![]() ![]() Training takes place from January to April in Ottawa. ![]() Once accepted, the officers stay on for three years, giving an annual rotation of approximately one third of the riders. Nowadays, many of the officer riders on the Musical Ride are female. Photo (left): Women have been allowed in the RCMP only since 1974. The officers will then go through a six month Intermediate Equitation Course before replacing officers returning to their regular duties. Twelve to 15 officers are then chosen from those 45 to take part in the Ride. Out of approximately 800 applications, only 45 are chosen to take part in a five week Basic Equitation Course in Ottawa, where the candidates are evaluated on riding ability and aptitude, conduct, relationship with other members, initiative and effort, appearance, attendance, and responsibility and reliability. Photo: Courtesy of No riding experience is necessary to apply. The Corporal’s uniform is almost identical to that worn by the Musical Ride officers today. Photo (left): This photo from around 1925 shows an RCMP Corporal in full dress. After completing at least two years of active police work, officers may apply to become a part of the Ride. The Musical Ride, through its performances across the country, promotes the RCMP’s image, delivers their community policing messages, and raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for various charities within the communities the Ride travels to.Īll riders in the Musical Ride are police officers. ![]() Photo: Courtesy of It provides policing services federally to all of Canada, as well as policing for eight provinces (all except Ontario and Quebec), all three territories, 190 municipalities, 184 aboriginal communities, and three international airports. ![]() He is wearing the wide, flat brimmed Stetson hat that was likely introduced by Sam Steele. Photo (left): A NWMP Constable at Writing-on-Stone Post. Today, the RCMP is unique in the world as the only policing body to serve nationally, federally, provincially, and municipally. Performances of the Musical Ride were scattered up until 1961 when the Musical Ride became a permanent part of the RCMP and an annual performance as we know it. Riding would continue to part of RCMP basic training for recruits, however, and that, along with the Musical Ride, continued with separate outfits based in Regina and Ottawa. The RCMP stopped using horses for regular duty in the late 1930’s, the last patrol around 1936. When the legislation became official in early 1920, the name of the force was changed to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and headquarters was moved to Ottawa from Regina. In 1919, the government voted to merge the RNWMP with the Dominion Police of eastern Canada. Photo: Courtesy of That same year the first public performances of the Musical Ride would occur a troop trained by Inspector Frank Church performed at fairs in Winnipeg, Brandon, Qu’Appelle, and Regina, Manitoba. Notice the “head rope,” the white rope around the horse’s neck, which was used to tie the horse and is now part of the Musical Ride horses’ tack. Photo: Courtesy of Photo (left): A NWMP Constable at Regina in 1893. This painting shows the uniform worn from 1876 to 1903. Photo (left): The uniform of the NWMP and RCMP has undergone some changes, but the red serge and blue pants have been staples since the beginning. Jarvis and Assistant Commissioner James Macleod, marched 1000 miles west and set up posts at Fort Edmonton, Fort Macleod, Fort Walsh, Fort Battleford, Swam River, Fort Saskatchewan, and Shoal Lake in what are now the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Two groups of NWMP officers, led by Inspector W.D. Photo: Courtesy of When it left Dufferin, Manitoba on Jon the “Long March,” the NWMP boasted 318 men, most of whom were former British military. The men are wearing the red serge jacket, which was militia issue in the 1860s. Photo (left): The earliest known photo of the NWMP, taken in 1874. The RCMP and the Musical Ride trace back to the North West Mounted Police (NWMP), which was created to maintain control of the newly acquired Canadian Northwest and to halt illegal whiskey trading on the prairies, thereby making the area safe for settlement. Put many of these Mounties on black horses, have them perform intricate formations in front of a crowd, and you have another of Canada’s most recognizable icons: the RCMP Musical Ride. One of the most prominent symbols of Canada is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) “Mountie,” wearing his red serge uniform and brown Stetson. ![]()
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