It hasn’t happened for 12 years in Red Deer, but the RCMP musical ride is here on Sunday, August 1. And all is well.

“All the horses are fit and healthy,” says Tara Heppell, fund development manager for the Central Alberta Women’s Emergency Shelter (CAWES).

“There was a lot of media coverage that the ride was cancelled at the Calgary Stampede and Spruce Meadows because one horse had equine strangles (a highly infectious horse disease not dangerous to people), so a lot of people assumed the ride was cancelled here too. We’ve received a lot of feedback that the show is cancelled, but they are coming and we want to make the RCMP proud to be performing in Red Deer.”

The colourful Canadian traditional ride is a fund-raiser for CAWES and will be preceded by a demonstration from the Bowden RCMP dog training depot at 2:30 p.m. at the ENMAX Centrium at Westerner Park.

The famous RCMP ride includes 32 horses and riders performing cavalry drills choreographed to music. It was developed in 1876 by the North-West Mounted Police to display their riding skills and entertain the public.

All members of the show are police officers and, surprisingly, most have no prior riding experience. The shows are enjoyed by thousands of people every year.

Ian Wheeliker, executive director of CAWES, in welcoming the show to Red Deer, says, “The shelter maintains a strong relationship with our local RCMP detachments. They provide outstanding support for the work we do everyday here at the shelter.”

Tickets are available for $8 for children and $12 for adults plus fees at Ticketmaster or at the door.