In his 28 years policing, most in general duty, Sgt. Barry Kennedy has seen a lot. But the new officer in charge of the Chase RCMP detachment has also experienced policing from a particularly unusual perspective 害羞草研究所� atop a horse.
His adventures have included talking horses with Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle as well as galloping down an arena in Calgary害羞草研究所檚 Spruce Meadows while hanging around the neck of his steed.
Kennedy began his policing career in North Vancouver and his postings have included Ottawa, Vernon, Golden, McBride, Princeton and now Chase.
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His time in Ottawa was four years spent with the RCMP害羞草研究所檚 Musical Ride, a brand new vocation for him given that his knowledge of riding horses at the time didn害羞草研究所檛 go much beyond the words 害羞草研究所榞iddy-up害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所榳hoa.害羞草研究所� He applied because he害羞草研究所檚 from Ottawa, had seen the ride many times and thought he害羞草研究所檇 like to do it.
害羞草研究所淭he next thing you know, here I was on the ride, riding six hours a day,害羞草研究所� he says.
The training included the basics: walk, stop, turn around, go the other way 害羞草研究所� and circles.
害羞草研究所淢y instructor told us, 害羞草研究所榃e train by riding in circles. Not thousands of circles, tens of thousands of circles.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淲hen we went back to the stables I thought, 害羞草研究所極h, a straight line, finally a straight line, I害羞草研究所檓 so excited.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟
The ride toured Canada, the U.S., Europe and England.
Every year riders would get a new horse, so over the course of his term, Kennedy had four.
Along with the musical ride horse, the riders exercised another, as well as looking after three more.
There were 96 horses in total in the Ottawa stables, and the riders fed them four times a day, cleaned their stalls and groomed them.
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A highlight for Kennedy was staying at Windsor Castle for more than a week in 2000 and performing for the queen. He describes her as sharp as a tack, very inquisitive and talkative.
害羞草研究所淥ur horses were stabled with her horses and she rode every day害羞草研究所� She would come in when her horse was ready to go, talk with us and ask us about our horses. She was a good rider and she loved it, and she had a very keen interest in our horses as well.害羞草研究所�
When the officers arrived at Windsor Castle, they were informed of protocols.
害羞草研究所淒o not approach the queen, we were told. You can害羞草研究所檛 say, 害羞草研究所楬ey, Liz, come here, pleased to meet ya, I害羞草研究所檓 Barry,害羞草研究所� he quips.
害羞草研究所淵ou will see her walking around and, like the royal family, you can害羞草研究所檛 approach and call out to them. But you can speak if they speak to you. And there were places where you weren害羞草研究所檛 allowed to go.害羞草研究所�
Although they saw Queen Elizabeth every day, they didn害羞草研究所檛 see other royals.
The 40 people with the musical ride stayed in a dormitory, which Kennedy says was more like a big hotel over top of the stables.
害羞草研究所淓verything was stone, oak, teak, all polished, just how you害羞草研究所檇 picture it would be 害羞草研究所� it wasn害羞草研究所檛 run down, it was beautiful.害羞草研究所�
He said the queen would ride with her groomsmen, and security would follow at a distance. She used stairs to mount her horse, a luxury that Kennedy and his fellow riders weren害羞草研究所檛 allowed.
害羞草研究所淥ur bosses said, you will get on the old-fashioned way.害羞草研究所�
They spent time with the King害羞草研究所檚 Troop, whose horses would pull wagons and cannons, do intricate drills, never run into each other and then fire off a cannon.
害羞草研究所淲e were fascinated by their show and they were fascinated with ours.害羞草研究所�
In the daytime the Musical Ride would do shows for the local schools who害羞草研究所檇 come to the castle and, at night, for the whole week they were there, the queen would host equestrian shows which the town would come to watch, and they were part of that.
害羞草研究所淚 thought we were very privileged to stay in Windsor Castle 害羞草研究所� it was really an exciting opportunity that others didn害羞草研究所檛 get, kind of behind the scenes at Windsor Castle.害羞草研究所�
And did he get to see the queen害羞草研究所檚 famous corgis?
害羞草研究所淚 did not. We heard a lot about them though害羞草研究所� from the bobbies who had to run all over the place and catch them.害羞草研究所�
He explains the dogs would get out and run around and the bobbies would say: 害羞草研究所楾hey害羞草研究所檙e her babies so we run and get them.害羞草研究所�
Concludes Kennedy: 害羞草研究所淚t seemed like the corgis kept them busy.害羞草研究所�
Kennedy says the tour, which included Germany, Switzerland and England, wasn害羞草研究所檛 a holiday as they worked 10- to 12-hour days, six days a week, and on the seventh day, all 40 people would head to the laundromat to try to get their laundry done.
As for mishaps with the Musical Ride, Kennedy says he fell off about once a year, as did others.
One memorable fall was at Spruce Meadows in Calgary, a show that was going to be televised so he called his mom to let her know. At the end of the ride the horses line up and charge from one end of the arena to the other.
害羞草研究所淎way we go, except the horse in front of me doesn害羞草研究所檛 go.害羞草研究所�
His horse ran into it and he ended up almost at his horse害羞草研究所檚 ears. His horse then took off with him hanging off the side, his boot spur dug into the saddle.
害羞草研究所淒own I go into the dirt, rolling, and I have to run down.害羞草研究所�
Everybody on the ride was laughing, but Kennedy had a comedic comeback. 害羞草研究所淵eah, but does your mother know which one you are? You害羞草研究所檙e just a red coat out there, I害羞草研究所檓 the one rolling on the ground.害羞草研究所�
Although he road several horses, he remembers Badger 害羞草研究所� and it was apparenty mutual.
Kennedy found out by accident when he had a sore throat that Badger had a taste for Halls cough candies. He started rooting at Kennedy害羞草研究所檚 pockets, who finally gave him one.
害羞草研究所淗is lips were quivering, he loved it.害羞草研究所�
Badger害羞草研究所檚 search for cough candies became a bit of a habit.
After Kennedy left the ride, he went to watch it one day when he was posted in Vernon.
Badger was performing so he went up afterwards and called his name.
害羞草研究所淭he first thing he did was come over and he went for my pants pockets.害羞草研究所�
Despite all his travels, Kennedy says he and his spouse are happy to make Chase home.
They害羞草研究所檝e been eyeing the community for nine years, so when the position opened up, he took it.
They have four children and the two youngest will be with them in Chase.
害羞草研究所淲e liked it as it害羞草研究所檚 right on the lake and it looked like a nice community to live in. It害羞草研究所檚 also on the highway with quick access to bigger centres. We thought, 害羞草研究所淭his will be a nice place to go.害羞草研究所�
marthawickett@saobserver.net
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