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 鈥� atop a horse.
His adventures have included talking horses with Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle as well as galloping down an arena in Calgary鈥檚 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鈥檚 Musical Ride, a brand new vocation for him given that his knowledge of riding horses at the time didn鈥檛 go much beyond the words 鈥榞iddy-up鈥� and 鈥榳hoa.鈥� He applied because he鈥檚 from Ottawa, had seen the ride many times and thought he鈥檇 like to do it.
鈥淭he next thing you know, here I was on the ride, riding six hours a day,鈥� he says.
The training included the basics: walk, stop, turn around, go the other way 鈥� and circles.
鈥淢y instructor told us, 鈥榃e train by riding in circles. Not thousands of circles, tens of thousands of circles.鈥�
鈥淲hen we went back to the stables I thought, 鈥極h, a straight line, finally a straight line, I鈥檓 so excited.鈥欌��
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.
鈥淥ur horses were stabled with her horses and she rode every day鈥� 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.鈥�
When the officers arrived at Windsor Castle, they were informed of protocols.
鈥淒o not approach the queen, we were told. You can鈥檛 say, 鈥楬ey, Liz, come here, pleased to meet ya, I鈥檓 Barry,鈥� he quips.
鈥淵ou will see her walking around and, like the royal family, you can鈥檛 approach and call out to them. But you can speak if they speak to you. And there were places where you weren鈥檛 allowed to go.鈥�
Although they saw Queen Elizabeth every day, they didn鈥檛 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.
鈥淓verything was stone, oak, teak, all polished, just how you鈥檇 picture it would be 鈥� it wasn鈥檛 run down, it was beautiful.鈥�
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鈥檛 allowed.
鈥淥ur bosses said, you will get on the old-fashioned way.鈥�
They spent time with the King鈥檚 Troop, whose horses would pull wagons and cannons, do intricate drills, never run into each other and then fire off a cannon.
鈥淲e were fascinated by their show and they were fascinated with ours.鈥�
In the daytime the Musical Ride would do shows for the local schools who鈥檇 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.
鈥淚 thought we were very privileged to stay in Windsor Castle 鈥� it was really an exciting opportunity that others didn鈥檛 get, kind of behind the scenes at Windsor Castle.鈥�
And did he get to see the queen鈥檚 famous corgis?
鈥淚 did not. We heard a lot about them though鈥� from the bobbies who had to run all over the place and catch them.鈥�
He explains the dogs would get out and run around and the bobbies would say: 鈥楾hey鈥檙e her babies so we run and get them.鈥�
Concludes Kennedy: 鈥淚t seemed like the corgis kept them busy.鈥�
Kennedy says the tour, which included Germany, Switzerland and England, wasn鈥檛 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.
鈥淎way we go, except the horse in front of me doesn鈥檛 go.鈥�
His horse ran into it and he ended up almost at his horse鈥檚 ears. His horse then took off with him hanging off the side, his boot spur dug into the saddle.
鈥淒own I go into the dirt, rolling, and I have to run down.鈥�
Everybody on the ride was laughing, but Kennedy had a comedic comeback. 鈥淵eah, but does your mother know which one you are? You鈥檙e just a red coat out there, I鈥檓 the one rolling on the ground.鈥�
Although he road several horses, he remembers Badger 鈥� 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鈥檚 pockets, who finally gave him one.
鈥淗is lips were quivering, he loved it.鈥�
Badger鈥檚 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.
鈥淭he first thing he did was come over and he went for my pants pockets.鈥�
Despite all his travels, Kennedy says he and his spouse are happy to make Chase home.
They鈥檝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.
鈥淲e liked it as it鈥檚 right on the lake and it looked like a nice community to live in. It鈥檚 also on the highway with quick access to bigger centres. We thought, 鈥淭his will be a nice place to go.鈥�
marthawickett@saobserver.net
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