A Ride in the Park!

Our Vancouver Division Vice-President Gordon Cave, Reg # 36045, was searching through some old boxes and found some black and white photos taken in Regina in September 1954.  His father Ralph Cave, Reg # 16736, a long-time member of the Vancouver Division and a well remembered member and Riding Master of the Musical Ride was partaking in the jumping events.   The pictures were probably taken by Ralph’s wife with the family Kodak Brownie.   Taken from a long distance, the photos still give a good idea of what members did to “earn their spurs!”

​Recruits posted to assist if required, note the brown fatigues and “whitewall” haircuts.  Many horses can be seen in the background.  Displays like this no doubt made a nice break in training for recruits and staff families.

Below:  What the Roman’s could do; the Mounted Police can do just as well!  In Roman riding, the rider stands atop a pair of horses, with one foot on each horse.  Roman riding is one of the older forms of riding, and was performed during the time of the Roman Empire.

Good thing there was no such thing as the Canada Labour Code back in the 1950s!  Imagine if they saw RCMP members and their horses jumping through burning hoops with no protective gear other than a brown fatigue jacket and forage cap.

Below a horse and rider are heading north to south:

Below: another run – south to north

I wonder if the horse needed some special grooming after the demonstration to remove singed hair?

Recruit’s can’t catch a break…. a couple of card games are disturbed!

“Sorry to break up the card game fellows!  Watch out for the hooves!”

A tip of the old Stetson to former Riding Master S/Sgt. Ralph Cave

Rev: 2019-07-13

Ric Hall 24394/O.1330