Andrew Briscoe fell off the first horse he rode.
That November day in the nation’s capital in 2020 has become an ironic moment for Briscoe, who got back on the saddle and is now a member of the RCMP Musical Ride.
“The moment I fell off was the moment I realized that I had underestimated how challenging it is to ride horses,” Briscoe said.
The 40-year-old Ashern resident has come a long way since he chose to pursue a lifelong dream four years ago.
The RCMP Musical Ride, which is touring Manitoba this summer, made a stop in Carman last week, where 32 Calvary performed to promote the RCMP and help raise funds for local charities and non-profit groups.
The special unit of equestrians also celebrated 50 years of women in the RCMP on this night, which coincidentally fell on a year when the Musical Ride has an all-female supervisory staff.
It was a remarkable night to many, but perhaps none more so than Briscoe.
Briscoe grew up outside of Ottawa and curled out of the RCMP Curling Club, which shares a fence with the Musical Ride stables. As a 14-year-old he pondered what it would be like to tour the country riding horses for a living.
Briscoe joined the RCMP at 22 and spent 15 years policing parts of Manitoba — Ashern, Gillam, Morden — before joining Selkirk Traffic Services. During that time, he met his wife, had three daughters and grew to love Manitoba.
In 2020, the RCMP was taking applications to its Musical Ride unit. While Briscoe knew his wife and kids wouldn’t relocate to Ottawa while he took the training program, the opportunity meant too much to him to let it pass by when he was accepted.
“I figured that since I didn’t find too many happy people when I was in traffic services — only my boss on a good day whenever I came back with lots of traffic tickets — I thought coming to the Musical Ride I’d be able to meet lots of happy people, and it’s amazing how many people there are,” he said.
Briscoe underwent more than seven months of training — a five-week introduction course and a six-month intermediate program — in which he rode horses for 90 minutes twice a day, cared for the animals and learned about the history of the ceremonial troop.
It struck a chord with him when the RCMP celebrated 150 years of service last year and he was on a horse, what he treated as an ode to true mounties.
“To be part of such an iconic piece of Canadiana is just astonishing. I don’t want to use my horse’s name but it’s pretty Impressive,” Briscoe quipped.
“To be a part of this unit is such a unique thing, being a part of the positive relationships that are built between police and the communities. There isn’t any other police service in Canada or North America that I’m aware of that has a unit anywhere close to this. It’s so remarkable and incredible to be a part of this team.”
Riders in the Musical Ride typically change horses every year, but Briscoe is riding ‘Impressive’ for the second summer in a row since his designated horse, ‘Lexie,’ went for surgery.
Briscoe and Impressive have knit a tight bond since meeting in the intermediate module of the equestrian course in 2021. Save for a one-year stint with another horse in 2022, Impressive is one of the only horses Briscoe has known.
“Impressive, he’s just like us. Sometimes we struggle with confidence issues and sometimes Impressive also struggles with that. So it takes a little bit of extra love and reassurance from his rider telling him, ‘It’s going to be OK,’ Briscoe said. “He’s a very affectionate, sweet horse that I’m very ecstatic to be able to have for a second year.”
“He’s never let me down.”
Briscoe is now in his final season of a four-year term with the Musical Ride, which has also toured Ontario this summer.
In that time, he has attended countless parades, been a part of performances for dignitaries like the Governor General, met the King of England and represented Canada in the Colour Party.
Briscoe conceded it has been difficult at times to be away from his wife and kids — who still reside in Ashern — for weeks at a time. However, his family will typically meet him at several show stops across the country each summer and spend a few days with him, and that’s been made all the easier to do this year with him touring Manitoba.
“It definitely is difficult, anybody that has to travel away from home work. I think of myself as being pretty lucky, my wife and children have been able to come out to see us at different times,” Briscoe said.
“Having three daughters back in Ashern, I wish I could spend more time there, but with this opportunity, it’s one of those short-term pain for long-term gains. Throughout the rest of my career, I’ll be able to tell hopefully my great-grandkids about when I toured the country from coast to coast and met the current king of England. It’s quite the opportunity I’ve had.”
Briscoe will return to Ashern to resume normal police work in October for a temporary assignment, which will help him keep his placing skills up to date.
In the meantime, he will continue to ride out a dream.
Standard Photos by Lana Meier
