The touring RCMP Musical Ride is coming to Ponoka with some of the finest horses and skilled RCMP riders in the country showing off their stuff.
Committee chairman Barry Neath says Musical Ride organizers were so eager to be in Ponoka they decided to put on four shows at the Calnash Ag Event Centre this summer. There will be two shows a day July 19 and 20; one at 2 p.m. and one at 7 p.m. and Neath says he has taken ticket orders from Houston, TX and Belgium.
“It’s pretty interesting to talk to these people,” said Neath.
The event is a fundraiser project to build a new playground in Centennial Park and Neath says the matinee shows are almost completely sold out.
Housing these specially trained horses is not an easy job and Neath said they had to ensure the animals had an ideal barn and grains to eat. He says the Musical Ride planners feel the Heritage Barn at the ag centre is ideal for the animals.
The weekend promises to be full of entertainment with the Young Gunz Trick Riding team opening each Musical Ride performance.
“It’s a family show. They’re (attendees) going to be right up close,” said Neath.
But that’s not all; on Saturday there will also be demonstrations from puppies being trained at the Police Dog Training Centre in Innisfail. Neath says the puppies will be a fun addition to Saturday’s events.
Attendees will be allowed to meet with the riders and their horses after the show and will even get a chance to see the horses in the barns.
Corp. Travis Ogilvie, a Mountie run over by a one-tonne truck during a gun battle in Tofield earlier in the year, will be at all the shows and Neath says he will be their guest of honour. “He’s our special guest for all four shows.”
For more ticket information call 403-783-7410 or 403-783-8336.