Rainy weather didn’t dampen spirits at the P.E.I. Gold Cup parade Friday morning

P.E.I celebrates annual Gold Cup parade Prince Edward Island celebrated its annual Gold Cup parade despite the weather. CTV’s Jack Morse reports.

People lined the streets of Charlottetown before 8 a.m. Friday morning even though the parade started at 10 a.m.

“This is such a huge island tradition. We would do this rain or shine. It’s been going on for years,” said Derek Tweel, parade coordinator. “It means so much to islanders and the people of Charlottetown. You can hear the excitement going on in the background.”

There was a change in the route this year allowing for more of the downtown area to be accessible. The previous route left much of the downtown core cut off.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police led the way in this year’s parade.

“When you see the RCMP contingent: a float, a band, the musical ride,” said Tweel. “Your heart is going to pop out of your chest.”

Organizers say it’s the biggest parade this side of Montreal.

The event also gives another chance for the Gold Cup ambassadors to appear before Saturday night and present their horse in the Gold Cup and Saucer.

“It’s kinda one of those things that you grow up wanting to do,” said Taylor MacBeath, Gold Cup ambassador. “You see the girls at the parade, or at the horse races, and you think you want to be one of those girls someday.”

MacBeath says she has a personal connection to her horse, Bee Two Bee, with one of its owners being a friend of the family.

“My family has always been to Old Home Week, ever since I was younger, and my mom was also a Gold Cup Girl,” said Shaelyn Crane-Paterson, Gold Cup ambassador. “So it’s good to carry on the family tradition.”

Each ambassador in the event choses a charity. If their horse wins, their charity gets $5000, the others get $1000.

The excitement stayed high throughout the whole parade, and, even though it was raining, spectators here went away with big smiles.

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