After more than 150 years, the RCMP's Musical Ride is still a living symbol of Canada

The flag flies at half mast, in honour of police officers killed recently, as members of the RCMP Musical Ride practice at the stables in Ottawa on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA — The RCMP’s celebrated Musical Ride is almost as old as Canada itself.

Speaking at the RCMP stables east of downtown Ottawa last week, RCMP Chief Instructor Sgt. Derek Quilley said the show is a living, breathing symbol of the country. The special sunset ceremonies being performed in Ottawa this week ahead of Canada Day are a sweet slice of pure “Canadiana,” he said.

The Musical Ride performs across Canada, travelling to each province once every four years. Every year, thousands of people gather to watch the Musical Ride in the nation’s capital.

The Musical Ride dates back to the 1870s, when off-duty Mounties would compete with each other by performing tricks on horseback. The RCMP website says some of those equestrian feats and exercises were performed in Fort Macleod, Alta., in 1876 — widely believed to be the first public performance of what eventually became the Musical Ride.

Today, the performance involves up to 32 riders — all members of the RCMP — and black, Hanoverian horses bred in Pakenham, Ont.

While the show serves to support RCMP recruiting efforts and build positive relationships with the public, the Musical Ride has also become an internationally recognized symbol of Canada.

Quilley, who has been involved with the Musical Ride for about 12 years, said it takes months to prepare for the show. Starting in February every year, he said, members and horses assemble for about three hours a day to practice for the coming season.

Contrary to legend, most Mounties never get near a horse. Quilley said officers taking part in the event spend about eight to ten months just learning how to ride.

Quilley said the Musical Ride tours widely and is a “fantastic” event for presenting Canada to the world.

“It’s been a big representation of our country and our pride in our national police force and in our flag,” he said. “It’ll bring goosebumps to you and it’s very special. I’ve done it hundreds of times, and it still gives me that butterflies feeling.”

While the show hasn’t changed much over the last 100 years, Quilley said, the troupe performs to a mix of old and new Canadian music.

In Ottawa this year, he said, the show includes a moment of silence to remember police officers who died in the line of duty — including 34-year-old Mohamed Lamine Benredouane, the Montreal police officer killed in the city last week.

Cpl. Amrit Gill, an instructor who has been with the Musical Ride since 2019, said the horses are amazing and he loves meeting people across Canada and representing the country.

“The importance is history, keeping up that tradition and that proud symbol of Canada,” he said. “We spend a lot of time with the horses. They’re members of RCMP, they each have a regimental number. They’re part of the team.”

Const. Keelian Chicoisne, another Musical Ride instructor, said the shows in Ottawa bring people together.

“Every night there’s always thousands of people,” he said. “It’s great for people to discover us, and every year there’s people I’ve seen many, many times, and they still come back.”

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press