RCMP Musical Ride hits close to home

By Melissa Piche Times Contributor

For most people, appearing on national currency is a once-in-a-lifetime event. For John Bland, a longtime Wheatland County resident and former member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Musical Ride, it’s part of a career full of unexpected honours.

Bland joined the RCMP in 1964 and found himself on the prestigious Musical Ride just a year later by complete surprise.

“It was unexpected,” he recalled. “When I took my recruit training in those days, we trained on horses. Unbeknown to me, my instructor put my name in as a candidate. I was stationed in Cloverdale, B.C. and when I got called and told I was going to the ride, it was a shock.”

He served two full years, 1966 and 1967, a time when the Musical Ride primarily toured Canada. The highlight of his service came during Canada’s Centennial year. “Part of this honour was that in the early ’70s, the Canadian $50 bill featured a picture from the 1967 ride. I’m in that picture,” he said with a smile.

One of Bland’s most treasured memories involves a horse named Burmese.

“In 1966, the horse I rode was the first the RCMP gave to the Queen,” he said. “In later years, the Queen unveiled a bronze statue in front of the Regina Parliament Buildings of her riding that horse. I was there for that unveiling.”

During his time with the Musical Ride, Bland had the opportunity to travel across the country, meet dignitaries and even mingle with celebrities. 

“We spent a month at Expo ‘67 in Montreal,” he explained. “Wayne Newton was there with his horses, stabled with us, and he partied with us. Where else would I have personally met and partied with Wayne Newton?”

After completing his stint on the ride, Bland returned to Alberta, serving in Banff, Hanna and with the Calgary GIS before settling in Wheatland County, where he has lived for over 50 years.

During the recent Strathmore Stampede, Bland was honoured by the RCMP and the Strathmore & District Agricultural Society.

“It was a very nice gesture,” Bland said. “They presented me with a well-used Musical Ride horseshoe. It may not sound like much, but it’s pretty special to me.”

Bland said that he was honoured to be chosen to for the Musical Ride and to this day he cherished that time in his career. 

“I made lifelong friendships, people that I’m still in touch with,” he said. “Just an overall, I think a tremendous experience and a pretty tight alumni. How many people have done that?”

When asked about advice for young people considering the RCMP, Bland was straightforward. 

“First and foremost, I don’t think you join the RCMP to ride the Musical Ride. You join the RCMP to be a policeman,” Bland explained with pride. “I would encourage young people to look into it and join the RCMP and from there they can apply to join the Musical Ride.” 

For Bland, the Musical Ride was more than a posting – it was an unforgettable chapter in a long career.

“We worked hard, we played hard,” he said. “We made lifelong friendships.”