Murray Wood: Who's hot and who's not
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A self-described Saskatchewan farmboy is readying himself for an unparalleled opportunity.
Sgt. Maj. Scott Williamson, riding master for the RCMP Musical Ride, has been an RCMP officer for almost 23 years, and part of the Musical Ride for 14. On Saturday, he’ll be part of the celebrations officially crowning the Commonwealth’s new monarch, King Charles III.
Now living in Ottawa, Williamson said he was born and raised in Saskatchewan and still has family in his hometown of Rocanville, just north of Moosomin.
“I’d always had an interest in the Musical Ride,” Williamson said, explaining he applied to be part of it during his second posting in Saskatchewan.
He transferred in 2004 to complete his secondary training with the Musical Ride, then toured around Canada from 2005 to 2007 before leaving for other duties.
Williamson returned as an instructor in 2013 and hasn’t left since. He called his time with the Musical Ride “incredible,” and said he loves the travel and new experiences the role offers.
“We go and stop and spend some time in these communities that are quite often the heartbeat of a province, or really the heartbeat of Canada, and get the opportunity to connect with them,” Williamson said.
Other special opportunities have arisen for him over the years, including a trip to Windsor Castle for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II last year.
“For a farmboy from Saskatchewan, to be doing things like this, they’re kind of pinch-me moments,” Williamson said.
When selecting who would participate in the coronation as representatives of the Musical Ride, Williamson said the first and foremost consideration was skill. He said riding in the parade is a challenge, and comes with the added element of being on horseback on streets lined by thousands of people.
Second was narrowing down candidates to those who would best represent and reflect Canada and Canadians.
He shared that two young women — one a long-standing RCMP officer, the other a younger officer from Nova Scotia — in addition to a man from Qalipu First Nation in Newfoundland and a man from Quebec were among those selected to ride in the coronation parade.
Williamson called them “incredibly well-deserving members and members that will reflect very positively on Canada.”
Preparations began for the group as soon as they arrived in England.
“It’s a lot of work,” Willamson said.
He explained that much of their work revolves around connecting with the horses they will be riding. They started by riding once or twice a day, Williamson explained, and then moved on to mimicking and rehearsing components of the coronation exhibition where the horses will be riding close beside each other for about two kilometres with one horse leading, largely led by one hand.
While nerves are “for sure” there, Williamson said he thinks it’s the right amount of nervousness to ensure people are working hard to prepare without becoming overwhelmed.
“Anybody would be lying if they said there isn’t a little bit of (nerves),” he shared, adding it’s especially true when considering how many people will be watching and rewatching the event around the world.
It’s not Williamson’s only time in the royal spotlight, however, having met Queen Elizabeth II on more than one occasion and participated in her funeral ceremonies. He called those “similar heart-pounding-through-chest moments.”
The preparations are exciting, too. Williamson said he is staying at Windsor Castle where the atmosphere is busy and filled with preparation and celebration.
“It’s important that we be present in the morning and really take it all in, because the last time this happened was 70 years ago,” he said.
— With files from 650 CKOM’s Lara Fominoff
