In late August, we had the opportunity to see the RCMP Musical Ride on tour... twice! (RCMP stands for Royal Canadian Mounted Police.)
"Members of the Musical Ride are first and foremost police officers who, after at least two years of active police work, volunteer for duty with the Musical Ride. Most members are non-riders prior to their equestrian training with the RCMP; however, once they complete the courses of instruction, they not only become riders but ambassadors of goodwill. Today, in keeping with tradition, the Musical Ride is performed by a full troop of thirty-two riders and horses, plus the member in charge. The Musical Ride consists of the execution of a variety of intricate figures and cavalry drill choreographed to music."
Ben and I had booked $10 tickets a few weeks in advance for an evening Musical Ride that was taking place within walking distance from our house. Unfortunately it was the day after Mum and Dad were leaving to drive to Calgary, so we were sorry they would miss it. Then, the week before they left, a friend told me we could see a daytime Musical Ride in North Vancouver the next day... for free! So Mum and Dad got to see it after all, and Finley and I ended up seeing it twice.
Here are a couple of photos from the first Musical Ride. We didn't have a very good view, as there were no grandstands, and we were standing on a small slope a way back from the action in order to get some shade. We also couldn't hear a word the announcer said! It was still a good introduction to what a Musical Ride was though.
The following week, as we walked to the park where the evening Musical Ride was being held, we came across the riders and horses practising and having a meet-and-greet with locals before the performance! Here are a few photos of that...
We enjoyed this Musical Ride MUCH more, as we sat at the top of the grandstand and could actually see what the formations looked like from above. It was also helpful to hear the announcer explaining what the horses and riders were doing, the names of the manoeuvres, etc. It was certainly an impressive display of riding skills!
The recorded music the performance was set to ranged from country (
Chattahoochee) to pop (
Gangnam Style) to the Canadian national anthem. Finley managed to fall asleep in spite of all the excitement and noise!
Ben got some great photos of the event...
Afterwards, we met up with a bunch of our friends down on the track before walking home. We really enjoyed our opportunity to see such an iconic piece of Canadian history and culture!
