I had never seen the famous Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) musical ride and had not expected to do so until I got the word that they were doing a show in my local area of Victoria BC.
To quote the RCMP website: "The RCMP Musical Ride is performed by a full troop of 32 riders and their horses. Their performance consists of intricate figures and drills choreographed to music. These movements demand the utmost control, timing and coordination.
The Musical Ride performs in up to 50 communities across Canada between the months of May and October. They help raise thousands of dollars for local charities and non-profit organizations.
The Musical Ride provides the opportunity to experience the heritage and traditions of the RCMP. The riders act as ambassadors of goodwill who promote the RCMP's image throughout Canada and all over the world."
Most of the riders have never ridden a horse before starting their training program, but over a period of six months they learn not only to ride a horse, but to do so while performing intricate cavalry manoeuvres with a long lance. The horses are all jet black and bred specially for the purpose.
The Troop Enters the field
After the show the Mounties dispersed around the field to commune with the spectators and allow their mounts to be met and petted. Of course it's great P.R. for the RCMP! The troup respresents members from every province and is roughtly 50% split between genders. Riders serve for a minimum of two years and some have scored an extra year, despite the fact the membership is a very popular assignment and very competitive!
Images taken with the Canon 100-400 EF-L Mk II on a Canon EOS 7D MkII, and a 24-105 EF-L Mk I on a Canon 5D MkIII
@cicopo wrote:Nice series. They are based here in Ottawa & I have toured their facilities & seen them perform but not in recent years. Like the Snowbirds they are respected all over the world as top notch in their field.
Thanks for your comment. Like most of the people who attended, including the RCMP and the horses, I think we would all have wished for the event to take place later in the afternoon as the heat and UV were pretty wicked. It didn't help trying to get good photos either with the massive contrast, but all in all I am OK with the results. They will serve the purpose to give me a good memory. 
