~~THE ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE~~
The Canadian Pacifice Railway (CPR) completed in 1885 was seen as a symbol of east meeting west, but reality was less romantic. Labour disputes and unrest, exhausting working conditions and political pressure made construction difficult. The NWMP were given responsibility for policing the travelling labour of the CPR. A special contingent of members, led by the renowned Inspector Samuel B. Steele, maintained the peace along the new iron road. Completion of the CPR opened up the west to a flood of new settlers, and under Commissioner L.W. Herchmer, the NWMP established a system of patrols and outposts throughout this vast territory.
By 1896 a new challenge appeared for the Mounted Police. The Gold Rush was on. The NWMP was in place before the hordes of enthusiastic miners came north, and by the height of the gold rush in 1898, the Yukon NWMP contingent had grown from 19 men to 285.
The NWMP, in 1904 renamed the Royal Northwest Mounted Police in recognition of outstanding service, had also begun to dispatch patrols to the high north, again establishing and protecting Canadian interests. In 1920, the Force absorbed the Dominion Police and was renamed the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The image of the Musical Ride, its movements a combination of power, precision and beauty leaves a lasting impression. The first known riding display by the Force, organized by Sergeant Major Belcher in 1876, used many of the same movements as the Ride of today. Based on the cavalry drill movements of the British military, the shows put on by the members and their horses became increasingly popular. Until 1966, every member of the Force underwent recruit equitation training, but now only those who apply and are accepted for duty on the Musical Ride learn how to ride in the Mounted Police tradition. The RMCP horse and rider is both a national icon and a living symbol of Canadian heritage.
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