A young boy from Lloydminster is one of nine children across Canada who helped name the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s newest foals.
Six-year-old Keegan’s winning entry, Boreal, was selected from more than 1,600 submissions in the RCMP’s 2025 Name the Foal contest. The national initiative invites children aged 14 and under to submit name ideas for the newest horses born at the RCMP’s breeding farm in Pakenham, Ont.
Keegan’s chosen name, which reflects the northern forests of Canada, will now belong to one of the nine foals born this spring. In addition to the honour, all winners including Keegan will receive a 2025 Musical Ride horseshoe, a photo of the foal they named, and a certificate signed by RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme.
In alphabetical order, the winning foal names and their young name-givers are:
- Badge – Sam, age 10, Port Hood, N.S.
- Baffin – Kai, age 7, Iqaluit, Nunavut
- Balmoral – Selected by RCMP Musical Ride staff
- Beckett – Paisley, age 4, Burton, N.B.
- Bellamy – Kindergarten class, Dorchester Consolidated School, N.B. (school class winner)
- Binesi – Joshua, age 12, Cantley, Que.
- Bison – Forrest, age 12, Sioux Lookout, Ont.
- Boreal – Keegan, age 6, Lloydminster, Alta.
- Bravo – Megan, age 7, Ottawa, Ont.
The RCMP has bred its own horses for more than 80 years. Its Pakenham facility is one of Canada’s largest licensed Hanoverian horse breeders and is internationally recognized for producing high-quality horses for ceremonial and operational use.
The Name the Foal contest is held annually, encouraging young Canadians to connect with the RCMP’s heritage while fostering creativity and national pride.