years, they were used for transportation, but now they are a central part of the world-renowned spectacle that is a living symbol of Canada — the Musical Ride.

History

The Musical Ride developed from a desire by early members of the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) to not only compete amongst themselves and perform tricks on horseback to alleviate the monotony of endless riding drills, but to display their riding ability and entertain the local community.

Today

The RCMP Musical Ride’s base is the RCMP Stables in Ottawa. The show is performed by a troop of 32 riders and horses.

Members of the Ride must have at least two years of active police duty before being eligible to apply. They do not need to have any riding experience. Once applicants have passed a rigorous selection process, they attend a five-week basic riding , followed by another six-month intermediate course. Members stay with the Ride for approximately three years.

Equitation

Equitation staff is responsible for the horse-breeding program, remount training, equitation courses, ceremonial escorts, parades, displays and of course, the Musical Ride.

The Horses

The RCMP breeds Hannoverian horses at the Remount Detachment near Pakenham, Ontario. Each horse is 16 to 17 hands high, weighs between 523 kg (1150 lbs.) to 635 kg (1400 lbs.).

Young horses, called remounts, begin their training at three years of age. When they turn six, they start Musical Ride training and begin touring with the Musical Ride.

The horses’ saddle blankets, known as shabracks, bear the fused letters MP (the RCMP’s registered brand) in the Force’s regimental colours of royal blue and yellow.

The maple leaf pattern adorning the horses’ rumps is created by using a metal stencil and brushing across the lie of the hair with a damp brush.

Courtesy the RCMP Musical Ride media handout. Free to download and colour

QUICK FACTS

Annually, the Musical Ride helps over 40 communities raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for a number of causes.

Thirty-six horses, 35 riders, a farrier, 3 non-commissioned officers and an officer in charge, travel with the Musical Ride.

Learn more about Musical Ride at http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/musical-ride .

For more information on history, visit the History of the RCMP Musical Ride.

HOMETOWN FAIR CONTEST

For people entering the contest please read the rules here.

To enter by Facebook enter your name and then answer to the skill testing question on our Facebook Page - MJ Independent - only. Enter below the story or other opportunities we post on MJ Independent’s Facebook page.

For people entering the contest through our web-site mjindependent.com please email us the answer along with your real name to moosejawnews@gmail.com . We ask you include in the email header Hometown Fair Contest.

Also this contest is NOT affiliated or endorsed by the RCMP Musical Ride.

THE SKILL TESTING QUESTION TO ENTER:

How many performances will the RCMP Musical Ride be performing at the Moose Jaw Hometown Fair?