When the RCMP Musical Ride appears in Prince George in July, it will be something of a homecoming for one of its members.
Cst. Jennifer McRae, 29, lived in Prince George from 1995 to 2002, when she graduated from D.P. Todd and left for university and a career in the national police force.
She's bracing herself for some extra attention when the tour arrives in the city for performances on July 13-14 at Exhibition Park.
"My mom and dad are spreading the word around, letting them know I'm going to be there," McRae said.
She rode horses when she was very small but that was about it until she got a chance to enroll for a three-year stint with the musical ride.
"When the opportunity presented itself, I jumped on the chance," McRae said.
The first year was strictly for training and she's about to start her second year as part of the show.
What will probably be one of the biggest highlights of her career occurred a year ago when McRae was one of 11 Musical Ride members to participate in the Changing of the Queen's Life Guard at Buckingham Palace in London, England.
It was part of the Diamond Jubilee celebration commemorating Queen Elizabeth II's 60 years on the throne and it was only the second time in the 350 year history of the Queen's Life Guard that the RCMP has participated. The last occasion was in 1937.
The RCMP remains the only police force to have had the honour and McRae was the first female RCMP member to be included.
But she will have plenty of other memories to cherish by the time her tour is finished. She also traveled to the United States and Germany and through Southern Ontario and Manitoba last year. This year's tour goes through Northern Ontario and British Columbia.
"The camaraderie between all of the members is fantastic," McRae said when asked about the appeal of being a Musical Ride member. "The fact that we get to go and tour the country and visit people that want to see us and are happy to come out to the show and visit the horses.
"It's a really positive experience, I love that part."
Last year, McRae was on a 11-year-old mare named Misty and this year she's on a seven-year-old gelding named Dancer. He's 16-hands tall and has "a lot of energy."
For those who go to the show, keep an eye out for the second rider out in the second wave of eight people and horses. That will be McRae and Dancer.
"It's essentially cavalry movements done to music," McRae said. "Back in the day they used to do marching cavalry and mounted cavalry drills and we've incorporated that into music and then into a show."
Following in the footsteps of her father, Glen McRae, who reached the level of regional staff sergeant major before retiring, McRae joined the RCMP in 2006 and, after graduating from depot in 2007, spent four-and-a-half years on general duty in Kelowna.
Once her three years with the Musical Ride are up, McRae hopes to get into forensic identification.
Family pass tickets are now on sale at the RCMP Community Policing Centre, 575 Brunswick St., the Prince George RCMP Detachment, 999 Brunswick St., and the B.C. RCMP's North District Headquarters, 4020 Fifth Ave.
The tickets, which cover two adults and two children 12 years old and under, are $20.
Individual and regular priced family pack tickets will be sold at the gate only for $10 per person over 12 years old and $5 per child 12 years old or under. Family passes will cost $25 at the gate.
Two shows are set for the outdoor ice oval behind CN Centre, on Sat., July 13 at 7 p.m. and on Sun., July 14, at 2 p.m.
The horse stables will be open to the public at no charge from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. both days, except during show times.
Proceeds will be donated to the Two Rivers Crime Prevention Society in support of crime prevention programs in the Prince George area.
For more information call the Prince George RCMP's community policing office at 250-561-3366.
