RCMP horses add Canadian touch to Queen's 90th birthday party

The RCMP Musical Ride and Canada's own Tenors vocal quartet will be part of a cast of 1,500 people and 900 horses set to perform for Queen Elizabeth on the grounds of Windsor Castle on Sunday.

Dubbed "Her Majesty's 90th Birthday Party," the show just outside London will highlight her lifelong love of horses.

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"I never would have thought that I would ever be here," RCMP Const. Ashley Taylor told CBC News in Windsor, standing next to Viper, a 15-year-old gelding she performs with on the Musical Ride.

"These guys are the stars of the show," she said, pointing to the 36 horses the Mounties brought to England. "We're just the ones that sit on their backs."

The Queen has a long history with the Mounties' horses.

Her favourite among all her horses over the years is said to be Burmese, a black mare given to her by the RCMP in 1969.

The Queen rode the Canadian horse during Trooping the Colour, the official June celebration marking her birthday in London, for 18 consecutive years.

Taylor says some of the horses in Windsor have performed for the monarch in the past. The Musical Ride last travelled to perform for the Queen in 2012 for her Diamond Jubilee celebration. 

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"I think a lot of [the horses] will just say: 'Sit back, relax' to the young ones and 'We'll show you how it's done,' " Taylor joked.

Let the party begin

The show, one of several events celebrating the Queen's milestone birthday that occurred on April 21, debuted Thursday night in Windsor and runs until Sunday.

On the final night, the Queen herself will attend, along with her husband Prince Philip, her son Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and other members of the Royal Family.

Taylor says this weekend's performances will be specially adapted from the Musical Ride's normal 28-minute show. The Mounties will wear a special red serge when the Queen is in attendance.

Taylor says she's honoured and excited "to represent all Canadians and be part of this team and give [the Queen] a birthday present."

Other performers and horses have travelled from as far as Australia, New Zealand, Azerbaijan and Chile.

"Watching the horses choreographed to your singing is a thrill," said the Tenors'  Victor Micallef. "We all get the chills when we're singing up there."

The Tenors have performed for royalty before, but "the nerves are always high when you're singing for Her Majesty and the family," Micallef said.

A royal passion

Even at 90, the Queen still displays a keen interest in horses, after having many of her own and attending countless horse shows.

She smiled from ear to ear Thursday when her horse Barber's Shop won at a thoroughbred show in Windsor. The Queen appeared amused when she was presented with the modest prize: a £50 ($93 Cdn) gift card for British grocery store chain Tesco. 

She reportedly normally distributes her winnings to the staff involved in the training and breeding of her horses.

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