Dave Rooke didn’t get his Christmas present until Friday, but the retired RCMP staff sergeant said it was worth the wait.
Rooke, whose idea it was in 1973 to have the Mounted Patrol perform a Musical Ride, returned to Fort Macleod on Canada Day to watch the first performance of the season.
“At Christmas my son asked me what I wanted to do and I said find out if the Musical Ride is on,” Rooke said. “If it is, I want to go.”
Rooke joined about 300 other people Friday morning to watch the inspection and debut ride.
Fort Macleod Historical Association president Bob Gunn said the Fort Museum is proud to have been able to keep Rooke’s vision alive for half a century.
“It’s just amazing that through all these years we’ve been able to continue his dream, which I think everybody enjoys,” Gunn said. “It’s just a wonderful feature for the Fort Museum.”
Rooke, who joined the Mounted Police in 1955, came to Fort Macleod from Morrinville and served here from 1972-’77. He was initially in charge of highway patrol but took command of the detachment when the previous sergeant transferred to Calgary.
When it was intially started, the Mounted Patrol’s duty was to parade back and forth on Main Street and on side streets to promote the Fort Museum.
After learning about the Fort Museum’s Mounted Patrol, Rooke suggested the riders could be trained to perform a musical ride.
Rooke volunteered to train the Mounted Patrol using skills he developed in RCMP training.
“When we rode in training you didn’t realize what you were doing until you finished, but we did Musical Ride movements and always in an arena,” Rooke said.
Rooke, along with Const. Arnie Brooks and Const. E.R. Wheeler, trained the Mounted Patrol in the intricate patterns of the Musical Ride.
“What they did today was what I taught them 50 years ago,” Rooke said following the 2022 debut of the Musical Ride.
The Mounted Patrol, wearing replica uniforms of the 1878 North West Mounted Police, saddled up on eight black horses.
A crowd of about 400 people turned out to watch that first Musical Ride performed by Sgt. Neil Balkham, Cpl. Monty Wesley and troopers Kevin McKenna, Darrell McKenna, Larry Lauder, Rob Abramenko, Jack Lemire and Dexter Knoblick.
“The intricate drills were new to both horse and man, but true to the tradition of the Force they are honouring, the manouevres were well executed,” The Macleod Gazette reported on June 21, 1973.
After leaving Fort Macleod, Rooke spent two years at the Athabasca detachment and retired as staff sergeant after 25 years with the RCMP.
Rooke then went to work for Canada Post in security and investigations for 15 years until retiring for good.
Rooke and his wife attended the 25th anniversary of the Musical Ride, and he came six years ago with his sons to see it again.
“I’m amazed, to be quite honest,” Rooke said of the Musical Ride continuing close to 50 years later. “It’s an expensive proposition for the Fort.”
