Day 4

Sport and pleasure horses not only lived at private stables in residential homes in Halifax but some horse owners stabled horses at the Old Exhibition Grounds, the Forum on Windsor street in Halifax. The horse stabling was underneath the grandstand. Locally-famous horse breeder and Halifax Alderman, Frank Adams, kept a small group of saddle horses at the Exhibition Grounds. In 1930, Adams hired a man by the name of M.B. Dick Zwicker to supervise the training and management of the horses and to teach equitation riding lessons. In 1932, Dick Zwicker was instrumental in establishing the Halifax Riding and Driving Club to “develop interest in the breeding and showing of horses and the improvement of riding in Nova Scotia”. Both men and women belonged to the club. This legacy has continued and Nova Scotia is now home to a number of top-level breeders of show horses.   

The first photo shows ten horses and riders standing in front of what appears to be the Forum building. The second photo shows two female horses, one mounted on a grey horse, and one on a dark horse, in front of the grandstands at the Old Exhibition grounds. The third photo shows three young riders in front of what appears to be the stables.

*NOTE: Approved riding helmets should always be worn when mounted* 

Day 5

The Halifax Riding and Driving Club organized monthly riding activities throughout Halifax. Club convenor, Enid Johnson, recorded that the first events included a moonlight ride and a scavenger party. In 1934, the club rode around Citadel Hill past the town clock. The photos show a glimpse of how Halifax has changed over the decades! 87 years later, and the tradition of horses in Halifax continues.

The first three photos show a group of horses and riders riding around Citadel Hill. The town clock features in two of the photos. The fourth photo shows the original records from the first meeting of the Halifax Riding and Driving Club.
*NOTE: Approved riding helmets should always be worn when mounted* 

Day 6

The presence of horses on the Halifax North and Central Commons was a common sight in the 1930s. Green space in urban areas is critical to the health of citizens and having horses as part of that urban flora and fauna also supports the wellbeing of residents. We treasure the fact that the #horsesofhalifax continue this heritage and tradition from the past while also serving the people of HRM in the present. 

This reminds us of how Planifax started their 2017 video regarding the Halifax Common Master Plan with the tradition of cattle grazing on the common. Video here:

This photo showing 22 horses and riders from the Halifax Riding and Driving Club standing on the commons in front of the Armoury in the early 1930s was donated to us in 2017 by the daughter and niece of two former members (Marn and Helen, 5th and 7th from the left).  Dick Zwicker and Enid Johnson are also likely in this photo. 

*NOTE: Approved riding helmets should always be worn when mounted*

Day 7

Maurice Benjamin “Dick” Zwicker, who helped establish the Halifax Riding and Driving Club was born in 1894 in Halifax. His father had opened Zwicker’s Art Gallery, the first commercial art gallery in the Maritimes, in 1886. It was Dick’s father who taught him to love and appreciate art, music, horses, and dogs. Dick attended the Nova Scotia Technical College intending to be a research chemist but found it wasn’t the career for him. Instead, working with horses and dogs became his focus and by the early 1930s, he had made a name for himself as a well-known Halifax horseman.  

The first photo shows Zwicker with three large dogs. In the second photo, Zwickers is on horseback while holding the leash of two dogs. It appears they are standing on the southern tip of Point Pleasant Park looking over to the mouth of the harbour.

Day 8

Dick Zwicker was an accomplished (and daring) rider. In 1934, he won the jumping sweepstake at the Nova Scotia Provincial Exhibition with “Paddy Patch”. The newspapers caught a photo of the pair jumping a wooden chair, a stunt that reflected Zwicker’s ability to raise cheers from a crowd. The stunt became the icon and logo for the Halifax Riding and Driving Club. 

The first photo shows a newspaper report with a photo of a horse jumping. The second photo is another newspaper article with a photo of a horse jumping a chair. The third photo is of the logo.

Day 9

Under the Halifax Riding and Driving Club, Zwicker taught children and adults equitation riding lessons. He was known to be a thorough instructor and in 1936, a new idea came to him which would combine this appreciation for horses, riding, and music.  

The first photo shows three girls on horseback in the 1930s. The Exhibition Grounds track seems to appear in the background. The second photo shows two girls on horseback. 

  *NOTE: Approved riding helmets should always be worn when mounted* 

Day 10

By 1936, talk of war was looming as world politics changed with the rise of fascism in Germany. Zwicker astutely recognised that in a time of war, although adults would be likely to neglect hobbies, parents would try to continue providing sources of sport and play for their children. Zwicker decided to focus his time on instructing children. Yet this gave him a troubled sense as he felt there needed to be a higher goal for which the children could aim. Ever focused on progress, the answer came to Zwickers: a drill team! The children would ride in a series of shapes and perform “drills”, focusing on precision and accuracy while developing their horsemanship and riding skills! 

Day 11

The junior drill team, consisting of 12 youth riders and twelve ponies of all shapes, sizes, and colours, performed a series of crossover figures and circular exercises at various local gymkhanas. Zwicker wanted to raise the bar and combined his appreciation for horses, music, and art to transform the drill team into a planned and precise pageant called the “Musical Ride”. Patterns were laid out, riders were matched with mounts best suited to their abilities, and ponies were paired according to colour and height. The junior riders, uniformed in a reddish brown coat, black cap, white gloves, dark brown jodphurs and black or brown boots, would ride the patterns to music. The Musical Ride was born and would soon be ready for its first performance.

Each year when we begin the “Making of the Musical Ride”, the process of laying out patterns, matching riders to horses, and pairing horses by colour and height are the first steps in forming that year’s Musical Ride. Although the number later changed to 16 horses and riders, our modern Musical Ride harks back to the early days with horses and ponies of all different shapes, sizes, colours, and breeds.

These photos show a series of ponies and riders including: Sally Oland on “Peggy” and Bernard Casey on “Dot”, Mary O’Byrne on “Melody”, Patsy Jones on “Lady J.M.”, Peter Gordon on “Billie S.I”, Junior O’Byrne on “Noise”.

Source: The Lance of Goodwill and Lancer archival material.

Day 12

With the newly crafted Musical Ride, in the summer of 1936 (exactly 85 years ago) Zwicker decided to approach the Nova Scotia Provincial Exhibition for a performance spot in the program. Plans were confirmed and the Ride would perform every evening at the opening of the Horse Show. On September 25, 1936, the band began to play “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” and through the gates of the Forum rode twelve young children and ponies who performed the patterns Zwickers had taught them. Halifax had become home to the very first youth Musical Ride in the country. 

This photo shows the very first Musical Ride with twelve ponies and riders plus two riders standing on the ground holding two dogs. Dick Zwicker proudly stands in the middle. The photo is labeled, in original writing, “The First Musical Ride by children. Halifax Ex. 1936. Stanley King, Vernon Gordon, Nancy Jones, Patsy Jones, Lois Brenton, Louise Fraser, Barnard Casey, Sally Oland, Drew Harvie, Condon MacDonald, Mary O’Byrne, Junior O’Byrne, Standing - Graham Dennis, Peter Gordon, Dick Zwicker. Zwicker later liked to refer to the first Musical Ride as the “Old Guard”. 

Source: The Lance of Goodwill and Lancer archival material. *NOTE: Approved riding helmets should always be worn when mounted* 

Day 13

The Musical Ride performance at the Exhibition was an immediate crowd pleaser! Reports recorded that as the crowd’s loud applause echoed throughout the Forum, Teddy the pony decided to express his vim and vigor by ducking his head and kicking up his heels. Off his rider went and the crowd fell silent. Teddy’s little rider, however, decided to jump up, dash after the pony, get back in the saddle, and caught up with the rest of the ride. Newspaper reports the next day recorded “courage goes with youth and she was speedily back in the saddle again, and picking up the routine of the drill without hesitation, winning a rousing ovation”. 

Such behaviour of a cheeky pony or a shying horse has been seen in many other Musical Ride performances since but these always seem to win over the crowd. Working with large animals who have a mind of their own is the most fundamental part of the Musical Ride and each rider must not only have the technical skill and ability, but the patience, character, and determination to deal with what may come during a performance! These photos show the Musical Ride in action in 1936. 

Day 14

The Musical Ride, both then and now, requires much practice and preparation. After their big debut at the Exhibition, the Musical Ride continued to practice and prepare for future performances which, after the success of the first performance, were guaranteed! 

The modern day Musical Ride begins each year in the spring. Junior riders in Rides 1-5 (our more advanced rides) sign up and from this, sixteen riders are chosen to form the “Ride”. Riders with numerous years of Musical Ride experience are selected to be Leaders and those who are new to the Ride are often given the important role of spares, acting as under-studies and apprentices. Riders in rides 5-9 sign up as Honour Guards and begin their road to joining the Musical Ride. By the time a rider has become a Leader in the Musical Ride, they have spent sometimes 4-6 years learning and moving through the different roles in the Musical Ride. 

This photo shows eight junior riders on ponies performing patterns on horseback. The photo is labeled “October - 1936 Practice for Musical Ride” above a list of names: 

Vernon Gordon, Lois Brenton, Patsy Jones, Condon MacDonald, Bernard Casey, Graham Dennis, Nancy Jones, Stanley King

Day 15

In the spring of 1937, Zwicker and his young riders began practicing the Ride. New patterns were added and so too were some ponies from PEI that would be better matched in size and colour. As the ride movements became faster, Zwicker wanted better protection for the ponies’ legs and introduced white bandages. The white bandages became a quintessential part of the Musical Ride attire and are still used today. In 1937, the Musical Ride performed again at the Provincial Exhibition. 

These photos show the 1937 Musical Ride performance and particularly, the birth of the famed “cartwheel” pattern.

Day 16

By 1938, the Musical Ride had performed at the Provincial Exhibition for three consecutive years and had a growing and glowing reputation so much so that the judge from the light horse show at the Exhibition returned to Toronto with reports of the “smart performance” of the youth Musical Ride. The judge’s rave review led to the Secretary Manager of the Royal Winter Fair inviting the Musical Ride to perform at the Royal Winter Fair Horse Show, all expenses paid. 
Check back tomorrow for Day 17!

Source: The Lance of Goodwill and Lancer archival material.  *NOTE: Approved riding helmets should always be worn when mounted*

Day 17

The plans for the Junior Musical Ride to perform at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair were confirmed and on November 10, 1938, the sixteen ponies left for Toronto by train. The Musical Ride was moving onto the national stage! 

This first photo shows correspondence from the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. The second photo shows the Musical Ride with the names of the riders: 

Front row: Graham Dennis, Guy Misener,  Condon MacDonald, Helen Jones, Gibson Bauld

Second row: Patsy Jones, Jane McKeen, Paula Proctor, Kenneth Dauphinee, Leslie Ann Hayes,  Peter Gordon

Third row: Ralph Brenton, Katy Proctor,  Louise Fraser, Marjoria Schwartz

The third photo shows Condon MacDonald and Patsy Jones as the “Leaders” of the Musical Ride.

Day 18

The Junior Musical Ride performed in front of thousands of people at the Royal Winter Fair in 1938. After the first few performances, the junior riders, identifiable in their red coats, were greeted and congratulated as they traveled around the city meeting the Mayor of Toronto, and touring businesses such as the Globe and Mail.  

In newspaper reports from the Royal, Zwicker highlighted the fact that the ride was not based on military rides because the movements of the Junior Musical Ride were circular which actually made it more difficult for children. He noted, “Military rides are worked out on straight and square movements, which are not so difficult to follow as circles”. The modern Musical Ride still consists of circular movements.

Day 19

After the success in Toronto at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, the first performance outside Nova Scotia, the Junior Musical Ride rode into 1939 on a high note! The Musical Ride performed at the Nova Scotia Provincial Exhibition in 1939 but all would soon change with the outbreak of war. 

Day 20

On Day 20 of our 85 Days of Lancers, we honoured our past and took a step into our future. We officially changed our name to Halifax Lancers and presented a new logo. Our existing Lancer crest that has been our visual symbol for years will continue to be an important part of who we are (and will continue to be used for ceremonial purposes).

To read more about this change, click here.

Day 21

The outbreak of war in 1939 led to the end of talk about proposed trips for Musical Ride performances. By then, however, the Musical Ride attire had come to include a red jacket, khaki jodhpurs, brown boots, white gloves, paper helmets painted white with a red line and bamboo poles with ash leaves made of zinc as lance heads. Dick Zwicker, upon seeing the 1935 action Hollywood movie, “Lives of a Bengal Lancer”, had been inspired by the romance of the film’s riding scene. An article in the August 1957 The Atlantic Advocate which profiled the Musical Ride on its cover recorded, “It is a significant indication of the innocent romanticism of Dick Zwicker that in devising a uniform for his young riders he harked back to that simple saga of horses and Hollywood heroics called “The Lives of a Bengal Lancer” which had impressed him so deeply when it was shown in Halifax years previously. The Bengal Lancer name was not used officially for many years.”

Day 22

Although the war caused a pause in performances, in 1941, a “Parents Day” was held on the Wanderers Ground. The photo provides a rare sight of the current-day back of the barn and back paddock which now face the stadium on the Wanderers Grounds.

Day 23

The war also saw the creation of the Halifax branch of the Pony Club in 1940. It was the second Pony Club branch established in Canada after the Eglinton Hunt Branch in Toronto being the first in 1934. In 1940, riders from the Halifax branch participated in the first examinations held in Eastern Canada for the C certificate. Dick Zwicker and instructor Miss Enid Johnson prepared their riders well as evidenced by all 14 candidates succeeding in their certification. In 1941, the club held testing for the B certificate. The stable management and equitation tests from that year survive in the Lancer archives and are shown here.

Day 24

During the war, between 1943 and 1945, the Musical Ride participated in parades and Victory Loan shows in Grand Parade in #halifax to raise money for the war effort. Such Victory Loan shows, which happened across Canada, were a critical way the government financed the Second World War.

These photos show riders performing at Halifax City Hall. There are military tents and victory posters in the background.

Day 25

During the war parades, The Musical Ride had the special honour of following military regiments. It was reported that they were the only civilian group to be permitted to do this. For this community service, Zwicker received a thank you letter from the National War Finance Committee which congratulated the riders on their “fine show” and “immaculate” performance.

Day 26

By 1945, the war had ended and Zwicker once again set his sights on Musical Ride performances. By this time, most of the ponies were purposely black or brown. This became a defining feature of the Musical Ride. By 1946, the Musical Ride was back and ready to enter into the post-war period that would bring even more fame to the Ride.

Day 27

In 1946, The Equitation School of the Halifax Riding and Driving Club (which later became Lancers), became registered under the Trade Schools Registration Act to provide courses in “breaking and training horses, teaching riding and jumping, teaching dressage, first aid, stable management, minor ailments, and group class instruction”. Not long after, Zwickers received a letter from the Department of Veteran’s Affairs indicating that a veteran wished to become a equitation and horse master. In the postwar period, Canada offered training programs to veterans to help them readjust into civilian life.

Day 28

The wartime pause of the Musical Ride meant that by 1946 many of the riders had aged out and new riders had strong horsemanship skills but little knowledge of the Musical Ride. Zwicker made the best of the opportunity and redesigned the whole Ride and introduced new figures and patterns. The riders focused on learning the new Ride and in spring 1947, news came that the Musical Ride had been asked to perform at the New England Horse Show in Boston, a very significant event in the equestrian calendar. It would be the Ride’s first international performance and thorough preparations began! 

This photo shows Dick Zwicker reviewing plans for the Musical Ride with five riders. A horse also carefully studies the plans!

Day 29

As the first international Musical Ride performance, Zwicker left nothing to chance. Preparations were thorough, including the construction of a practice ring the same size as the arena at Madison Square Garden in Boston. Professional photographs of the Ride were taken for promotion in Boston’s newspapers and featured iconic locations such as the entrance to Citadel Hill that would represent Nova Scotia well.

The named list of Musical Ride pairs illustrates that by 1947, the ponies all had “melody” included in their name as a nod to the Musical Ride. Even new scarlet jackets were purchased and tailor-fitted to riders. But above all, the Boston performance would be the very first to use the name Halifax Junior Bengal Lancers.

Day 30

The 1947 Musical Ride performance at the New England Horse Show in Boston was in aid of the city’s Children’s Hospital Fund and the Lancer Musical Ride was sponsored by the Government of Nova Scotia in appreciation of the kindness and support given by the people of New England during the Halifax Explosion thirty years earlier in 1917. 

The Lancer ponies and riders traveled by train and were met with a grand reception. Mary Anne Marshall, on behalf of the city of Halifax, presented formal best wishes to Boston to the Governor of Massachusetts who in turn presented the Lancers with the “key to the city”. The young riders paraded at City Hall and toured many venues including the “Surrey Room”, a local radio station (pictured).  The Lancers became known as the young ambassadors of goodwill. The Musical Ride was not just a crowd-pleasing equestrian performance, it was an opportunity for youth diplomacy.

Day 31

The Musical Ride performed twice daily for the New England Horse Show in 1947 and never to a crowd smaller than 13,500 people! In total, their performances raised $53,000.00 for the Children’s Hospital. The Musical Ride had captured thousands of hearts and the Lancers had risen to international notoriety. The Mayor of Boston even sent a letter of thanks.

Day 32

In 1948, the Lancers had the great honour of practicing their Musical Ride in the square within Citadel Hill!

Day 33

By 1949, the stables on Bell road at the base of Citadel Hill had been home to Lancers for seven years. Although the Old Exhibition grounds at the Forum on Windsor street had been the first home to the Halifax Riding and Driving Club, the army had requisitioned the land at the Exhibition for the war effort in 1942. The horses moved to the stables on Bell Road, an architecturally unique building designed by George Lowe in 1908. It was one of the earliest concrete structures in the city. The Wanderers Grounds, Garrison Grounds, and Commons all became important sites where the Lancers would ride, train, and practice and perform the Musical Ride. 

In 2001, our stables, paddock, and arena received heritage status for their architectural and historical significance. A list of character-defining elements is listed below including the arched roof, a key feature of our new public logo. These photos show Lancers on the Garrison Grounds and Wanderers Grounds with the stables in the background.

The character-defining elements of the property include:

- stables, paddock, and an attached enclosed riding ring;

- central location between the Halifax Commons and the Public Gardens;

Character-defining elements of the main stable building include:

- concrete and concrete block construction with timbering;

- cement string course between storeys, 

- cement pilasters on the front façade;

- irregular angles of the building;

- wooden, arched-shaped roof rafters, and arched roof;

- large, six-over-one sash windows;

- oversized door openings to accommodate large animals.

To learn more about our heritage designation, click here.

Day 34

 In 1949, the Lancers were given regimental colours in honour of their support of the war effort by participating in war Victory Loan parades. Within military tradition, regimental “Colours” (flags) are the distinctive symbol of the spirit of the regiment. The colours encapsulate “battle honours and badges granted to the Regiment in commemoration of the gallant deeds performed by its members”. Regimental colours are not usually bestowed upon civilian groups so it was, and continues to be, a significant honour for the Lancers. The colours include the flag of Nova Scotia with a circular crest in the top left corner which includes symbols from the crest of Halifax. The colours of Lancers were officially red, blue, and crimson (gold).

The Lancers were supposed to be presented with their Regimental colours at the end of the Natal Day parade but heavy rain caused the event to be rescheduled for the next day. But at 2:30am the next morning, tragedy hit.

Day 35

At 2:30am on the morning the Lancers were to be presented with their regimental colours, a fire broke out and quickly, the hayloft was ablaze. Fire engines rushed to the stables but tragically, four ponies were killed (one of which was the lead pony) and nearly all the uniforms and equipment was lost in the fire. Even with this horrific event, the Lancers did what Lancers always do - they dusted themselves off, continued despite adversity, and showed up as their best. Stoically, eight of the 24 horses (after being cleared by the vet) and their riders in the Musical Ride managed to piece together makeshift uniforms, march down to the Children’s Hospital on Morris St. and receive their regimental colours. The MailStar headline read, “Junior Lancers Display Showmanship - A courageous ‘show must go on’ spirit was displayed”.

Day 36

As a result of the fire, the surviving horses were moved to temporary stables at the Old Exhibition Grounds which had been the first home to the Lancers. With the support of the Mayor, city council, and the people of Halifax, the stables were reconstructed and the Lancers moved back into the stables in November, four months after the fire. A reopening ceremony was held to mark the important occasion. Dick Zwicker, dressed in the Musical Ride uniform, is seen standing between the two men by the gate. Stories of the cause of the fire include faulty electrics and a member of the public sitting on the barn roof smoking a cigarette while watching a military demonstration on Citadel Hill. (This photo shows the southeast corner of the barn that fronts Bell road. The gate is now our fence to the back paddock).

Day 37

While 1949 brought heartbreak and adversity to Lancers, it also brought the joy of an invitation for the Musical Ride to perform at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. Again, the Musical Ride was a smash hit and the Lancers gained even more public notoriety! The Lancers went to City Hall, were presented with the key to the city by the Mayor of Toronto, toured around, and even took a trip to see Niagara Falls!

Day 38

In 1950, the Lancers rode in the Halifax Natal Day Parade. Generations of Haligonians have enjoyed seeing the horses and brightly-coloured riders in parades and at official municipal events over the decades.

Did you ever have the chance to see Lancers in a parade (or ride in one)?!

Day 40

The early 1950s marked more public successes for Lancers which in turn, enabled Zwicker to continue to make the sport of riding accessible to children. Creating even more nationwide notoriety, the National Film Board in 1950 made a movie entitled “The Life of a Lancer” that was shown in 25,000 theatres in 20 different languages and was also broadcast on TV in the United States and England.

By 1951, Lancers had grown to 55 junior riders and 34 ponies. Zwickers, being cognisant that riding was an expensive sport, worked hard and kept membership costs down to $15/month per child. In an 1953 article, Zwicker noted that it was “more than children whose parents are in modest income brackets can afford but it’s low enough that lots of youngsters can ride who otherwise would not have the opportunity”. Working to remain financially accessible to riders of all income levels by keeping our fees as low as possible continues to be a fundamental value of our Lancer organization today.

In the 1950s, Lancers received an annual grant of $1000 from the city because the Lancers were “a wonderful thing in Halifax”. On their performances in Toronto and Boston, Lancers had acted as unofficial yet unforgettable youth ambassadors for Halifax. Their presence in Toronto had been so memorable that even two years later, one individual recalled that seeing the Lancers had filled him “with an urge to visit Halifax as soon as possible” and referred to them as “the spirit of Halifax”.

85 years later, Lancers, or as we like to say, The Horses of Halifax, continue to be an attraction for tourists and residents alike.

 Day 41

In November 1951, the Royal Tour of Canada ended in the Maritimes and the Lancers were asked to perform their Musical Ride for Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip. Unfortunately, heavy rains caused the performance to be cancelled and instead, the Lancers were inspected by the Queen at the Forum. It was recorded that the Queen told the young riders, “We know all about you in England”. She urged them to cross the Atlantic to participate in big English horse shows and then asked for moving pictures of the Musical Ride to show at home. The event made it into newspapers as far away as London, England!

Day 42

While 1951 brought the highlight of meeting Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, it also was the year that Dick Zwicker suffered a stroke and was hospitalised. He recovered and on the day he left hospital, his Lancers were there to greet him, a heartfelt moment which was caught in these photographs.

Always determined, Zwickers created a system of pulleys that would hoist him into the air and the horse would walk beneath him so he could mount and continue to ride. Sadly, on April 24, 1954, Zwicker had a heart attack and passed away. He had devoted nearly two decades of his life to the Musical Ride and Lancers. His death was a pivotal moment in the history of Lancers not only for the loss felt by all those who knew him (both horse and human) but because the fate of Lancers itself hung in the balance.

Tune in tomorrow to our daily history to see how the horses, riders, parents, and Nova Scotia community rallied to save Lancers from an unknown fate. Today marks roughly halfway through our 85 days of Lancers and thus, Zwicker’s death marks a different era in the life of Lancers.

Day 43

**The campaign to SAVE LANCERS**

With Zwicker’s death in 1954, it was unclear if and how Lancers could survive. A public meeting was held in the city to explore possibilities of keeping the organization running. Newspaper articles reported that at the meeting, it became clear that “immediate financial aid was needed, in addition to a new instructor, or the Lancers would become a matter of history”. A “group of public spirited citizens” decided to elect a Board of Directors and incorporate Lancers as a non-profit riding school but operations could only continue if $10,000 could be raised. $2500 had to be available in cash by June 30, just two months after Zwicker’s death.

With a significant amount of money to raise even by today’s standards, a public campaign was launched to raise the funds and ran in the MailStar under the headline “We CAN keep the Junior Bengal Lancers in Nova Scotia if YOU help!” A group in Toronto offered to purchase the Musical Ride but the board of directors turned it down so Lancers would continue serving Nova Scotia. The campaign proclaimed the Lancers’ “untold value to this province” and implored “all who love and value horsemanship and for the kids’ sake” to contribute any amount to save the Lancers.

The campaign was successful; the idea of a Halifax without the brightly coloured youth riders was unthinkable to many and citizens raised $11,000 for the Lancers. With the horses, equipment, and organization saved, the next task at hand was to find a new instructor to lead the Lancers.

Day 45

In the early stage after Zwicker’s death, even with a new instructor and new non-profit status, Lancers still needed the energy and vibrancy it had always had and it was the riders and horses who would breathe that life. In August 1954, the board received a request via the Governor General’s office in Ottawa for the Lancers to perform the Musical Ride for Her Royal Highness the Princess Alexandra of Kent who had expressed interest in seeing the Lancers.

This would be the first significant public Musical Ride performance since Zwicker’s death and with only a short time to make it happen, the Board called on riders for their complete willingness and co-operation. Practices were held six days a week, rain or shine, with 100% required attendance for the “big effort”. The board wrote, “this is a splendid opportunity for the Lancers to prove spectacularly and conclusively their value to the city”. The riders, parents, and board illustrated their dedication and their performance for the Princess on the Garrison Grounds was a success.

Day 47

**The Lancer Hidden History has been Found**

Throughout our 85 Days of Lancers, have you wondered where we found our historical information and photos? We’re thrilled to finally reveal that much of it was recently donated to us by Lancer alumni, Elizabeth Johnson. For many in the Nova Scotia equestrian community, this well-known individual and her family need little introduction. What started as a way to make the best of a COVID lockdown has turned into a reunification of our history!

Elizabeth Johnson (née Egan) started riding at Lancers as a child in 1950. Elizabeth rode under the instruction of Dick Zwicker (1950-1954) and Marc Facey (1954-1961), was a leader in the Musical Ride, did “tent pegging”, and earned her Pony Club A certificate. In Halifax, she met her husband David Johnson who was also a rider and had formerly been a Lancer and performed in the Toronto (1938) and Boston (1947) Musical Rides. After leaving Lancers in 1962, she and her husband David bought Willowbank Farms in Port Williams, Nova Scotia. In 1963, with Mary Henry and Barbara McLaughlin, she started the Annapolis Pony Club (which later became two sub-branches: Avon and Fundy) and was the first chief instructor and district commissioner. This was just the beginning of a long list of personal accolades and achievements in the Canadian equestrian industry for Elizabeth! 

Elizabeth and David’s riding skill and passion for horses became a family affair and their four children, Andrew, Debbie, Margaret, and Rebecca have all been competitive riders in the hunters and jumpers and have all competed at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto. Debbie, Rebecca, and Elizabeth’s granddaughter Brooke still compete. 

A family tie of another kind, Elizabeth’s husband David was the nephew of Enid Johnson who played a critical role in the foundation of Lancers alongside Dick Zwicker. From the creation of the Halifax Riding and Driving Club in 1932 to the Musical Ride in 1954, the longstanding teamwork between Enid and Dick created the magic of Lancers. David, likely with some expert input from Enid, wrote the Lance of Goodwill, an early history of Lancers that we have also referenced in our 85 Days of Lancers. 

During lockdown in the spring of 2020, Elizabeth was cleaning out her basement and spent time organizing old files, newspaper clippings, and photos that pertained to the Lancers between 1932 and 1960. The rich historical material had been passed down through the Johnson family through Enid. In 2021, Elizabeth reunited Lancers with a real treasure trove of historical material and it has all been fundamental to the first half of our 85 Days of Lancers daily history campaign. Previously, our records from this early time were scant. Lancers, as an organization and as riders from the past, present, and future, shall be eternally grateful for this reunification.

Day 50

Under instructor Marc Facey, Lancers became more heavily involved in Canadian Pony Club including the 1958 National Pony Club Rally.

Day 51

In the 1950s, the Lancers continued to be a tourist attraction and point of pride for the Province of Nova Scotia and were even included in the Province’s tourist commercials and brochure “Nova Scotia: Canada’s Ocean Playground”.

Day 52

In 1959, Lancers performed the Musical Ride for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip on the Wanderers Grounds in what was called the “Royal Command Ride”.

Day 54

The Lancer Legion of Honour is growing thanks to Lancer Alumni who are sharing the names and photos of past Lancer horses who gave us so much and taught us many valuable riding (and life) lessons! We keep adding the horses to our Legion of Honour webpage and we are still looking for more names and photos! Share them by commenting below, sending info to claire@halifaxlancers.com or via the link on the webpage! (We continue to try to match the horses to their correct decades). Let's keep honouring the horses who gave us so much and taught us so many lessons.

Day 58

Over the years, Lancers have performed an honour guard at many places around #Halifax and have been profiled on many postcards such as this one! This postcard shows Lancers at Historic Properties at the waterfront.

Day 59

In 1979, this little book entitled, "If Wishes Were Horses", was written about Lancers and a young child wishing for a chance to ride. The author, Joan Craigie, wrote in the preface, "we realize our country's richest resources lies within our children".

42 years later, everyday at Lancers, we still witness the power of youth and we cherish all the time that we spend with our junior riders as we work to build better lives through horses.

Day 60:

In 1980, Lancer horses and riders were profiled in the Mail-Star’s “Salute to Equestrianism”. These newspaper photos capture many alumni who still have horses in their lives today

Day 61:

In 1982, Lancers launched a $75,000 appeal to raise funds to build a permanent indoor arena. Previously, there had been a “bubble” arena with a soft roof covering and that arena was badly damaged by storms. The appeal was successful and our arena was built and is still used today!

Day 62:

In 1986, major change came to the barn when the Halifax Police mounted unit moved to Point Pleasant Park in 1984 and the Lancer Board negotiated to lease the other half of the stables that was previously only used by the Police. $5000 was spent to install new box stalls, new plumbing, and fresh paint and the new layout remains the footprint of the Lancer stables

Day 63:

1986 was a busy year at Lancers with many events including two fantastic Musical Ride performances at the Atlantic Winter Fair.

Day 64:

Smiles, lessons, and lots of activities formed 1986 at Lancers including training shows, the Musical Ride, off-property shows, Pony Club, and the Spryfield Santa Claus Parade

Day 65:

In 1987, Equiganza was held on the Wanderers Grounds and featured a Musical Ride performance. That year, the Lancer Pony Club were Prince Philip Cup Games Nova Scotia Provincial Champions.

Day 66:

During the late 1980s, Lancers still performed Honour Guards and participated in parades in Halifax and sometimes Dartmouth as was captured in this newspaper photo of Angela Covert.

Many will know the Covert family in the Lancer, Nova Scotia, and Canadian equestrian community. Angela’s mother, Judy Covert , rode at Lancers as a youth and later served as a Director on the Board along with Angela’s dad, Bob. Angela’s sisters Tiffany and Samantha were also active in the Nova Scotia horse community. Angela has gone on to have a successful equestrian career and fulfilled her dream of representing Canada in international competition in 2010 when she rode as a member of the Nations’ Cup team in Argentina. Canada finished second!

Read more about Angela here: https://www.startinggate.ca/ourclients/Angela_Covert.htm

Day 67:

In 1988, the daily fun and magic of the Lancer community was captured in a yearbook style photo page!

Day 68:

Our Lancer Legion of Honour, which remembers and honours past Lancer horses, is growing as alumni contribute the names and photos of horses. Many people have submitted Grafs, Junkurs, Grasis, and Milliard from the ~1990s. These four horses were all from Latvia and we still have their original certificates from the “Ministry of Agriculture of the U.S.S.R”

Day 70:

Today, we look back at this great photo of a 1992 Musical Ride performance. We have just 15 days left in our 85 Days campaign which will culminate in our 85th Musical Ride performance that will take place on Sunday, September 26 at 3:00pm at the Garrison Grounds on the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site.

All are welcome and the event is free! Join us and experience the magic of the Musical Ride, feel the power of youth, and witness your community in action.

Day 71:

Day 71 jumps back to 1994 when Lancer calendars for 1995 were made and sold!

Day 72:

In 1991, Princess Anne visited Halifax and was treated to a Musical Ride performance. Princess Anne handed out red ribbons to therapeutic riders and those in the Musical Ride!

Day 73:

In the mid-1990s, Junior Lancers would ride to Saint Vincent’s Nursing Home to share Christmas wishes with residents!

We revived the tradition a few winters ago by walking Jake the pony there!

Day 74:

On Sunday, as part of our 85th anniversary, we held a memorial for Mr. Dick Zwicker who established the Musical Ride in 1936 and by extension, Lancers. We had a procession to Zwicker’s grave in Camp Hill Cemetery from the stables which included a riderless horse, two mounted Honour Guards, six Honour Guards on foot followed by many other Lancers.

Zwicker passed in 1954 and his funeral also featured a riderless horse which in historic tradition, symbolizes a fallen leader. The boots reversed in the stirrups represent the fallen leader looking back on their troops one last time. We repeated this tradition for Mr. Zwicker as he looks back on all Lancers who have experienced the benefits of horses since 1936 and now, us on our 85th anniversary.

We were delighted to have Elizabeth Johnson as our Guest of Honour. Elizabeth rode under Dick Zwicker from 1950-1954, was a leader in the Musical Ride, and was present at Zwicker’s funeral. In the cemetery, she shared powerful words and reflections of Mr. Zwicker, being a Lancer, and the positive impact horses have had on her life and that of her family. We laid a horseshoe wreath along with flowers on his grave and then rejoined the horses who were waiting outside the cemetery. It was both a moving and warming event that brought together the Lancer legacy over the generations!

Thank you, Liz Johnson and Debbie Graves for making the trip to Halifax from Port Williams!

Day 75:

In the mid-1990s (possibly 1995), Lancers were seen on the streets of Halifax and walked past Camp Hill Cemetery just as we did last Sunday for our memorial for Dick Zwicker!

Day 76:

As Nova Scotia will still be in Phase 4 on September 26th, our 85th Musical Ride performance has been relocated from the Garrison Grounds to our paddock. We will adhere to the 250 person gathering limit and any spectators will need to be socially distanced and masked. We will be hosting this performance as a virtual event. The Musical Ride has performed across Canada and in the USA and our 85th will now just mark our first worldwide broadcast so alumni and fans around the world can join the celebration and witness the magic of the Musical Ride.

Regrettably, Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra is unable to practice in Phase 4. We want to thank them for their offer of collaboration and we look forward to working with them in the future!

We intend to still make this a special and memorable event for our 85th anniversary! Our riders, volunteers, parents, staff, and horses have all put so much hard work into preparing the Musical Ride. This was not only our 85th-anniversary event but our first Musical Ride performance since the pandemic and the last Musical Ride for some junior Lancers. So, in the Lancer spirit of perseverance, the show will go on!

We will circulate an invitation for the live stream so stay tuned and please join in from around the world!

Day 77:

While not every event at Lancers involves horses, each one is an important part of our community spirit and often, fundraising effort. In the mid-1990s, Lancers held a public yard sale in the arena with free barn tours. The first photo shows that also on offer was “environmentally friendly compost” - aka grain bags filled with manure! We still get calls for manure!

Day 78:

In the late 1990s, the Horses of Halifax and their riders paraded from the stables to another civic event in the city.

We also love this photo because it shows our old building sign! Stay tuned for Day 85 for news on this front!

Day 79:

On such a beautiful September day, it is hard to think about winter weather but today’s archival photo from the early 2000s captures Lancers having the delight of riding in the snow!

We don’t often have snowfalls where the footing is good enough for riding but when we do, both the horses and riders still love the special treat of going for a trot in the fresh snow!

Day 80:

This photo from 2002 shows two wonderful souls who have given so much to the Lancer community. Many will recognise Belinda who was a junior rider and also taught as an instructor at Lancers up until very recently! The horse, of course, is the one and only Bud! Bud, who is known as Mr. Wonderful, has lived at Lancers for nearly two decades and is still so happy in his home teaching riders in our therapeutic, beginner, junior, and adult programs.

Bud will be making his appearance at our 85th Musical Ride performance this Sunday at 3:00pm in our paddock! For many years, Bud was in the Musical Ride and he has now graduated to the important role of introducing the Musical Ride with Angie, our Executive Director and Head Coach! Here is a more recent photo of Bud with one of our Junior riders

Day 81:

In 2003, the Musical Ride performed at the launch of the Lancer capital campaign to raise funds for building improvements including connecting the stables to the arena and constructing a purpose-made ramp for the therapeutic riding program.

The launch was 18 years ago and nearly exactly to the day of our 85th Anniversary Musical Ride performance which is this Sunday, September 26 at 3:00pm!

Day 82:

Our Musical Rider has been hard at work preparing for our 85th Anniversary performance this Sunday at 3:00pm at our paddock. The Musical Ride requires a great deal of practice and dedication which these riders who were in the 2004 Musical Ride can attest! We love this throwback list with the names of Alumni!

You can join us virtually for our 85th Musical Ride performance via a live stream link posted here on Sunday. We are grateful to J2K Properties for their Silver Sponsorship!

Day 83:

These great photos are of the Therapeutic Riding program in 2005, which was then known as Halifax Area Leisure and Therapeutic Riding (HALTR). Making riding accessible to all is one of our founding principles. We are so excited to have Megan Pegg, who has been riding at Lancers for 28 years, share at our 85th Anniversary Musical Ride performance how riding and horses have impacted her life!

Special thanks to Black & McDonald for being our Bronze event sponsor! Tune into CBC tonight with Amy Smith (our event MC!) for a short news piece about our 85th!

Day 84:

In our LAST throwback photo for 85 Days of Lancers, this is a photo of the 2010 Musical Ride.

We are so excited that tomorrow is our 85th Musical Ride performance at 3:00pm in our paddock. Our riders have been working so hard and this is an event you do not want to miss! Rain or shine, the show will go on! This is also our first worldwide virtual performance and you can tune in for the live stream via our Facebook page.

Check out the promo from CBC last night (25:50 mark)! We are thrilled to have fellow horseperson, Amy Smith, from CBC as our MC!

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1952589891944

Thank you, J2K Properties for being our silver sponsors!