In a highly unusual-but happy-turn of events, the Town Of Wawota will be hosting the RCMP Musical Ride on July 28, 2015, 25 years after the famed troupe's first performance in the community. Proceeds from the event will benefit Wawota's Heritage Park.
Meredith Swanson, of Wawota's Business Enhancement Group, says, "We had the Musical Ride in Wawota back in 1990. I was involved in that one, so I sent in another application, hoping, but never really thinking we'd get them to come again. We lucked out, because they only go to certain provinces each year and in 2015, it's only Saskatchewan and the Maritimes."
"We provided them with a really good experience the last time and we'd like to repeat that. We tried to look after them well. We barbequed a whole pig and they said then that they had never been looked after that well, ever."
Swanson says that hosting an event of this size will require "all of the local volunteers we can get our hands on. We'll need them to help with admission and parking, because we're expecting 3,000 to 4,000 people."
"It's early, but we'd also like to make sure that anyone needing help getting to the site-say, an elderly person-has assistance getting in and out."
Once again, the Musical Ride will be held at the same place as it was in 1990. "We have a beautiful natural ampitheatre on the north side of town," he says. "It's a beautiful site and an excellent setting for the Musical Ride, because you can sit up and look down on the riders' formations, or you can sit down low and see things at horse-level. The highlight from my point of view is the setting. It's not a rodeo ground, which is the type of place it's usually held."
The RCMP officers will be in the area from July 27-29, and the horses are moved in on the 27th and moved out on the 29th. Thirty-six members make up the troupe, and while they will stay in a nearby hotel, their horses will be housed in the Wawota arena.
"We need 10-14 inches of dirt on the rink floor, along with other requirements," says Swanson. "The RCMP have members who stay with and look after the horses at all times."
"We also need to provide 45 minutes of entertainment before the ride and prepare the ground for the event."
Although planning is still in the preliminary stages, the date is a certainty. "We can't change the date, nor would we. We keep their dates and we're very lucky to have them once, let alone twice," says Swanson.
"I'm excited that they are coming and we're looking forward to hosting the Musical Ride again in Wawota."
