The Northwest Mounted Police (NWMP) was the predecessor of Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). A NWMP detachment in Fort MacLeod, Alberta, is credited with developing the now famous horse riding performance later named the “Musical Ride”. Police worked out routines on their horses to break up their daily routine and alleviate boredom, and these activities developed an interest and following among the public. These routines started in 1876 and evolved into the RCMP Musical Ride, which is quite well-known in Canada.
The Fort Museum in Fort MacLeod holds re-creations of the NWMP Musical Ride during the summer months. It’s a much smaller production than the RCMP version but the reenactment of the ride performed by the NWMP is interesting to watch.
The performance is 15-20 mins long and you can see some of the highlights in the videoclip below:
Cool!!