Heroes in red: Mounties watch over William and Catherine

By Chris Melzer Jul 7, 2011, 13:19 GMT

Regina, Canada - Canadians have not just rolled out the red carpet for the visit by royal newlyweds Prince William and his wife, Catherine, but also put on display their famed red-uniformed Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The so-called Mounties are stars of the Canadian west, a sought-after photo opportunity and the country's pride but also one of the most modern police forces in the world.

As the popular couple has toured Canada, the Mounties are always in the background, monitoring the goings-on from under their wide-brimmed hats.

They were founded in 1873 in the western prairie province of Saskatchewan.

'In that time, all this area here was the North West Territory and it was the Wild West, but the new government decided to change that,' said John Worthington, a former staff sergeant with the bearing one expects from a Mountie.

'The government looked for someone who can restore calm, deal fairly with the First Nations [Canada's indigenous people] and fight against smuggling,' so it founded the horseback-riding North West Mounted Police. In the meantime, the unit expanded across the vast country, becoming the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The horses have since largely given way to patrol cars, and the all-male force admitted women for the first time in 1974.

'When I started, I had to learn horseback riding,' Worthington said.

He has worn the signature red with pride. 'They chose the colour also because red was for the First Nations, the most respected colour.' And that respect paid off for the Mounties, allowing them to tame the west while conditions remained 'wild' south of the border in the United States.

In recent years, budget cuts and delayed reforms have chipped away at the force.

An official left a list of undercover agents in his car, and it was promptly stolen. Mounties searching for a serial robber found their culprit who turned out to be one of their own.

A false tip led the force and US counterparts to arrest an innocent man on terrorism charges. The Mounties had to pay 12.5 million dollars in damages. Amid harsh criticism from the United States the force is to be infused with new funds and ideas.

Its headquarters was moved to the capital, Ottawa, in 1920, but Regina, the capital of Saskatchewan, maintains the training academy, museum and the Mounties' traditions.

Trainees in formation march by, wearing tennis shoes. 'You have to earn the boots,' explained the academy's Christine van der Mirwe.

Earning those boots is not easy: 24 weeks in Regina followed by 24 weeks at a future duty station. Other police forces complete their training in just three months.

Riding training is no longer required. Instead, the focus is on a training course and exercises designed to mimic dealing with criminals in the outside world.

Tourists are welcomed at the facility to visit the Museum of the Mounties - as long as they don't cross the blue-yellow line separating the drill parade ground.

Another attraction is the church of the Mounties, the oldest building in Regina, where an eternal flame burns in memory of killed officers.

Although much has changed for the force over the years, including the wearing of modern blue uniforms for most occasions, the respect remains.

'For three reasons: First, we use state-of-the-art equipment. Second, it's a tough training, and you have to pass it. And third, Hollywood,' Worthington said. 'They made us heroes. Well, and I think they are right.'