RCMP present Queen with horse named George
Last Updated: Saturday, May 16, 2009 | 7:35 PM ET
CBC News
George is the Queen's fourth horse from the Mounties. (CBC)The Mounties presented an easy-going horse that used to be named Terror as a gift to the Queen during a ceremony at Windsor Castle in Berkshire on Saturday night.
The horse was renamed George, in honour of the Queen's grandfather, King George V.
During the presentation ceremony, 13 members of the RCMP Pipes and Drums Band came onto the riding arena just before the finale of the Royal Tattoo and played The Maple Leaf Forever.
Then George and Saint James, the horse that the RCMP gave Her Majesty in 1998, were ridden out into the field and approached the box where the Queen was seated.
The Queen came forward and was presented with the horse by RCMP Commissioner William Elliott.
Canadian-born actor Leslie Nielsen — whose father was a member of the RCMP — narrated a two-minute video that included still images and video of the past presentation to the Queen of the other three RCMP horses.
RCMP Supt. Greg Peters said George, a nine-year-old black gelding, is the best of the horses from the RCMP's Musical Ride.
The police service horse turns nine on Monday — Victoria Day — stands 17 hands high and weighs 624 kilograms.
The Canadian police force gave the Queen a horse named Burmese in 1969, and George is related to Burmese through his bloodlines.
George is also related to two other horses the RCMP gave to the Queen in 1973 and 1998.
The mild-mannered George spent three years in the Musical Ride, the drill cavalry team that performs across Canada, including a turn as lead horse last year. His original name was chosen in the Mounties' Name That Foal Contest in 2000.
With files from The Canadian PressShare Tools
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