Canada’s own Lord Strathcona’s (Royal Canadians) Mounted Troop made their debut at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair this week and visitors got a glimpse into Canadian history that dates back to the 1900’s when the Canadian Forces regiment was wholly horse mounted.

Troop Ride Master and Troop Warrant, Sargent Paul Kruhlak, says they’re enjoying their stay in Brandon, and have come to enjoy the sheer size of the Keystone Centre. “It’s pretty cool so far! You know we’ve done the PNE (Pacific National Exhibition) in Vancouver a couple of years ago and we’ve been at a few pretty big rodeos but this, by far, has been so big and it’s a lot bigger scale than what we’re used to.”

The 20 riders dressed in period uniform, perform a musical ride with cavalry-type maneuvers with the horses moving in between each other in different formations. They then lead into the “tent-pegging” portion of the performance.

“Tent-pegging is where we lay the pegs on the ground,” explains Sgt Kruhlak, “and the riders gallop towards the centre, each with a sabre or a lance, picking up pegs. It’s kind of a sport the Cavalry used to do in history. It will be thrilling for the crowds to see because I don’t think they would have seen this a lot. We’re the only mounted troop that does the “tent-pegging” still in Canada. So, it’s a real good treat for them to see.”

The Lord Strathcona’s (Royal Canadians) Mounted Troop was birthed by Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal, of Mount Royal in the province of Quebec in the Dominion of Canada in 1900. The regiment was formed by men, born and bred in the saddle; able horsemen recruited to be sent overseas to the war in South Africa to support the British foot soldiers in their battle against the Boers. The legendary Sam Steele was the first Commanding Officer for the regiment and led the troop in that war in South Africa. Their battle days continued later in France during World War I.

Though they are Canadian Forces members, the troop receives no funding from the Department of National Defense. The Strathcona Mounted Troop Foundation relies heavily on generous donations and honorariums received from show sponsors.

The Mounted troop regiment currently trains and resides in Edmonton, Alberta.

Visit their website at www.strathconas.ca for more information.