Musical Ride makes last stop of year in Picton

PICTON, Ont. (28/09/12) RCMP officers take a short break at the Picton fairgrounds during the RCMP Musical Ride's last stop in Canada for the year of 2012. Photo by Matthew Blair.

By Matthew Blair

The RMCP Musical Ride was back at the Picton fairgrounds for a second time since 2008 this week, and drew more than 1,000 spectators during the two-day event.

Co-chair and event coordinator Mike Roy said Tuesday’s performance was scheduled for students, but everyone was welcome.

He said the former head rider for the musical ride, who is now a local resident, was able to pull some strings and get the event back to Picton.

An accident took place during the performance on Wednesday when there was a malfunction with the hardware on one of the horses. An officer fell off and was taken to local hospital. Roy said the officer was retiring from the ride within a week of the incident and believes he suffered a dislocated shoulder, but would be alright.

The Wednesday night show started off with a half-hour musical presentation by two local groups, The Frere Brothers and Instant Rivalry.

“It’s a great evening for people to get out and enjoy the entertainment. A lot of people get to see something they might only get to see once or twice in their lifetime,” said Roy.

The funds raised from the event go back into the community.  He said the city would love to host the for a third time in the future.

“The ride only performs so many times each year. This is actually the last event in Canada for 2012, but I’m sure a few years down the road there will be interest in bringing it back, but I’ll let someone else organize it by that point in time.”

The musical ride travels to countries as far as the U.K and Germany performing for thousands of people each year