A piece of Canadian heritage will be on display this weekend as the RCMP's Musical Ride makes its first visit to Prince George in 16 years.
A 100 foot by 200 foot (30 metres by 60 metres) ring has been set up in the centre of the outdoor ice oval, behind CN Centre to host the traveling road show, which has become a Canadian institution since it first began in 1876.
"Within that area you've got 32 horses that will be weaving in and amongst each other," Prince George RCMP Cpl. Craig Douglass explained. "You think they're going to run into each other, but they never do - it's a very well-timed, well-choreographed display."
CN Centre entertainment and marketing manager Glen Mikkelsen had been working on getting the ride to come to town for six years and said RCMP show supervisors were impressed with the site selected to host the performance.
"They came from Ottawa and did some site tours with us and we came and showed them this site," he said. "They were really excited about it, they thought it could be one of the best outdoor sites they have ever used."
In order to prepare the grounds for the show, Rolling Mix Concrete donated fine sand, which was put on top of the gravel to make the ring comfortable for the horses. Once the show is complete the sand will be moved to the outdoor riding ring so it can be used for local equestrian activities.
While in Prince George, Spruce Capital Feeds has stepped forward to provide food for the horses.
Two shows are scheduled over the weekend, rain or shine. On Saturday, gates open at 6 p.m. for a 7 p.m. show and at 1 p.m. on Sunday for a 2 p.m. show. Two members of the ride have Prince George connections, with former residents Cst. Brett Cunningham and Cst. Jennifer McRae part of the touring contingent.
In addition to the musical ride itself, the performance also includes demonstrations by local equestrian riders and Prince George RCMP police dogs and their handlers. Stables will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day for the public to watch the officers prepare the horses for the show.
There will be a limited number of public bleachers available on a first-come, first-served basis, but organizers are encouraging people to bring their own seating, be it outdoor chairs or a blanket. Spectators will be able to sit on the hill beside the oval or bring a lawn chair and sit on the track.
Family passes for two adults and two children are available in advance for $20 at the RCMP's community policing officer and both the city detachment and the North District headquarters. Adult ($10), child age 12 and under ($5) and family passes ($25) will be available at the door. All sales are cash only.
A few hundred family passes have been sold already, but Douglass is hoping for a least 1,000 people at each performance. He said capacity at the venue depends on how close people want to sit to each other.
"It just depends on how wide your hips are," Douglass said. "Certainly we could fit several thousand, depending on how comfortable they want to get."
