Years ago, RCMP Const. Janis Kelly wouldn’t have dreamed of getting on a horse, let alone riding in the Musical Ride, but now she’s been part of the event for two-and-a-half years.
Kelly, who is originally from Winnipeg, joined the RCMP in 2009 and learned about the March West on horseback — when members of the Northwest Mounted Police marched west in 1874 — as well as other traditions of the police force. She trained for six years in Nova Scotia in Yarmouth before applying for the Musical Ride in the fall of 2014
The Musical Ride dates back to 1876 and was developed by the Northwest Mounted Police to display their riding abilities.
READ MORE: RCMP Musical Ride
To be a part of the unit, seen by many as a coveted position, an officer must apply after working at least two years in the field.
After being accepted for the five-week try out, Kelly was invited to the RCMP Basic Equitation Course in January 2015.
“I didn’t tell them at the time I was scared of horses,” she said with a laugh. “[I] came to the tryout and the first day I remember … [the sergeant] walked right up to the horse, put his hand on it from the rear to the front and was talking to the horse, gentle pressure, the horse took a step aside for him and I was like… that’s all?”
She said you learn everything about a horse, from how to approach it to how to brush its hair and “you kind of become buddies.”
The constable and her horse, Pichou, have been together for two years which is different from normal standards — typically a year is a tour from May to October and they switch out the horse so they don’t become too used to one rider.
In a post on the Nova Scotia RCMP’s Facebook, she said that her time learning about horses during training helped her overcome her fear.
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“As the weeks went on, I realized the calming pleasure of working with horses, but always kept well out of the way of their powerful legs,” she wrote.
“This year, after two years riding Pichou, Pichou will run to the ends of the earth for me and I do whatever I can to make sure she’s good in her stall and when we’re riding.”
Asked about Canada 150, Kelly said she’s been able to participate in two exciting shows two years in a row. The first shows in 2016 were for the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II in Windsor, England and now she’s partaking in the Canada 150 celebrations.
WATCH: The RCMP is drawing criticisms after putting on a “paramilitary” demo during their musical ride event this past weekend.
Next, the tour will be making its way across Canada which is even more exciting for Kelly.
“I haven’t seen Canada. I’ve travelled the world and haven’t seen Canada so it’s such an amazing experience for me,” she said.
Kelly is in her final year with the Ride and said though there’s a possibility of extension, she plans to return to policing. She said she’s considering a career in forensics.
The Musical Ride will put on one more free performance in Halifax at the Garrison Grounds before its next stop. Gates open at 1 p.m. with the show at 2 p.m. There will also be a pre-show by the Halifax Junior Bengal Lancers and the Halifax Citadel Regimental Association’s 78th Highlanders.
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