The RCMP’s horse breeding program is world-renowned for producing the black Hanoverians that perform in the iconic Musical Ride, but not every foal makes the grade.
This week, horse lovers have the opportunity to own their own piece of Canadian history as the RCMP stables launch the sixth annual horse auction through the Procurement Canada website.
Sixteen horses are up for sale, with bidding opening at $5,000. Also on the auction block: more than 70 doses of horse semen for artificial insemination breeding.
“They’re very well-bred horses, they’re very personable,” said Sgt. Sarah Parent, an instructor with the Musical Ride.
Long after the RCMP ended mounted patrols, it has maintained its equestrian legacy through the Musical Ride, which features a troop of mounted officers executing intricate cavalry drills choreographed to music.
Since the first recorded public display in Regina in 1901, the Musical Ride has become an integral piece of Canadiana.
Since 1960, the Musical Ride has been based in RCMP stables in Ottawa’s Rockcliffe Park, travelling across the country and abroad to perform.
To supply horses with the requisite characteristics to be trained for the Musical Ride, the RCMP has run its own breeding program since 1939. These days the horses are Hanoverians, selected for their calm disposition, size, shape and solid black coat.
‘Exceptional temperament’
Not all of the horses born at the RCMP breeding farm in Pakenham, Ont., meet the high standards needed to perform. But that doesn’t mean they won’t excel in a variety of other equestrian disciplines, the RCMP said.
“RCMP Hanoverians are renowned for their exceptional temperament, athleticism and prestigious lineage,” the force said in a statement announcing the auction.
Among the horses being sold is Vimy, a “confident, brave and level-headed” young filly with a sensible nature, and Bravo, a six-month-old stallion with “fluid, supple movement with remarkable suspension” that could be “an exciting prospect for the serious competitor.”
Then there’s Legal, a “striking” 11-year-old mare who is no longer up to the physical demands of the Musical Ride following surgeries on her left fetlock and left hock.
“She just doesn’t make our cut here at the Musical Ride,” explained Parent. “And she’s just not great with having so many horses close to her. We ride with 16 to 32 horses in very close proximity, and she just wasn’t handling that.”
But she remains an “affectionate and intelligent mare with a determined personality” that shows excellent form over fences — “careful, scopey, and confident,” according to her listing.
Having been trained for three hours a day, Legal and many of the other Hanoverians should make versatile sport horses.
“They’ve had a great foundation start, especially our older ones, but definitely our breeding, we are known for that,” Parent said.
“Owning one of these RCMP horses means becoming part of a living tradition that dates back to 1876,” the RCMP said in its statement.
Bidding on the horses will close over two days on Oct. 7 and 8.
The sires Earl, High Spirits and Morricone III have contributed the “frozen artificial insemination breeding doses” for which bidding starts at $100.
Proceeds from the auction are reinvested into the RCMP’s horse breeding program.
