Musical ride fans are about to have another equestrian performance troupe to cheer on, and one with a good cause. The Ontario Mounted Special Service Unit (OMSSU) has been named the official mounted unit of Breast Cancer Canada.
Like the world famous Royal Canadian Mounted Police Musical Ride, the OMSSU mounted unit will also perform a choreographed ride to music ‒ the difference being the OMSSU version will be performed at various fundraising events for Breast Cancer Canada. The OMSSU call their national drill team the Canadian Cavalry and they have performed across North America, including at the Mounted Police Colloquium in Lexington, Kentucky.
Ontarians might already be familiar with the officers who ride in their communities. “We are a nationally recognized team of twenty mounted ambassador officers that have provided patrol to events such as the Ancaster Fair, Lindsay Ex, Erin Fair and the Lansdown Equine Expo, in addition to Trail Ride for Breast Cancer, Hooves for Hospice and other fundraiser events,” says Cindy Fuerth, OMSSU CEO and a municipal law enforcement officer.
The OMSSU was founded in 2016 and offers equestrians a chance to serve their communities through volunteering and seasonal employment. The group offers service horse accreditation, mounted safety patrols, search and rescue/recovery services including air scent tracking, educational programs, and equine-based emergency response training and deployment to every community in Ontario. And now, the group’s profile will grow due to its new affiliation with the breast cancer non-profit.
“We have been blessed with this incredible opportunity to be the Official Mounted Unit of Breast Cancer Canada,” Fuerth says. “We are excited and honoured to be able to support this cause, help events attain their goals, keep communities safe during these events and help the event gain exposure.”
This year will see a “soft launch” for OMSSU’s Canadian Cavalry national performances that will evolve into a 2024 National Tour.
“Cancer touches and impacts everyone lives. Some of the officers are breast cancer survivors, and other officers have mothers and female friends and relatives who are survivors,” explains Fuerth. “The equestrian world is 77.4% women; these women are passionate about family, friends, and of course, horses.”
