Musical Ride; the RCMP dances with hooves!

Musical Ride; this fascinating spectacle provides Canadians and visitors from coast-to-coast the ability to see, experience and enjoy a brilliant part of Canada’s heritage.

The RCMP musical rides tours throughout Canada, normally from May through October, and may perform at up to fifty venues during that period.

The Canadian home for the RCMP Musical ride is located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Getting There:

You drive east from in front of the Parliament Building, continue on Rideau Street to where it crosses the Rideau River. Rideau Street turns into Montreal Road at this point. Continue east on Montreal Road to St. Laurent Boulevard. Turn left on St. Laurent, and the Rockcliffe Stables are at the end of the road.

Click on this Google map to locate the RCMP stables. The grey area between the Sandridge Road and the Rockliffe Parkway at the end of St. Laurent Blvd. is where they are located.

Though the Musical Ride travels much of the year, visitors are welcome at the stables.

Meet the horses, tour the stables, visit the riding school, see the farrier (maybe even shoeing a horse!), stop into the tack room, see the official carriages used as members of the Musical Ride escort Her Majesty the Queen and other dignitaries.

The hours are:

October through April
Tuesdays & Thursdays only – 10:00 to 14:00 (2:00 p.m.)

I hold a special affinity for the RCMP and the Musical Ride. My family history boasts a grandfather who was a member of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police, the precursor to today’s RCMP. My father worked for them as a civilian employee for many years at RCMP Headquarters in Ottawa, and others in my family have been members of the force, and one of them rode with the Musical Ride.







“Although legend has it that the first Musical Ride was performed as early as 1876, the first officially recorded Musical Ride was performed in Regina under Inspector William George Matthews in1887. Over the years the popularity of the Musical Ride has grown - today it is one of the most popular Canadian symbols around the world,” courtesy of the Musical Ride web site.

Contact information is:

The RCMP Musical Ride
Montreal Road & Rockliffe Parkway
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Telephone: 613-998-8199 (general information only)

RCMP Musical Ride Web Site

The RCMP Musical Ride will perform all across Canada in 2008. Click here for more information on where the RCMP Musical Ride is performing near you.







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