The Royal Canadian Mounted Police celebrates its 150e anniversary with a tour of its Musical Ride that will stop in seven provinces, a long-standing tradition that sees its members perform complex formations on horseback.
During the performances, the officers wear scarlet jackets and hoist their spears on tall black horses. Horses gallop in patterns that require extreme control, timing and coordination.
According to the mounted police, this deployment is a symbol of tradition, honor and pride, which allows officers to build relationships with communities.
Everyone, both horses and riders, must receive specific training to take part in the Carrousel.
“Sometimes people start out with a horse they don’t really like, but as rider and horse understand and trust each other, that bond grows,” says Sergeant Bill Stewart, who is a former master. riding.
The Carrousel receives hundreds of applications each year. About ten candidates are selected for testing and only a handful are chosen to join the group. They have performed formations in hundreds of cities over the years, and even for the now deceased Queen Elizabeth II.
The riders spend endless hours in the saddle, grooming the horses, cleaning the boxes and sweeping the floors. Members participate in the Musical Ride for three years and then return to their regular police duties.
As one constable put it in the book “The Spirit of the Ride”, which tells the story of the Musical Ride, being selected into the group is “almost as much fun as winning the lottery”.
A historical symbol in Canada
Maxwell Newhouse still remembers the first time he saw the 32 riders wearing shiny jackets over their tall black horses more than 25 years ago.
“It’s a uniquely Canadian experience,” says Newhouse, a painter from British Columbia.
“When I saw that, I immediately got hooked. I came home and couldn’t stop painting. I literally painted them for over 10 years. »
Some of the depictions he painted are featured in his book, “The RCMP Musical Ride”.
“As an artist, I’m always on the lookout for stories that represent Canadian culture well,” he said.
“I know the RCMP has been getting bad press lately, but they have a long history to be proud of. »
In Quebec, the Carrousel will be at the Complexe équestre de Bécancour on August 9th.