PIERREFONDS-ROXBORO – Residents in Pierrefonds-Roxboro got quite a treat on Friday when the RCMP musical ride rode into town for the first time in four years.
Nearly 10,000 excited children were taken out of their classes to enjoy the show.
“We’ll see Mounties riding their horses and they’ll dances with their horses,” one excited child told Global News.
WATCH: More than 30 horses and their riders trot along to their warm-up before the show begins
The choreographed movement of 30 horses and their riders is nothing short of majestic.
Their precision, skill and coordination is beyond impressive, but behind the scenes, there’s a lot of work that goes into preparing for the tour.
Aside from their actual police duties, the Mounties train extensively for the event.
“They do a basic equitation course of five weeks,” explained RCMP Superintendent Leslie Cook.
“They come back for six months of intermediate training and then they join the Musical Ride for two tours across Canada.”
The horses are trained for three years before joining the ride.
The point of the event is to showcase Canada’s important heritage.
“I think what it shows is the tradition, the pride, the great feeling of being Canadian,” said George Springate, who organized the tour.
Children of all ages watched in awe as the Canadian icons trotted along adorned in their scarlet red uniforms and brown stetsons.
“It’s important to learn about our history, or tradition and our heritage,” said Andrew Mullins Grant, a Secondary 3 student at Pierrefonds Comprehensive High School.
The musical ride is in town all weekend.
Entry is free but they are accepting donations for the Quebec Society for Handicapped Children.