My American Longride

Here I am again, at long last

2009-01-22T13:58:00.001-08:00

After a far too long rest and recovery period, here is the long promised blog to update you on the rest of the adventure in El Paso.

Bob and I were treated like royalty the whole time we were there, and something seemed to have been planned for us every day. Bernie and Melissa acted as our unpaid chauffeurs ......bless them....I should think they were quite relieved when we eventually boarded the plane for England. Thank you to Candy for coming to see us off, and driving us to the Airport ........ I think she wanted to make sure we left !!!!!!!!!!

As well as all the events I have mentioned previously, Bob was guest of honour at several presentations.On 8 December 2008, he was presented with a Resolution from the El Paso County Commissioner's Court acknowledging and praising his ride, and a certificate was presented to him. The press and Television were there to interview him again. Also, he was given a document to certify that the Star on the Mountain was lit in honour of him on 2 December, when he rode into El Paso. This Star is situated on the South side of the Franklin Mountains which surround El Paso, and is 459 feet in length, and is lit by 459 light bulbs. It can be seen all over the city, and was first built in 1940. It is visible from the air for 100 miles. El Paso is proud of its image as the "Star City" in the Lone Star State, and quite rightly so.

On December 9 , Bob was presented with a signed proclamation from the Mayor of El Paso, stating that December 9, 2008 will be known in El Paso as "Long Rider Bob Jones Day". He was also presented with an authenticated Texas Flag, and a certificate to confirm that the flag had originally flown over the Capitol Building in Austin, Texas. What an honour ......... I know Bob felt quite overwhelmed by all the recognition and acknowledgement of his achievement, and all the above certificates will be on display on our walls at home once we have got them framed.

We later visited the Railroad and Transportation Museum of El Paso, who also awarded Bob a Certificate of Achievement.

I cannot speak highly enough about the hospitality we received whilst in El Paso and the wonderful friends we have made there. Special thanks to the management and staff at the Holiday Inn for all the gifts and the attention you gave us....... and particularly for giving us a courtesy room for the duration of our stay. We were forced to go out and buy some more suitcases before we left for England, as we were given so many gifts by everyone.

Now to the most important part of the saga ......... our boys, Cody and Tigers. As you know from my previous blog, it had been arranged for them to be stabled at the Sheriff's Posse Arena. We went to visit with them most days, and I think they were quite enjoying the rest, as the latter part of the ride, for about the last 100 or so miles, had been tough going. I'm sure you will all be happy to know that they are going to be homed together, and we have been assured that they will live out their retirement together, which is what we wanted all along. These two horses have served Bob so well , and gave him their all .........never letting him down. Because he owed them so much, and had developed such a deep and unique bond with them, we wanted only the best for them. They are going the the ranch of Tom Moates, a well known author of horse books, who lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia ........... and you will be thrilled to know, as we were, that they will be doing another Long Ride from Virginia to the Quarter Horse Museum in Texas next year. Tom has told us that ,once the ride is completed, they will all three retire to his ranch back in Virgina. We spoke with him the other day, and he anticipates the Boys being trailered to him within the next day or so. Melissa and Bernie have been visiting the horses at the Arena, and Melissa has been bringing them home made "horse Biscuits", which she said Cody loves, but Tigers prefers carrots. They will be supervising the move for us, and I hope we can keep in contact with Tom, so we can find out how they are getting on.

I cannot tell you how emotional Bob and I felt when we had to leave them. We were so concerned that they go to the best home possible, after all they had done for Bob, and we were very happy to let Tom have them, as this is the sort of life that they enjoy, and something we could never have given them in England ........although I never gave up trying to persuade Bob to bring them back ........ he was right though, and we had to think of the Boys' welfare first , and be practical about it all. So watch the Long Rider's Guild Website, and you will no doubt see mention of Cody and Tigers again, next year, when they set off on their next adventure. As for Bob..........I think at the moment he is trying to come back down to Earth, and is struggling with that, as am I..........which explains the delay in updating the blog site.

My next task is to go through the thousands of pictures that we both took, and put some of the more interesting ones on the blog site, just to finish it off. So be patient, dear viewers, and I will be back with you as soon as possible with the photos. Thank you to everyone who sent messages of support and encouragement to us both over the last six months ......... this has been the experience of a lifetime. Roll on the next adventure !!!!!!!

Journey Complete

2008-12-07T10:38:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to bore you with details of my horrendously long journey to get out here, but glad to say I've arrived safetly, albeit a bit shell shocked ! In case anyone is wondering what the Knicker mention is all about ............. In their wisdom, at Washington Airport, Customs decided I looked like the typical middle aged drugs smuggler from England, and had a good search of my suitcases..........these had to be abandoned to their mercy, as I was in danger of missing my connection. All was well that ends well, and when I arrived at El Paso....lo and behold there were my suitcases safetly on the tarmac. What a fantastic view of El Paso, as you arrive on the rickerty 40 seater plane over the snow capped mountains. Although my heart was in my mouth, I had to keep on looking......... The passenger next to me sang hymns all the way over, which speaks volumes !!!!!

I've had a fantastic welcome from Candy, Bernie,Melissa, and numerous friends who have been looking after me fantastically well, as well as taking me out and about, and were waiting to meet me at the airport. Until Bob arrived, I stayed at the beautiful home of Bernie and Melissa, and their Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy,Kinja, who is an absolute sweetie...........I want to kidnap him and take him home with me, not forgetting to mention,Peaches, the smaller than life cat. I was totally in my element, playing with animals the whole time. I cannot thank Bernie and Melissa enough for all their hospitality........ they made me feel so at home, and even though I had never met them before, I feel as though we have made friends for life.

Anyway, enough about my exploits, and on to the important bits of the blog. Bob had been steadily riding towards his final destination when we last spoke, without mishap, and as I was unable to maintain any sort of contact with him before I left, information has been very sparse. Lois and John Carroll very kindly put him up for two days, as well as all the running around they had done prior to that .......thank you from the bottom of our hearts, we would have been lost without you. They had also been keeping me informed of his whereabouts, as had Chip, so I knew he was safe. I hope I can meet up with them before we return to England, as they have done so much for Bob.

Bernie and I drove out looking for Bob on 1 Dec, late afternoon, but had no joy for a long time, and it was dark by the time I spotted Cody and Tigers tied up next to Lois and John's trailer, with Bob cosily tucked up inside, down a dirt track. As there was no room inside the trailer, and it was freezing cold outside, we had a quick ten minute hello, and then went back to our home comforts. Bob looked well, and the horses looked fantastic, and we arranged a rendevous for the next morning when Bob was doing the final ride to the city limit .............needless to say, by this time, El Paso TV was on his trail, as were inumerable reporters.

On 2 Dec, we drove out out meet Bob late morning, and spotted the boys riding up the very busy Highway on the hard shoulder, pursued by the TV cameras and reporters. He was looking remarkably cheerful, and I've got to admit I shed quite a few tears when I saw them coming towards me. As Bob had to cross from one side of the Highway to the other, the El Paso police blocked the road for a safe crossing into the Sheriff's headquarters. The next hour or so were taken up with us being interviewed by the press and TV,and people milling around wanting to congratulate Bob. As the city boundary sign was about another half mile up the road, Bob then decided he wanted to ride up to that with Cody and Tigers.........I would mention that he was unable to ride right through El Paso, because of safety and traffic conditions, and we were planning to ride to the city boundary, and then ride from the Sheriff's Posse area, the following day to the border. Friends of Bernie and Melissa had brought their trailer along, and the horses were then picked up and we drove the remaining miles to the Sheriff's Posse area, where the horses were corralled, fed and watered. They will remain here for the duration of our stay.
Can I say a heartful thanks to Bernie's friends for trailering the horses for us, and Keith at the Sheriff's Posse Arena for all his help in looking after Cody and Tigers.I have taken loads of photos, and the cam-corder has had a lot of use, so when I have free time will be doing photos on the blog.

Bob and I were then taken to the Holiday Inn near the Airport, where we were given a fantastic courtesy room for the duration, with drinks and gifts in the room. Our thanks to the management and staff of the Holiday Inn for their generosity. That evening the Hotel held a reception for us, together with a competion to make the best Margaritas......Bob didn't win. Bernie and Melissa belong to a Western re-enactment group, called Six Guns and Shady Ladies, and a lot of their members turned up that evening to meet us. A good night was had by all, and thanks to everyone for a warm and wonderful welcome.

The following day, we decided to take it easy, and do the border ride the following day, so that we could both do catch up. So , on 4 Dec Bernie, Melissa, Candy and myself drove out to the Sheriff's Posse Area, saddled up the horses, and Bob and Bernie rode to the Mexican border. Due to the unrest there, the border patrols are in high profile, and would not let him actually ride over, but we both quickly walked over to take some photos, while the patrol car was out of the way. Just for the record, I had a quick "leg up" on Tigers, and we rode around for a while, but I decided not to ride him back to the Posse arena .........what a wimp I am ! Melissa and Bob did the return trip, and I think Bob felt quite emotional as this was his last ride on the boys.

I have been taking loads of pictures, and due to the time factor of downloading them to the internet and the blog site, am leaving posting them until I return to England after 16 December. However, I would like to put some on of the final miles, and everything that has happened since.

We are now busy looking for a good home for our boys, and have several people interested, so will keep you all posted on this........our concern is that they are homed together, preferably for the rest of their lives, and that they will have the sort of life they are used to .........riding in the great outdoors. Bob and I are quite choked up at the thought of saying goodbye to them, as we know it will be very difficult, particularly for him. When we go to visit them at the Arena, they are following him and watching him the whole time, and you can see the bond that has formed between the three of them. I dread the day they go, as I think we'll all be in tears, but we must think of them first.

Anyway, enough of all this emotion.I thought I would fill you in on a few things that have happened during our stay..... most importantly of all, we visited Rosa's Cantina, and what a welcome we had. The place was filled with people and they applauded Bob when we arrived...they were all taking photos and asking for his autograph, and a customer who had come in the day before had paid for our meal. Thank you so much to Mac and Enedina Snodgrass for your generosity. We were also given sweat shirts from Rosa's Cantina (not forgetting to mention sweatshirts from the University of El Paso, Texas,which we had been given previously.)
Needless to say, Marty Robbins was playing............ El Paso City. What a lovely welcome, and what lovely people.

I shall be blogging periodically with information for the next week until we leave America, and will let you know everything that is going on.......... I'm already feeling quite sad that it is all coming to an end. Roll on the next adventure, we can't stop here !

In the meantime, my sincere thanks to everyone in El Paso who has helped us so much, particularly Candy, Bernie, Melissa, Leesy and all the other people too numerous to mention that we have met, who have given us such a warm and openhearted welcome. Thanks, everyone who has been putting messages on the blog site, and for all the support we have been given throughout this trip. I love you all !

Keep watching, and I will post again with the closing entries before I leave America........pictures to follow from England. In the meantime we are sightseeing in El Paso and enjoying ourselves.

Message to my kids.Thanks for the e-mail, Liz. Cannot e-mail you back, as the hotel computer won't let me in to send e-mails. But everything is ok this end. See you on 16 December.

Goodbye England

2008-11-27T08:50:00.000-08:00

Hooray, we're off.............speak to you next from El Paso

Bob has been spotted

2008-11-27T02:59:00.000-08:00

Chip Clemmons who was on his way to El Paso kindly e-mailed me this morning to say he had met up with Bob. He found him near a ruined motel in the Guadaulpe Pass close to the Salt Flats, brewing a cup of tea.....and there's me thinking he's roughing it !

All three boys are fine, and Bob is looking forward to El Paso. The saddle seems to be bearing up, so let's keep our fingers crossed. It also looks as though Bob has got out of the mountains just before the bad weather hit.

Most importantly of all, Chip delivered him a supply of candy bars, so everything is fine, as long as Bob gets his chocolate buzz.

Many, many thanks to Chip for keeping our boy going. Have a good Thanksgiving, everyone we have met in America .........enjoy the Turkey.

Alos, many thanks to everyone who has helped Bob on the ride to El Paso........ I know the last part has ben quite tough for him,and he would have struggled without the likes of Lois and John....not forgetting Chip with the candy bars ! Bless you all.

Bob is fine

2008-11-26T12:58:00.000-08:00

I'm unable to get contact with Bob....three days now ! Do you think he's been eaten by a big brown bear..............No, I've had an e-mail come through from Lois and John Carroll, who have been kindly driving up with their trailer every day, and also bringing water and food for the horses, to advise me that everything is ok with my boys. He will probably not be able to contact me now until after Dell City Junction, and by then I will be in El Paso.

The weather is very cold and windy, and I should imagine it felt even colder when he was in the Guadalupe Mountains. I don't know if the snow has materialized, but have been told by El Paso that an extremely cold front is moving in, so I'd better take my woollies with me. I thought I was going to get a bit of sunshine !

Chip Clemmons whom Bob met when he was in Dexter, is driving along Bob's route today, to meet with his folks for a Thanksgiving dinner and family get together in El Paso. He reckons he will be passing Bob, and after reading my blog when I said Bob had run out of candy bars, he has bought him a large stock to keep him going. He said he will also take some bad weather gear for him to wear, in case of need. We don't want my man freezing to death on the last leg.

Well, my last day.......tomorrow I drive up to London, and catch the plane out early Friday morning. So the next blog will come direct from the horse's mouth......El Paso. It's all getting very exciting now, and once I can get over the mental block of packing my suitcase (yugh, that means I'm going on a plane, which frightens me to death ), I will be ready to go.

Keep looking, as I should be able to continue with the blog soon, and hopefully catch up with Bob's news in the next few days.

Pictures of Bob sent today from Wray , Colorado

2008-11-25T10:19:00.000-08:00

No news at all from Bob as cell phone reception is dead whilst he's in the Gaudalupe Mountains. I have received an E-mail from John and Lois Carroll, who have been kindly going out every day with their trailer for him, and feed and water for the horses , when necessary. They reassured me that all three boys are fine, and they saw them last night with the Park Rangers up in the foothills . Apparently the weather is very cold and windy now, and when I checked on the forecast, it looks like snow is on its way.

Plans are going apace in El Paso for Bob's arrival and Bernie and the gang there are currently trying to work a route for him through the city, with the help of the Border Patrol, Police and Sheriff's department. We have worked out which part of the border he is going to cross on, that will be away from the busiest parts .........trouble is, Bob doesn't know this, as we can't contact him !!!!!! Let's hope we can resume contact or we could be in one part of El Paso, and Bob in another.

Susie Bruggerman from Holyoke kindly sent me some photos that her mother,Dorothy took when she met him in Wray,Colorado, which are shown below. Thank you Dorothy and Susie.

I'm hoping that when I get to El Paso, I will be able to download some of the photos we take there onto the blog site straight away, so you can all join in the celebrations. I think Bob is getting really tired now, and he's having trouble with his back again, which makes it all a lot harder.

Last blog in England tomorrow.........El Paso here I come !

About 15 miles after Whites City

2008-11-24T13:12:00.000-08:00

The weather was quite hot today (23 Nov), and by midday Bob was down to a T shirt, after wrapping in several layers this morning to keep the frost at bay.

The roads are pretty quiet now, so the journey from Whites City was uneventful, except Bob's back is giving him trouble again. The horses will have to be tethered tonight as there is no corral or fenced in areas. Bob has stopped near the entrance to some sort of oil place, that has a permanent guard there, who lives in a trailer there, and opens the gate to let the traffic in.

John and Lois Carroll arrived with their horse trailer, which has a bed in it, kitchenette, shower and toilet, which will be lovely for Bob, as he will be able to get out of the cold, and make himself hot drinks. Lois told me that it can get quite cold and windy there. They put the trailer in a wide ditch , so that it's off the road, and the horses were tied to the trailer. The man at the entrance to the oil place also gave Bob some chocolate cakes,books to read, and mango squash, which was very kind of him. Thank you very much. John and Lois are proving a godsend to out traveller, as they are making his journey so much easier. I notice on the weather tonight that snow may fall in the Guadalupe mountains.

Bob has now left New Mexico and is back in Texas. On the 24 November he starts riding into the Gaudalupe mountains, and will be in there for 2/3 days. It is possible I will not be able to contact him, but will find out tonight. When we spoke last night, we lost a signal 5 times, and I had to keep ringing him back.

Only three more days, and I will start my journey to El Paso to meet Bob at the end of his Long Ride.

Whites City, New Mexico

2008-11-23T03:40:00.000-08:00

An early start as Bob had 22.5 miles to cover this day (22 November). Surprisingly, he was riding alongside a new 4 lane Highway, with very clean ditches, and not much traffic, so the journey was quite easy. The landscape along the way is very barren, the ground covered in praire grass, and not much else. There doesn't even seem to be much wildlife, as Bob has not reported seeing anything to me. The Guadalupe Mountains that he will be riding into in the next few days are now showing on the horizon, and I think he's looking forward to getting there.

Jim Ballard turned up during the ride with water for the horses, which was very kind of him. What would Bob do without these guardian angels ?

Later that day, Lois and John Carroll found him on the road. He is staying with them in Cornudas on 29 November, and they had been out looking for him the previous day, but where unable to find him. They are willing to drive out as and when it's necessary to ensure he has food and water for the horses, and have offered the loan of their trailer for Bob to sleep in when he's out in the open. People this way are so generous.

When I spoke to Bob in the early hours of this morning (my morning , not his)he had arrived at an empty house that Jim Ballard had arranged for him to sleep in. There was a cafe and small shop down the road, but unfortunately by the time Bob had seen to the horses, the shop had closed. He's now got withdrawal symptoms, as he' s got no candy bars left !!!!!!!!! Luckily for him, there is heating and electricity in the house, so at least he'll be warm tonight. As we spoke he was ordering some food in the cafe, as that was on the verge of closing for the day.

The Guadalupe Mountains are the highest point in Texas. As from tomorrow, Bob will be riding back into Texas, the last State on his ride.

My thanks to the person who sent the copy of the Dalhart Texan, with the article on Bob's long ride. I keep them all for him to read when he gets back.

Mine and Bob's heartfelt thanks to the wonderful people of New Mexico who have helped our Long Rider along the way. What would we have done without you.

CuChullaine from the Longrider's Guild had kindly forward a couple of photos, which link to Bob's long ride. The photo above is of Gary Davies and his horse Dandi, who has been an incredible help to Bob especially when he was setting up his long ride, in passing on his knowledge and expertise. Gary is a fellow Welshman, who had done extensive long rides around England and Wales in the 70's. He in turn was helped by another Welsh Long Rider Thurlow Craig, who spent his youth riding in Latin America, where he herded cattle, and took part in several mounted revolutions. A photo of him is below. Maybe there is another up and coming Welsh Long Rider in the making, who we will be able to help in turn.

I must say we both owe Gary, Allen Russell, and CuChullaine and Basha O'Reilly from the Longrider's Guild a deep debt of gratitude for all the help they have given us, not only at the beginning, but throughout the ride ...........without them we would have had trouble getting it off the ground, especially with our lack of expertise. Thanks fellow Long Riders. Also thanks to Sue, our friend in Tennessee, who pointed us in the direction of The Longrider's Guild

Here is Thurlow Craig on his Criollo horse , Bobby, in Patagonia.

Last Rest Day In Carlsbad

2008-11-23T03:26:00.000-08:00

Bob went out with Harley and Debby Ballard for a steak last night, and then was offered a bed at their house for the night.

The following morning, 21 November, Bob went with Harley to his Bus depot at 6.30........... he runs school buses, had a cup of coffee, and then borrowed his pickup to go and grain the horses. Jim Ballard came round about 8.30and took Bob to see the Carlsbad Caverns, which are actually in Whites City. The Caverns are spectacular and really massive, with stalactites and stalagmites and stretch for over 100 miles.........well worth a visit. They are situated up in the mountains. The boys had a bite to eat, and then Jim took him for a drive to recce his way over the next few days. They drove all the way to the Frijole Camp site, which was good, as it's very barren along this way, not many people living there, and water is in very short supply. Bob made a few adjustments to his plans.

That evening they had steak done on the B'que, and Bob again slept at Harley's house. I think he's glad of a bed when he can get them now, as the nights are so cold.

When Bob was riding from Artesia to Carlsbad, he couldn't find any water for the horses, and eventually stopped a water truck along the way, and they kindly let him have a couple of buckets. It's a good job he wasn't down this way in the Summer, else he would have really struggled.

Harley,Jim and your family...you have done a really great job of helping Bob, and we would both like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you so much.

Hooray we have Pictures !

2008-11-21T12:48:00.000-08:00

Thank you Debbie for kindly sending me pictures of Bob arriving at the Fairground, and also of the evening gathering.

The second lots of pictures are from Bernie in El Paso, who is trying to impress me, by showing me what a marvellous rider he is.........don't know what happened to the pony!

Here is Debbie Bell, who kindly arranged Bob's stay at the Fairground, when he arrived in Artesia . I don't know who the dog is !

Our intrepid Long Rider arriving at the Fairground.

Winner of the most glamorous grandmother award, Debbie with two of her grandkids. She doesn't look old enough !

Bob with Debbie's family and friends at the Country Club.

This is Jole, Debbie's daughter, who runs the Country Club.

Bob entertaining the ladies. I don't believe for a minute that he's had a hard time on this long ride, with all the socialising he's been doing.

Thank you Debbie,Joel, Jole, friends and family for looking after Bob.

And this can only be Bernie from El Paso, doing his death defying horse riding trick. Bernie, please put the horse down !

And here is Melissa, who I think is Bernie's wife (correct me if I'm wrong, Bernie) attempting the same feat.

On a different note. This is Sue Ballard from Tenessee, a friend of Bob and mine, with her horse, Jazz

And here are her two dogs, modelling the latest in Doggy fashion.

This is "Bob the Dog". This is the stray that followed Bob on 14 October when he arrived at Sally and Mel Depra's at Big Bend, Wiley. Sally has been unable to trace his owner, and is looking for a home for him...........I want him !!!!!! She sent the photo, and said they had to call him Bob........I think he's better looking than our Bob, don't you ?

I bet you're wondering what this picture is all about. When Bob was riding to Sally and Mel's at Big Bend, he got soaked to the skin, because it rained so heavily. Sally said they haven't had a drop of rain since, and to prove it, here are the horses' hoofprints still in the dust.

Well, I think that's given you a surfeit of Pictures, so will continue with the blog when lord and master phones me later.

Carlsbad South , New Mexico

2008-11-20T16:01:00.000-08:00

In a few more days, Bob will be heading back into Texas, and the last stretch of his long ride.

A very pleasant evening was had last night with Jim and his wife, together with Mr Ballard senior and his wife. As Bob didn't have so far to travel that day, he left a bit later. He was trailered back to were he was picked up last night.........we won't have any cheating on this long ride, and rode the 15 miles to Carlsbad, arriving at about 2.00pm. The weather has been freezing cold all day, and the ride was slow, as he was in the ditches and they are pretty rough. He tries not to ride on the shoulder of the road, as it wears the horses' shoes down very quickly.Bob was staying at the Sheriff's Posse Arena, and guess who was waiting for him as he rode up , but Mr Ballard, with a trailer full of Alfalfa for the horses. He is trying to persuade Bob to come back to his house tonight and tomorrow to sleep...........he might well be advised to, as it's freezing there tonight. mind you, it's not much warmer here in England ! He was going to come back later to pick Bob up and take him for a steak.

Bob is having a rest day there tomorrow, and will then be heading for Whites City. He has now done in excess of 1700 miles.

Artesia, & Brantley Lake St Park, New Mexico

2008-11-20T15:22:00.000-08:00

As Bob had a long ride of 25 miles on 18 November, he was up at 5.00a.m., brushing down the horses and getting them saddled and packed for the journey.He has now got this down to a fine art........ remember when he started this long ride, it was taking him hours to get ready in the morning. He reckons he can do it in 20 minutes now !

He left about 6.30, and the morning was very cold. In fact he said most mornings there's a frost on the ground when he gets up. It gets warmer as the day goes along, and most days the temperature is in the 70's........but very cold at night.

When he had been riding for about 15 miles, he stopped at a house and they gave him water for the horses, and they chatted about his journey.

As Bob was riding through Artesia, he had a brush with the law. A Police car stopped him and told him he was riding on the wrong side of the road. However, they got chatting and he let Bob off without a citation. Not long after that an animal Inspector stopped his van to check out the horses, but our boys were fine.

When he got to the Fairground, Joel Bell husband of Debbie Bell who had arranged for him to stay there, arrived with a bale of hay for the horses, and later Debbie arrivedwith oats for Cody and Tigers. That evening Debbie had arranged a get together at the local country club, and when she took Bob there, he reckons there were about 30 people waiting. While he was chatting to people, one guy came up to him and said "You stopped at my Bosse's house to water your horses on the way here."

They must have had a good evening, as Bob didn't get to bed until 11.30.Debbie kindly e-mailed me beforehand to tell me what she was planning, and to say Bob had got off ok.

The next morning Debbie drove him back to the Fairground, which was about 10 miles from her house. Some friends of hers live next to the Fairground, and they supplied Bob with hot coffee and took loads of photos of him.......... I hope some will come my way to put on the blog site.

My sincere thanks to Joel and Debbie for your very kind hospitality, and Debbie I hope we can get together in El Paso for breakfast.

Bob reckons this ride was the toughest he has encountered so far. He left at about 6am, and the ride was 23 miles long. The ditches are very rocky, and the riding is slow, and he needs to be on the look out for Rattlers. He can't ride on the road shoulder as the road is too narrow and busy.
There were about 5 bridges to cross that day, which were a bit hair raising at times, as the cars make a lot of noise when they drive across. The road was called the Seven River's Highway, so that tells you a lot. Several times, Bob rode down into the river beds, as they were dry, as it was safer than trying to cross the bridge with the traffic. Obviously, this made the trip a lot slower though.

About 11am Jim Ballard, who was arranging a stopover for Bob, met him on the Highway to let him know a bed had been sorted for the night. He arranged to come back with a trailer at 4.00pm, and would pick Bob up wherever he had ridden to, and trailer him back to the house, which was some miles off the road.

Bob was taken to Jim's father's house (sorry I don't yet know your name), and was made very welcome. As usual, everything had been laid on for the horses, and they were corralled and fed, as was Bob..........although he had a proper bed for the night. Thank you so much Mr Ballard senior and Jim for looking after my special boys. Bob said quote "they're great people".

Hagerman,New Mexico

2008-11-20T15:09:00.000-08:00

On 17 November Bob had a ride of over 23 miles to Hagerman. The weather that day was very hot, hitting 80 degrees, and there was no wind. There is no Alfalfa growing in the ditches now, and what grass there is , is very dry and yellow. About 8 miles out of Hagerman, Bob spotted an irrigation ditch and stopped so the horses could drink their fill. He rode through Dexter to get to Hagerman.

Bob was stopping at the farm of Gary and Vi Babcock, and when he arrived they were waiting with some friends. A corral was ready for the horses, together with hay and grain, and once they had been settled , they drove to Dexter for a meal and a few drinks. From what Bob told me, he had a very enjoyable evening. Thanks to Vi, Gary and friends for a great time, and for putting Bob up for the night.He said what a great crowd you all were.

Last Rest Day in Roswell

2008-11-19T13:42:00.000-08:00

Bob's last rest day in Roswell before he hits the road again, and he's been having a great time with Rick and his friends, Mark ,Paul, and Ruby. They have all been taking it in turns to take him out and about ...........what great people.

I've had my hand slapped for something I had put previously on the blog site.When Bob stayed with Rick and Connie at Elkins, I had thanked Connie for doing Bob's washing. Rick was very insulted (I'm sure), as he'd done it. So grovel grovel to Rick , a man after my own heart, who will pitch in and help.............take note, Bob !!!!!!!!! Thanks, Rick, you've been an absolute treasure whilst Bob was in Elkins and again at Roswell , together with the Roswell gang.

That morning Rick and Mark took Bob to the UFO Museum, and later the horses had their shoes done. Bob is planning to bring the horseshoes back.......... he reckons he's going to hang them in the lounge. We'll see about that ! Later that afternoon, Paul and Ruby turned up and took him sightseeing round Roswell for a couple of hours. And finally that evening he went out for a meal with Rick, Connie, their daughter, and grand daughter.

My man has been treated like royalty while he's been there, and I can only thank Rick,Connie, and the gang from the bottom of my heart. If you ever come to England, there will be a bed at our house for you.

As a postscript. Bob forgot the horseshoes he was was taking back with him, and Rick drove out to give them to him, so he wouldn't leave without them.

Rest Days at Roswell

2008-11-15T14:47:00.001-08:00

Bob is so used now to getting up at the crack of dawn, that he finds it hard to lie in, even on a rest day. So, he was up and raring to go at 7.00 am. His first jobs of the day are naturally to see to the horses, and then he updated his diary. He also seized the opportunity to clean the pack saddle and his riding saddle.

Later that morning, two of Rick's friends dropped in to see if he needed anything, and took him to the supermarket and Bank. The freeze dried meals have all but gone now, so he stocked up on "pot noodles" to keep him going, together with cookies, crisps and fruit. When I spoke to him earlier this evening he was chilling out, but was looking forward to meeting up with the guys and gal later that evening for another meal out and a few drinks.

Tomorrow, is another rest day, and he is being taken to the Roswell UFO Museum. Apparently, sometime in the past an Alien space craft is supposed to have crash landed near Roswell. He is also hoping to go on the computer tomorrow afternoon.

I shall be away from tomorrow until Tuesday, so will say my thanks to Rick and all his friends for helping Bob out so much. He has certainly been enjoying his stay in Roswell thanks to yourselves.

Happy riding, cowboy........the end is in sight.

Roswell, New Mexico

2008-11-15T14:27:00.000-08:00

Our boys left at 7.30am for the 18 mile ride to Roswell on 14 November. As mentioned the previous night Bob had camped under the Bob Crosby Bridge, and that morning had to walk the horses across it to start off towards Roswell. Unfortunately, another mishap occurred with Cody as he was leading him across........ yet again, it concerned the expansion joint on the bridge which was metal ..... Cody slipped on it, skidded into Bob and knocked him flying, and while Bob was on the ground, stomped on his foot. He said the pain was excruciating, and although he can walk, the foot is swollen, but no broken bones( he thinks !!!!!).

Apart from that he had a very pleaseant ride, as he was on a side road which was very quiet, and the weather was good. Whilst he was riding along there a trucker stopped for a chat. He told Bob he had passed him quite a few times in the last few weeks, when Bob had been riding the main roads, and, as usual, was quite impressed with what Bob was doing. When he left he gave Bob some cakes and biscuits.

Bob arrived at the Fairground at Roswell at about 3.00 pm, and said it is a massive place. Rick had arranged for him to stay over in a trailer he had there, so, once again, our traveller is staying in the lap of luxury, with all mod cons. Rick wasn't there, but had sent along a welcoming committee of three of his friends, who all helped Bob settle the horses, and showed him where the trailer was. Everything was there for the horses....grain, hay and water, and around the trailer was fenced in, so the horses were allowed to roam free in there.

A little later Rick turned up with another friend, Mark, and they all went out for a sociable evening of steak and a few beers. Bob had a really good time........he's having a better social life than I am !!!!!...........and later he went back to the trailer and spent the rest of the evening listening to Country and Western on the radio.

Thanks everybody for helping him out, and giving him a great evening.

In the Middle of Nowhere

2008-11-14T02:29:00.001-08:00

After a restless night, Bob was glad to be" back on the road again", and had a pleasant ride. whereas previously, he had been stopping after an hour's riding to let the horses graze, he is now doing about 6 miles before he stops. He says that everyone comments how well the horses are looking, and they are certainly performing well.

Bob arrived at his destination.......a distance of 21.5 miles, and he was sleeping next to the Bob Crosby Bridge. Apparently, Bob Crosby crashed his car into a draw ( I hope I got the spelling right, someone put me right if I didn't), which is a big dip in the road about a mile from where Bob was camping, and was killed. Rick had kindly dropped off a bale of hay at Bob's campsite, which was great of him, but Bob had plenty of water, as he was camped next to a river. There were trees there, so the horses were tied to them for the night, and out came the trusty yellow tent.

The only eventful thing that happened that day, was that Cody narrowly missed treading on a Rattlesnake in the ditch. He spotted it and sidestepped, at the same time as Bob heard it hissing. I think Bob will be keeping more of a lookout now for them.

On the Way to Elkins

2008-11-14T02:05:00.000-08:00

Bob had originally planned to ride the 30 miles to Elkins in one go, but changed his mind , and split it into two days ride.

Lonny picked him up at 7 am and took him back to the Town Hall, where he had coffee with about six people, including Melvin. He had a great talk with them, putting the world to rights, and then set off again.

The countryside is very sparse now, just about enough grass for grazing, but very dry. There is hardly any traffic, but the road is very wide, which makes an easy ride. When he was talking in the Town Hall, he was told about a deserted bar at the end of his ride, where he could sleep under cover for the night. Sure enough there was his "des res", but not an ounce of booze in sight ! Later Lonny arrived with hay and 50 galls of water for the boys, and wouldn't take any payment for it. Lonny you have been a blessing .......thank you so much.

The horses were fed and watered and tied up to a billboard for the night, and Bob adjourned to his home on the concrete floor..........and yet another yummy freeze dried meal. He didn't have a good night's sleep, as the weather was freezing, and he got up at daybreak to discover the rats had been busy, and pinched all his fruit, as well as his bar of soap !

After he had sorted the horses and had coffee, he set off for the remainder of the ride to Elkins. The weather was quite pleasant that day, and as he rode towards the home of Rick and Connie Ford where he was staying for the night, Rick turned up in his pickup. Connie works as a school teacher, and Rick works at the Fairground at Roswell, where Bob is staying later.

Bob had a very pleaseant evening, and had dinner and chatted. Connie kindly did his washing for him, and when he told them about the rats the night before, produced another bar of soap for him. Thank God for that, or we would have had one smelly rider ! The horses were corralled for the night, with grain and hay, which Rick wouldn't take payment for. People are so kind in this great country. Thank you very much, Rick and Connie, for all your kindness. Bob slept in Rick's den for the night.

Elida,New Mexico

2008-11-14T01:46:00.000-08:00

Bob was up at the crack of dawn, and left at 6 am as he had a ride of 26 miles to Elida. He rode through the back streets of Elida, which were very quiet at that time of the morning, and then out onto the main road. The ditches are a lot worse now, very uneven, and practically unrideable, so once again he rides on the side of the road. The weather is typical of this time of the year......cloudy,cold and windy..........sounds like England.

When he was about 9 miles from Elida, who should pull up in a car, but Lonny, who'd arranged to look after him there. As there is no water anywhere now on the ride, Lonny arranged for some to be brought out for the horses...........and who should turn up half an hour later, but Melvin from the local police to water our trusty steeds !

As Bob rode into town at about 3.30, there was Melvin again, waiting to show him the corral for the horses, which had been loaned from someone. There was hay and water for Cody and Tigers, and they were settled for the night. Our friendly policeman then took Bob to the Town Hall where he met Sandra Monks, his original contact for the town, who had brought in the hay for the hoeses........and, needless to say, would not take payment for it. Thank you very much, Sandra, for arranging everything.

Bob had a bed for the night with a couple who were related to Bob Crosby, the 7 times world Rodeo champion, and he slept in an Adobe Cottage, which he said was really great ........had everything he needed. Later, Lonny brought him over a home cooked Steak dinner (from Lonny's own cattle), and he had a Peach tart made by Lonny's wife. Thank you to the couple who put Bob up for the night, and special thanks to Lonny and Melvin, who really put themselves out for him. It was much appreciated.

I know Bob really enjoyed his stay with the people of Elida, who he said were really great. Thank you for looking after my boys again.

Portales, New Mexico

2008-11-09T09:15:00.001-08:00

Another early start, and up at the crack of dawn to get the horses fed, cleaned and packed. Today, Cody was the ride horse, and Bob left Clovis at 7.00am. The journey today was just over 18 miles, and the weather was sunny with not much wind in the morning, but picking up as the day went on.

The ditches were pretty well unrideable, and the road was very busy, so the journey was a lot slower , although both horses are rock solid in traffic, which is brilliant.

He arrived at the Portales Fairground about 2pm, and the horses were stalled, with hay. The man who opened the Fairground up for him, kindly went and got more hay, as Bob was staying for a further night, and there were only two bales there. He refused to take payment for the hay, and would not take the money Bob offered him as a tip and for his petrol. Thank you so much for helping Bob out. Our rider has got the luxury of a heated barn for the night, and is sleeping on a table again !!!!!!!

Whilst Bob was riding there, a car stopped and three very excited ladies got out, and were jumping up and down. One of them ran up to him and said "Are you Bob Jones from England?" When Bob said he was, she said "We can't believe we've bumped into you, as we saw you on television."...........They then took masses of photos with each lady in turn posing with Bob and the horses.

A bit further on, another car stopped, and two men got out to talk with him. It turned out one of them was Gordon Morgan, who was the candidate for the House of Representatives in the Elections that have just finished. He was heading off to Las Vegas with his friend for a holiday. He was thrilled to find out what Bob was doing, and when they finished talking, gave Bob his card (he lives in Florida), and said, "when you are next in Florida, come and stay with me."

When we spoke last night (8 Nov), Bob was slumming it in a Pizza Restaurant........don't tell me you're getting sick of steak ! He's resting over in Portales for 9 November, and will be back on the road to Elida on 10 November.

Thank you to Charlene Hardin, at the Fairground for organising Bob's stopover there.

Clovis, New Mexico

2008-11-09T09:01:00.001-08:00

South of the Border, down Mexico Way.......... Well, not quite, but will New Mexico do ! Another State, but we're coming to the end.

Bob had a wonderful evening with Earl on 6 November, and set off for Clovis early morning, as usual . He reckoned the ride was ok, but weather very cold first thing in the morning, and windy, which seems to be the norm for this time of the year. The ditches were not good for riding, so most of the trip was alongside the road, on the hard shoulder. For a lot of the journey, the road ran alongside the railway line, and Bob reckoned that must have been the busiest track going, as there were constant trains passing through, all blowing their horns at the crossings. He said it was driving him mad, and he didn't know how the people who live near the rail tracks put up with the non stop noise. The journey was about 20.5 miles, and he arrived in Clovis late afternoon.

Bob was staying at the Fairground there, and the horses were fed and corralled. Bob slept under the grandstand in the little yellow tent, and when I spoke to him, was at K-Bob's Steak House........I guess having a steak for a change !

Thanks to Sue Ferrell at the Fairground for organising his stay, and getting hay in for the horses.

On Another Subject

2008-11-08T08:26:00.003-08:00

Just back fleetingly in Bristol

My father passed away peacefully yesterday afternoon, with my brother and me by his side. Just want to say thank you to all the people who have been e-mailing me with their prayers and messages of support.

I will be away most of next week sorting things out, but keep watching the blog, as I will do catch up asap.

Bovina, Texas

2008-11-06T16:39:00.001-08:00

Bob's last day in Texas for a while, and he had a very pleasant day's riding.......the weather was cool, in the 60's but very sunny. In fact he had to take his jacket off at one stage. Tigers was number one horse today, and the journey was 14 miles long.

Bob arrived at the Town and Country Vet Clinic at about 3 in the afternoon. Unfortunately, Brett Whitten the vet is away until Monday, but his father, Earl, kindly came over to show Bob where the hay and grain was for the horses, and also the corral. He opened up the barn , which has heating and a bathroom, so Bob will be fine for the night. He refused payment for the horses' feed, and offered to take Bob if he needed any shopping doing. Earl is coming back over later to take Bob back to his home for a meal.

Thank you for all your generosity and help, Earl, and also Brett for allowing Bob to stay over at the Vet's Clinic.

New Mexico here we come!

Heading for Friona and Bovina, Texas

2008-11-06T04:29:00.000-08:00

Cody seems to have recovered well from his latest mishap, and is all for heading out for adventure again. The person who sorted him out at The Boy's Ranch was called John David Vaughan, and he doctored Cody's wounds, and also provided grain for them, when Bob had to turn back that day. We do appreciate everything you did, John, and it was nice to know that Cody was fit enough to carry on with the ride.

On 5 November, our rider had a journey of 24 miles to Friona. He rode through the streets of Hereford (pronounced Herford), as he set off very early, and it was quiet. A snippet of history......... some of the streets in this town are paved with bricks, and this was done after the Great Depression, in order to give people work. However, they are not very easy to ride on , and Bob said the horses were skidding all over the place on them. He was riding Cody, and his lameness has totally disappeared. The weather was very cold first thing, but warmed up as the day went on. However, he was again riding into a brisk south-west wind, which was quite unpleaseant. He arrived at the Friona Vet's Clinic by early evening, which was just outside of town. The horses were stabled at the clinic, and food was waiting for them. Gary Cash the Vet, took Bob into town for a meal which he insisted on paying for, and picked him up later and brought him back to the Clinic. Unfortunately, he had to go out of town the following morning so was unable to spend any more time with Bob. Bob slept in the Clinic, so he was warm and dry. Our thanks to Gary for looking after him and the boys.

On 6 November, Bob will be spending his last day in Texas for the time being, and will be riding into New Mexico when he hits Clovis.

As usual, we have been thrilled with the kindness and help he has received from everyone. Thank you to the good people of Texas. We'll be riding back into your State on 24 November, all being well.

Happy riding, and keep safe,Bob and the "boys".

Vega and Hereford, Texas

2008-11-04T17:39:00.000-08:00

After yesterday's incident, Bob again dosed Cody with Bute before they left, and packed him that day (3 Nov). They left at 7.15 ...... Bob has to get up later now as it gets light later, and a lot of the time he hasn't got electricity to sort the horses out by.

The ditches are pretty bad now and can't be used for riding in, so he uses the shoulder of the road. There are a lot of trucks this way which are very big and noisy, but don't seem to faze the horses at all. The weather was fine and the ride uneventful, and Cody coped well ..... that is one good horse ! Bob arrived at the County Arena at Vega early evening, and Sheriff David Medlin met him there. Both horses were corralled for the night, and David had got in feed for them. He took Bob to a wonderful Western Cafe called Boot Hill , that had recently opened, and they ate together.

Thank you for all your help, David.........much appreciated.

The following morning, (4 Nov) Bob again checked over Cody, who needless to say was raring to go, and Bob decided to ride him for the journey of 29 miles to Hereford. The weather that day was pleasantly warm with a temp of 75 degrees, but a Westerly wind of up to 40 mph that Bob had to ride into all day. He did say it kept him cool, but I should imagine he got a bit of windburn. Whilst he was on the road, another reporter came up to him and took photos, but Bob couldn't stop as he had such a long journey, and would be in the middle of nowhere when he arived at Hereford. I was pre-warned that coming into Hereford can be pretty smelly, because there are so many feed lots there, with thousands of cattle.

Bob had arived at J & K Stables, which is on the outskirts of town, and had been met by the owner, Jimmy Payne. He had provided a lovely corral for our boys, as well as hay and feed, and wouldn't take anything for it. Bob said he has a lovely set up there, and apparently, he does leather work as well. Thank you very much, Jimmy, for helping the three boys on their way.

When I spoke to Bob, he was suffering a bit, as he hurt his ribs when he threw himself off Cody, and he's also developed blisters where he's walked so much, in order to make it easier for Cody. He was bathing his poor feet when we spoke, and was looking forward to a freeze dried meal and bed, as he was up at 5.00 that morning.

There's no gain without pain ! Keep going, my three boys .......... I'm proud of you all.

In a few more days, Bob will be in New Mexico.

Disaster again leaving Tascosa

2008-11-04T17:26:00.000-08:00

Bob left the Boy's Ranch early that morning of 2 November with a ride of 24 miles towards Vega. He had ridden a few miles down the road and had to cross a concrete bridge, with an expansion joint in the middle. Stupidly, the expansion joint was only covered in a rubber strip, and when Cody crossed over it ......... Bob was riding him that day, with Tigers packing, his back leg went through it, and he buckled to the floor, with Bob still on his back. Bob threw himself off and bruised his ribs, and fortunately, poor Cody managed to get to his legs. Yet again, the poor horse is grazed and bruised, and Bob had to walk him back to the boy's Ranch.

The stable manager at the Ranch checked him over, and although he's sore, pronounced him ok, but Bob decided to rest him for the day, and ride Tigers the next day. His wounds were dressed and he was dosed with Bute. When I spoke to Bob, he was quite upset about the incident, as he's so fond of Cody, and he's such a willing horse, with a lovely temperment.

Unfortunately, this has happened at a bad time, as for the next few days, Bob has got long distances to travel.

Tascosa,Texas

2008-11-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

Thank God Bob stayed for rest days here, as it's given me a chance to catch up on the site! Last blog of the night and then we're up to date again.

Bob has a very short ride on 30 October of only 12 miles........hardly worth the effort,Bob! Yet again as he left town, another dog followed him.......they must be passing the word along ..... follow this man, you might get a free meal! On the way, a guy stopped to talk to him, and yet again the dog was transported back from where it came. This dog had a real suicide wish, as Bob said a huge truck had to brake to avoid it and skidded across the road.

The land is becoming hillier, as through Colorado and Oklahoma it was extremely flat, but very desolate, and Bob is just about managing to find grazing for the horses when he stops on the way.
Whilst he was riding along a young guy of about 19 stopped to talk with him, and told him he was driving around looking for "cowboying" work. He had travelled from Wyoming, and said he would probably have to find work in the Feed Lots, although I don't think he wanted to. When he found out what Bob was doing, he was really envious, and said he would love to do the same one day. He told Bob he had a load of provisions in his pickup, and if there was anything he wanted he could take his pick. What generosity, when he didn't even have a job to go to. It speaks volumes about people, doesn't it ?

Bob was staying at The Boy's Ranch, and I will start by telling you about the history of this place. It was set up about 40/50 years ago as an orphanage, and is on the site of the old town of Tascosa. It is like a town in itself with a school, shops, cattle, horses, stables and housing, and was the brainchild of Cal Farley who built it in the 1930's. He was originally a World Welter Weight Wrestling champion, and then went on to play professional American Football. After that he became a business man, but was always interested in the welfare of children. He was given 110 acres to start the project off, and the Museum there is on the site of the old Court house. In its time Tascosa was the County seat, and the Court House would have served all the surrounding towns. Originally, Tascosa was a cattle centre, and therefore a cowboy town. Billy the Kid, Bat Masterton and Pat Garrett were all there at one time, and Bob went to see the big Boot Hill that is there. The town eventually became a ghost town as the Railroad never went through it. Bob spent quite a while in the museum finding out the history for me.

When Bob arrived a load of the kids came to see him, and the horses were stabled for him. David Hanzlick who's in charge of the stables, drove him round to show him everything,and was quite sad that he was away for the next few days, as I think he would have liked to have caught up on Bob's ride. He gave him a pocket knife as a souvenir.

Whilst he's been there, he has people coming up to him all the time saying "Are you the cowboy riding across America?" He's been issued with a visitor's pass, which means he can eat in the dining hall , and has been given a room of his own to sleep in . After he spoke to me Mike Pacino, who I think is the manager of the Ranch was going to pick him up and take him for a drive round the ranch. And guess what..... there's a BIG American Football game on tonight, which he's going to watch. I said "You don't know anything about American Football", and he informed me he's picking up the rules,and quite enjoys watching it.

Thank you very much everyone at The Boy's Ranch .........Bob had a great stay with you, and loved the history of the place.

Tomorrow he's heading for Vega, a longer ride of 24 miles. At least he's missing all the miserable weather we're having here.........freezing cold, gales and driving rain. What fun !!!!!!!!

Here are some photos that were kindly sent to me by C.F. David from the Boise City News, as Bob was getting ready to leave there.

Bob always tries to weigh his saddle packs to ensure they are as light as possible for the pack horse. He says he has spent a lot of time discarding things as he goes along. Always travel light.

Cleaning the horse's hooves before they set off. A job that's done every morning.

All bundled up and ready to go as Dawn breaks. Don't the boys look wonderful ( I'm talking about the horses!)

Channing, Texas

2008-11-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

Today on 29 October, Bob was heading for Channing, again riding Tigers.... I bet Cody's getting fed up being pack horse all the time.

The weather is now very cold in the mornings and evenings, but around midday it hits the middle 70's. I can remember it being like that when we were in Texas about 6 years ago. As he was riding into town he was met by Sheriff Franky Scott.......He came to tell Bob he couldn't stay at his original venue, so had arranged an alternative for him. This was at the home of Frank and Moselle Shepherd. The horses were staying at a small arena on the edge of town, and as he was unpacking there, a man came by the name of Melvin Jameson came up and started talking to him. He offered Bob a bed for the night, which he had to decline. and then said he was off to play a hand of Poker, and Did Bob want to come along........Bob again declined.

Bob had a very interesting evening with Frank and Moselle. Frank used to do a lot of Rodeo riding, and he had a tack room full of gear from his rodeo days, which included at least 10 saddles. I think they had a good time chatting about his exploits in the saddle. Also Moselle gave him a Raccoon memento, which I won't say what it is, as we want to surprise someone with it when he gets back to England ! A big thank you to Frank and Moselle for their hospitality.

Keep them horses heading West, cowboy

Hartley,Texas

2008-11-01T13:43:00.000-07:00

Another short ride of only 16 miles on 28 October, again riding Tigers. Bob said the ditches are not so good for riding in now, so he tends to ride on the shoulder of the road. But, unfortunately, it's taking its toll on the horses shoes, and they will need re-shoeing by the time he reaches Dalhart.

As he was riding out of town, two dogs followed him, one wearing a collar. They followed him for miles, and he was getting quite worried about them as they seemed to have no road sense. When he was a few miles out from Hartley, Deputy Chanze Fowler came out to meet him, and took the dog with the collar back home. When Bob reached Hartley, the other dog just went off. He said there are a lot of dogs around that seem to live on their luck, and will follow you given the slightest encouragement. I would be adopting them all !

Chanze Fowler had arranged for Bob to stay with Ed and Nan Webber, who kindly gave him a bed for the night, as well as a shower and meal. The horses were corralled just out of town. Thank you so much Ed and Nan for helping Bob out.

Dalhart,Texas

2008-11-01T13:23:00.000-07:00

On 27 October Bob had a short ride of 14 miles to Dalhart. On all of these short trips he rides Tigers as he's more of a plodder than Cody. He left at 9.30, and said the morning was very cold, with 1/2 inch of ice on the water and a cold wind blowing . He rode into the wind for the whole trip and it didn't let up until he reached Dalhart.

He was staying at the Dalhart XIT Rangers, and as he was riding through Dalhart en route, a man stopped his pickup to talk with him, and when he learnt what Bob was doing insisted on giving him a good pocket knife as a memento. As he was riding by the Feed Lot (where they fatten up the cattle, prior to slaughter) a cowboy, Joey Esquilzel stopped to talk with him, and gave him a present of gloves and a scarf. I can't believe how generous people are.

Upon arrival at the XIT Rangers, he was met by Peggy Minnick, who I think helps run the stables, and the horses were given a really nice corral for the night. Bob slept in a building on a table........I asked him why he doesn't sleep on the floor, and he said there's a bit more give on the table ! Don't quite follow that. Peggy kindly made him breakfast the following morning before he set off again. Thank you kindly, Peggy, for all your help.

Bob was telling me some of the history of the XIT Rangers. The original Dalhart Ranch that was there before, was the biggest ranch in the world, with 3 million acres. Sometime in the past the ranch owner had made a deal with the State, and the ranch owner paid for the building of the State Capitol building in Austin at a cost of 5 million dollars, ( I've seen it) and in turn they were given a vast amount of land by the State.

Here's a nice quote for you......
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

State Line, Texas and 20 miles on

2008-11-01T11:12:00.000-07:00

Here we are again, reporting for duty, and bringing the blog site up to date. Sorry for the breaks, but it's unavoidable at the moment.

First of all I would like to say a big thank you to the people of Boise City, Oklahoma, for giving Bob such a good welcome.............apologies for putting Boise City in Colorado.......have now rectified that on the blog site. Woops !

Once Bob left Boise City he was riding along the State Line between Oklahoma and Texas for a journey of 19 miles. The trip was pretty uneventful, but grazing is getting more difficult for Cody and Tigers, as it is far drier now. He arrived at about 3.00pm at the home of Tom and Debra James, and had a comfortable bed for the night as well as a lovely meal. When he left next day, Debra provided him with sandwiches, home made cookies and cake for his lunch. Thank you so much Tom and Debra for all your kindness, and for fattening my man up........he's getting far too skinny !

Tom was telling Bob that they have been doing their family tree. Their relatives originally came from England and Ireland, and they are distantly related to the outlaw Jesse James.........isn't that great !

The following morning Bob had a ride of 20 miles to Richard Avila's Dairy. Bob said it is a fantastic set up there, and when he arrived there was grain and hay waiting for the boys, as well as a corral. So once they had been put to bed, the manager of the Dairy, Victoria Deleon, showed him where he was staying. Richard was away for the day. He slept in the Dairy Office, where he was able to have a shower, and Victoria had kindly provided him with a mattress,blankets and
pillows, as well as a meal that evening. The following morning Richard Avila came by to visit with him before he left.

Thank you very much, Richard for allowing him to camp in your office, and grateful thanks to Victoria for sorting everything for him.

Bob is now in Texas, and has done about 1400 miles.

Do you remember Taylor Hendrick, the little girl who was doing her first trail ride with Bob on 3 October as he was heading for Wauneta. Her mum , Patty kindly sent some photos of them on the ride together.

Obviously, this is Taylor, and I guess she's wearing one of the belt buckles she won in her horse competitions. Isn't she cute ?

Bob and Taylor on the road to Wauneta, Colorado.

Apparently, Taylor's ambition is to ride in the rodeos. We wish her luck. She has won quite a few competions already....not bad going for 81/2 is it ?

Away again

2008-10-26T02:02:00.000-07:00

I'm away again for a while, but keep watching. Will update ASAP

Bob and Rocky's Ride

2008-10-25T12:22:00.000-07:00

Have received some more lovely pictures of Bob at an American Football game, and also of Bob and Rocky on their ride. My thanks to The Boise City News, C.F. David and Don Scearce. Also Rocky who sent some great pictures of them both today.

Here are two of the cheerleaders at the American Football match. On the left is April Layton, and then Lacy Wilson. Bob met her grandparents in Campo.

This the local team, The Wildcats. Apparently Bob brought them luck and they won their game that night. Here we see them breaking their banner.

The Wildcats in action. A bit different to British football !

And now we have some photos that Rocky sent through today of himself and Bob at Campo and Boise City......also that horrendous gale force ride.

The two Long Riders together. They've even got matching gilets !

Bob stopping for a rest at the Comanche National Grasslands

Bob and Rocky socialising at the Campo Community Centre. Bit of a sour face, Bob !!

Our Long Rider giving a talk to the residents of Campo.

Two very wet riders stopping to let the horses graze. Notice the lack of trees.

Oh, for a nice warm, dry bed.

Photos from Colorado

2008-10-24T13:01:00.000-07:00

People have been kindly sending me lots of pictures, which is great. So, I'm devoting one blog to a picture gallery. This is the typical flat landscape of Colorado that Bob had been telling me about.

A lovely old building, which (and I'm only guessing from the silos behind) I think was in Holyoke.

Gathering for the "pot luck" at Holyoke.

Here's Taylor Hendrick who joined Bob on the road into Wauneta on 3 October. She's only 81/2 and a brilliant rider.

The long and not so winding roads of Colorado.

Bob's luxury sleeping arrangements when he was in Barns or buildings.....preferably with hay !

Talking with the kids at Boise City Elementary School.

Bob and Rocky braving the elements on their ride from Campo to Boise City

My three wet boys!!!!!

An equally wet Rocky !!!!

Just a quick thank you to Karen Towns from the Stratton Spotlight newspaper, who kindly sent me a copy of the paper through the post, showing the article on Bob's long ride.

Whilst I was doing this blog, Bob phoned to tell me about his day. He is currently staying at the home of Angela Legrand and her daughter, Kayley who is five, and her sister, Cindy. he is chilling out after the bad weather they have had, and spent today, cleaning out the horses' corral and feeding and checking them, as well as writing up his journal. When I spoke to him he had a little white kitten licking him on the chin !!!!

Due to change in hours from mountain time to central time, it does not get light until 8.00am now. Central time is only 6 hours behind us, whilst mountain time is 7. To further confuse matters, clocks go back an hour in America on 2 November. Bob will be riding back into mountain time on 5 November. Work all that out if you can !?!

A big thank you to Angela, Cindy, and not forgetting Kayley, for looking after Bob, and giving him a bed for the time he was in Boise City.

And, finally, another snippet of information.......Campo was the centre of the dust bowl that swept through Colorado in the 1930's, removing all the top soil.

Boise City, Oklahoma

2008-10-24T04:51:00.000-07:00

On 22 October, Bob and Rocky bid a fond farewell to the people of Campo and set off on the 27 mile ride to Boise City.

Bob reckons it was the toughest ride so far of his trip. Besides the weather being freezing cold in the morning, the gale force winds did not let up all day, and the going was very tough. However, they still made good time, sustained by the goodies given to them that morning and arrived in Boise at about 5 o'clock.

Theresa, from the Police department had arranged hay and grain for the horses, which was waiting at the Fairground, and when they rode in the Fairground was opened up for them. Thank you so much for your help, Theresa. I bet the horses were ready for that feed after a tough day.

As Rocky used to live in Boise, He stayed with his Aunt, and Bob was fixed up with some people nearby, just up the road. Sorry, I don't yet know their names, but will find out tonight.

On 23 October, Bob gave a talk to the local children at the Elementary School, and I was kindly sent some photos of this, which will be put on the blog site shortly. There were about 60 kids there, and Rocky was present. Rocky and Bob went for breakfast that morning, Bob stocked up on his chocolate rations ........he said he lives off this when riding !!!! and they went and checked the horses were ok. Later that afternoon, Rocky, trailered his horses, and the two bid fond farewells, before he set off on his long journey home. It was great to meet with you, Rocky, and I hope for some photos of you both together soon to put on the blog site.

"Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can."

Keep riding, Cowboy !

Campo, Colorado

2008-10-24T04:29:00.000-07:00

At this stage of his journey, Bob has now done in excess of 1200 miles.

Rocky and Bob set off early as usual, and today the weather was quite pleasant, so they made good time and arrived in Campo about 4.30 that afternoon. Travelling is quite easy in Colorado unless the weather is bad, because the land is so flat, and usually the roads are quiet, as they tend to ride the dirt back roads.

They were met by Ray Johnson, who is the Mayor, and the horses were safely corralled and fed. Ray had arranged a pot luck dinner at the local community centre, which was attended by about 30/40 local residents and Bob said the food was wonderful. Ray had provided b'que Beef, which Bob said had a smokey flavour, and melted in your mouth. Why didn't you ask for the recipe, Bob ? He also gave a talk on his travels.

Rya had also arranged for them to sleep in an empty house, which was a luxury......bed for the night and showers!

Apparently Ray is in the process of opening a Barbecue Cafe in town.

The weather forecast for the next day sounded terrible........40 to 50mph gales, and freezing in the morning, but our intrepid heros were up at 5.30 am to carry on the ride. They had been invited to the local cafe for breakfast, but had declined because time was of a premium. But lo and behold at 5.30 am some kind person brought them coffee, biscuits, muffins and cookies to sustain them on their trip from the cafe. Thank you so much......they were much appreciated whilst they were on the ride. Also when they had packed and were riding out, about 4 families came out in their cars to wave them off. People are so lovely.............. you wouldn't get me out of bed that time of the morning!!!!!!

Ray drove out to say goodbye to them and saved the day........because the wind was so bad, he gave them both silk scarves to wrap around their faces for protection. Bob said they were a godsend.

Ray, you were marvellous with everything you did for the two travellers. Thank you so much. I know they enjoyed their stay and meeting yourself, and the folks of Campo. We may be back next year to visit that B'que Cafe you're setting up.

Springfield, Colorado

2008-10-23T17:56:00.000-07:00

The next day, 20 October, Greg drove Bob and Rocky back to the barn where the horses were stabled, and they had another early start as they had a 24 mile ride to the Springfield Fairground.

They were forced to ride alongside the main road, in the ditches, and Bob said it was the worst road he has had to ride along so far. Apparently, it's the main road to Amarillo, and is used by all the trucks, so it was pretty horrendous with four horses, especially when they had to go across bridges.

They arrived at the Fairground without mishap, and Deborah Lester had arranged feed for the horses to be there. Thank you very much, Deborah. They slept in a building there that night. The Fairground was about a mile from the restaurant, and just to show how kind people are, a lady gave them a lift there, and said "when you've finished eating, give me a ring and I'll drop you back". And she did. Thank you for your kindness.

They dined on steak and prawns that evening. All right for some, isn't it !!!!

24 miles South of Lamar

2008-10-23T17:26:00.000-07:00

A very early start today, on 19 October, as this was going to be one of Bob's longest rides......29 miles to his next stop. The weather was fine, very cold in the mornings now, but as he heads south it should pick up again. He was riding on a back road, parallel to the main road, and about 5 miles from his destination, late afternoon, Rocky Woolman met up with him, in his trailer. Rocky was the Long Rider I had mentioned in a previous blog who had just finished an epic ride earlier this year. He had arranged to meet with Bob to ride part of the way with him to Boise City, where Rocky used to live. Believe it or not, he had driven 600 miles to meet up with Bob !!!!

As he was unloading his horses from the trailer, Lynn and Rod turned up in their pick up with Bob's pack saddles and gear, which they were transporting for him to his next stop. Rocky had brought a pack horse, and they pushed on as it would be starting to get dark within the next hour. They arrived at the home of Greg and Valerie Emick, and the horses were corralled about 6 miles from the house and given plenty of feed. Greg drove them back to his house, and Lynn and Rod also arrived, and they all ate together.

A snippet of information, of interest. On Greg's land, he has 120 wind Turbine windmills, gigantic things , and each one produces 1.6 MW of electricity.

Also another thing of interest. A lot of people in the countryside raise cattle from calves, and then send them to the feed lot , where they are fattened on corn, prior to slaughter. People then have their own beef, and don't need to buy any. Also Hamburgers are made from REAL meat, not like the rubbish we have in ours, and they quite often use meat such as Buffalo and Elk in them.

Thank you very much, Greg and Valerie, for helping not only Bob, but also your hospitality towards Rocky.

Lamar, Colorado

2008-10-23T17:01:00.000-07:00

On 16 October Bob had a ride of 23 miles to Lamar, and to the home of Lynn and Rod Schwarz. Sally and Mel had kindly arranged to drive his gear over there, so his pack horse (Tigers) had an easy ride that day. The weather was fine that day, and he was travelling over flat terrain on dirt roads, with no traffic, so there were no problems. Would you believe it, Sally and Mel drove out with lunch for him on the way. They are so kind.

When Bob was half way to Lamar, a stray dog started following him, and came with him for the rest of the journey. Nobody seemed to know whose dog it was, but I believe that Sally was going to take it home with her. I was worrying about the dog when Bob told me about it the other night. But he was not thrilled when I suggested perhaps we could have it !!!! A companion for Jess, our Labrador !

That evening there was a pot luck supper at the Vaqueros Saddle Club, with about 30/40 people there, and Bob gave a talk afterwards. Do you think I can book him in for speaking engagements when he gets back , for a nominal fee ?

On 17 October, Sally arrived at Lynn's to take Bob back to the Chiropractor for further treatment. He didn't want to take payment and would only charge Bob a low fee when Bob insisted on paying. Perhaps Sally or Lynn could express our appreciation to him, as he certainly eased Bob's discomfort. Later that day, Bob did an interview for the local paper, and then Pat, who was at Sally's home the other night picked him up and took him to his girlfriend's home. Pat restores old waggons, and took Bob to see them where they are housed in a barn at the Fairground.

The following day, a friend of Lynn and Rod's, Evan, came and reshod and pared the horses's feet, and that afternoon, Rod drove him the route he was taking the next day so that he could suss it out. That evening, Evan and his wife came round for drinks and a chat, and I think quite a good evening was had by all, as Bob told me they had a late night!

Thank you so much, Lynn and Rod for putting Bob up, and looking after him so well, not to forget Pat and Evan as well. He certainly enjoyed meeting you all.

Wiley, Colorado

2008-10-23T16:25:00.001-07:00

Well, we're now in catch up mode, so here goes. I spoke to Bob tonight and spent over an hour taking notes.

He left Eads early on 14 October to ride 23 miles to Wiley, and Bruce who had so kindly helped him whilst he was in Eads came out to say goodbye. The weather was terrible, raining non stop all day, and he was soaked to the skin. When he was about 3/4 miles from his destination, the home of Sally and Mel Depra, he spotted a large wooden barn and decided to take the horses in there, so he could have something to eat. No sooner had he sat down than Sally and Mel pulled up in their car. They must have been driving out looking for him !

When he arrived at their home, he had a hot shower, and Sally kindly washed his clothes. Pat, a friend arrived, and they all sat down, had a good dinner, and a relaxing evening, chatting.

The next day, 15 October, Sally drove him to the Chiropractor, as his back is still giving him trouble. He had treatment and was told to return on the Friday for more treatment. Sally also drove him to his next destination by a different route to the one Bob was intending to take, so that he could avoid riding through Lamar. It will be a slightly longer ride, but worth the trouble. The evening was spent having a nice meal and chatting.

I really must express mine and Bob's appreciation to Sally and Mel for being such wonderful hosts, and looking after my three boys so well.

We're still around

2008-10-23T03:52:00.001-07:00

Everything is going well with Bob's ride. Due to me not having been around , I'm frantically trying to get together information for the last week, and will, hopefully, be updating the blog site within the next few days.

Bob has now left Colorado and is in Oklahoma just for a few days, until he crosses the border into Texas. Thank you so much, all the great folk in Colorado, for giving him such a fantastic welcome and for keeping me informed of his whereabouts. We both really appreciated all your kindnesses.

Keep watching, I'll be back soon !

Eads, Colorado

2008-10-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

Sorry, folks, for the big gap when I have not been reporting back. Have now come back to Bristol for a few days to catch up on everything.

After Bob left Kit Carson on 13 October, he had a ride of over 20 miles to Eads Fairground, and arrived there at about 3.30pm. Bruce Fickenscher, who had arranged the stopover for him , came out to meet him as he rode into town, and he had also arranged hay and grain for the horses.Cody and Tigers were safely corralled for the night, and then , surprise surprise, Bruce had arranged for Bob to have a beautifully comfortable room at the local retirement home, which is only three years old. The room had its own kitchen and bathroom, and there was a swimming pool and hot tub on the complex, which Bob had the use of. He had to borrow some swimming trunks, and had a wonderful time relaxing after his journey. Not content with all he had done for Bob, Bruce had also arranged a complimentary meal for our rider. Sincere thanks to Bruce for all his help. You went far beyond the call of duty !

Bob was telling me a bit of history again, which I like to put on the blog. As the land round here is very dry it has to be irrigated by pivots, which throw 1000 gallons of water per minute onto the fields. When we were looking at Google Earth last year at Colorado before Bob went on his ride, we wondered what the circles were that showed up everywhere. Now we know. The whole of Colorado is above an aquafer, which is a body of water underground, and this has to be pumped up in order to irrigate the land. Because the water level of the aquafer is dropping, people in this area are now limited in their useage of it, which is pretty tough when they rely on it to water their crops.

Another snippet of information. The Sagebrush, which is a low growing shrub and grows everywhere, was used by the Indians in the past as a medication.

Life is for living................ live it to the full !

Away for a while

2008-10-14T15:31:00.000-07:00

All is well with Bob, and his ride is progressing well. But I have been called away, due to a family emergency, so there will be no blog for a while. Will update you on Bob's progress as soon as I can

Cheyenne Wells and Kit Carson Colorado

2008-10-13T14:35:00.001-07:00

Well, another day, another blog !

When we last spoke Bob was awaiting his ribs from the barbecue. He said they tasted absolutely delicious.I expect when you've been living off freeze dried meals, it must be heaven to have something like that. He had a great evening with Tyson Pharo, and his friend Mike, and rounded off with a few beers. Bob had lost his sweatshirt on his travels (dementia setting in !), and Mike went out to his truck, and gave him one of his. The next morning he had a cooked breakfast, and set off on the road at 7.50am. Thanks to Tyson and Mike for all your help.

He was now heading for Cheyenne Wells, a distance of just over 17 miles, and the weather has certainly changed now, very cold, drizzly and overcast. He was riding Tigers, who hasn't got the "umph" of Cody, so it was a pretty slow ride. The landscape is very open, nothing much around, and the roads are quiet. People still stop in their cars, as they have done throughout his ride, to talk with him, and even offer him places to stay. When he rides past a ranch, they invariably come out to see if they can help.

Bob arrived at the Fairground in Cheyenne Wells, to find that Vicke Nestor had kindly got him in hay for the horses. Many thanks, Vickie. Hardly had he brushed them down, fed and corralled them , than Phil Doddery who lived about 1/2 mile from the Fairground arrived. Mike from the previous night had told him about Bob, and he'd been looking out for him. He took him back to his house, fed him a wonderful steak, and gave him a bed for the night. Thanks so much for your kindness, Phil.

On 12 October, Bob was up at 5.30 am, and on the road at 7.10, heading for Kit Carson......... I just love these names, they sound as though they are full of old cowboy history. That day, he saw drastic changes in temperature on his travels. He couldn't ride in the ditches, as there had been heavy rain during the night, and the horses were sinking into the ground there, so he was forced to ride on the road, something he doesn't do out of choice. Very slow progress was made that day. In the morning he was riding into a strong South wind approaching gale force, with a temperature high of 60 degrees. But around noon, the sky started getting darker and darker, and within seconds the wind had changed to a North wind , and the temperature dropped by 15 degrees.

When I last spoke to him, he had just arrived at the home of Jack and Marcia Wilson, and had stabled the horses for the night. He had seen the Wilsons' on the road that morning, as they were heading out for a convention, but had not yet returned when we spoke.

I've just checked out the weather for Eads, where he is heading tomorrow, and see that snow is forecast !!!

Bob has now completed well over 1000 miles, and has about another 8 week's riding to go.

Bonny Lake State Park and Burlington

2008-10-11T12:59:00.000-07:00

On 6 October, Bob rode the 17 miles to Bonny Lake State Park. The weather was very windy, which made it hard going, as the dust goes in your eyes. Apart from that the journey was uneventful.......Kevin, whose land he camped on last night, stopped to say hello on the way today.

The Campground is very nice, with all mod cons, showers, toilets etc, and the horses were corralled. Darby at the ground had got in hay for Cody and Tigers, for which they were very appreciative. Many thanks. There was only one camper van on the site, and Bob was listening to their radio for the weather. The couple, Norman and Betty Kramer, live 10 miles east of Burlington, and they offered Bob a meal and bed for the night on 8 October, which he gratefully accepted.

He had a shower and a gert lush freeze dried dinner that night, and an early night.

As he had a 25 mile ride to Burlington, Bob was up at 5.45 on 7 October. He got away on time, and was met on the road by a reporter, who interviewed him and promised to send me a copy of the paper. He arrived at the fairground without mishap, and the horses were corralled. Jerry Mangrass, the feed store owner, turned up with 4 bales of hay and grain for the horses, as they are having a stopover here for three nights. The Fairground is on the edge of town, and Bob reckons it's very nice. He's sleeping on a little bed in a building, and has his own shower and RADIO there. He was listening to a Country and Western Station when I called , which comes from Burlington.

Jerry and his wife Cindy gave Bob a lift to the Restaurant, and joined him for dinner, which Jerry paid for. Thank you so much, Jerry and Cindy, for your hospitality. They later dropped him back at the Fairground, as he was meeting another reporter for an interview at 8.00pm.

For the next two days Bob is resting over at the Fairground. David, the Caretaker, came over to check everything was ok, and that evening Norman Kramer picked him up to go to their place. He had a very pleasant evening, with a good dinner, with Norman, Betty, and a friend. Thank you both for feeding and giving Bob a bed for the night.

When I spoke to Bob on 9 October, he was bored !!!!!! He'd written up his journal, and I think he was fed up chilling out, and needed some action. Freeze dried meals that day, and a load of chocolate to give him a buzz.

The weather now sounds as though it is very similar to the U.K. Very chilly first thing in the morning, and the same as the evenings draw in .He's now needing to wear several layers of clothes at night. I think the days are a lot warmer than ours though. He has been slightly disappointed in the sleeping bag, which wasn't cheap, but is not as warm as it claimed it would be.

When I spoke to him last night, he'd ridden just over 22 miles past Burlington, and was stopping at the ranch of Tyson Pharo. As we spoke, Tyson was being the genial host and cooking spare ribs on the barbecue. A friend of his was coming over, who is a farrier, so no doubt he will check the horses over for Bob.

The weather is not looking good for tomorrow, storms are forecast, and the temperature is dropping dramatically. Bob was saying that were he is in Colorado is apparently a bit of a cold spot, but the temperatures will pick up again further along the journey.

Keep 'em riding, Cowboy.

Photos From Holyoke

2008-10-07T10:47:00.001-07:00

Our beautiful boys trying to get in on the act!

Dana's mother, Dreama Poe, cuddling up with our Bob at the get together

Bob and Dana Warren

I'm not sure what Bob's doing with his fingers here !

Our Long Rider in the making talking about his adventures

Time for food at Holyoke

Don't worry, Bob, there's plenty for you !

Our Boys saying hello to Allison and Jillian, Dana's daughters

Bob chatting before the get together began

I would think those are grain silos in the background, but put me right someone, if I'm wrong.

Thank you ,Dana, for providing all the above photos. It was great to get them.

Wauneta, Dean and Sue Jarrett, and on to Wray

2008-10-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

Bob managed to leave Holyoke at 7.30 am on 3 October, as there were lights in the fairground, and he could pack etc whilst still dark.The journey would not be too long that day, 18 miles, and he was about 6 miles away from Dean Jarrett's when a trailer pulled up and on board was Patti Hendrick and her daughter, Taylor, who is 81/2. They asked if Taylor could ride with him part of the way, which Bob was very happy about. He said the little girl was a brilliant rider, and they rode to the Hendrick's home, and Bob had a break for coffee, whilst the horses were watered. Thanks for the coffee, Loren and Patti, and not forgetting Taylor!

He arrived at Dean's home about 3pm, and the horses were fed and corralled, and also given a salt block, & then went with Dean to feed the cattle. Later on that night he had a steak from their own farm, which he said was lovely. I'm getting so jealous !!!! He slept in the house that night. I would like to extend my thanks to Dean and Sue for their hospitality, and building his strength up with the lovely steak.

A bit of information on the landscape in Colorado. He's now in praire land, the ground is quite sandy and covered in Sagebrush and Tumbleweed. All farming here is done by irrigation, as the soil is so light, and I don't suppose they get much rain ( only guessing). There is adequate grass for the horses as he's riding, but the best is in the ditches.

I must also mention that as he was leaving Dean's place, he was looking for his gloves, which were at the bottom of his panniers, and Dean not only gave him a pair of gloves, but also a back strap to help with the bad back. Thanks again, Dean.

BOB IS NOW MORE THAN HALF WAY THROUGH HIS LONG RIDE. ANOTHER MILESTONE PASSED.

Bob left at 7.30am, and the weather was cold and overcast, and it was spitting with rain. However, saying that, he had a good ride with the distance to be covered being 21 miles that day. He stopped at a garage for food, and made it in good time to Drake Johnson's ranch by late afternoon. Drake trains reining horses. Later that evening, Bob, Drake and his girlfriend went into town for a steak and beers. Bob had a good night's sleep in the stables with the reining horses, and said that in the field next door to Cody and Tigers there were six buffalo. The horses were not impressed! Thank you so much, Drake, for looking after the three boys.

The following morning, he again left early, and had a tough day, as it was very windy, and made the ride hard going. He was camping by a river that was practically dried up, but there was enough water for the horses, and also trees, so that he could high line them. As it's getting dark earlier now, he has to make sure he leaves himself enough time when he arrives to pitch his tent and get the chores done before it gets dark. His faithful lamp is still going strong, and giving him plenty of light at night. There was enough light left for the horses to be hobbled to graze, and Tigers was belled so he could hear where they were. Bob said listening to the bell going reminded him of when he was up in the mountains with them.

Kevin Shiveley, whose land he was camping on, came out to make sure he was ok and for a chat, and also his son and his girlfriend. Thanks, Kevin for allowing him to camp on your land.

Holyoke,Colorado

2008-10-07T06:51:00.000-07:00

From what Bob has told me, he had a wonderful time in Holyoke, so I decided to devote one blog to this, as there's quite a bit to tell.

Bob started off on 1 October, and the ride there was very short, only 12 miles, as David's place was further on than Bob had anticipated stopping. He has had a bit of a problem with sand burrs that stick to the horses, and I guess are quite a problem to remove. He arrived after an uneventful journey at 3p.m. En route, he stopped near the entrance to a ranch, to let his horses graze, and three people came out of the ranch to talk to him and take photos. The lady also kindly gave him some cookies to eat. I'm really sorry that I don't know the names of the people, as it's nice to mention names and to be able to thank people personally. One of the gentlemen said he was the owner of the Burge Hotel in Holyoke, and told Bob to call in there the next day for a shower. Thank you everyone for your kindness.

As Bob was riding along, Dana Warren, who was organising his stopover at Holyoke, drove out to meet him, and gave him a copy of the local paper, which had an article on him. She had also organised a "pot luck" supper for the following evening, next to the Rodeo ground he was staying at, as there were quite a few people wanted to meet him. I think some of the people he had stayed with previously were going to attend, and there was going to be a singer. Again, when he was 2 miles away from Holyoke, she returned with water for the horses. Dana, you're marvellous. He's also had a lot of people stopping to chat with him on the roadside, as they've read about him in the papers.

Anyway, our hero arrived at the fairground, and the caretaker showed him around, and opened a building for him to sleep in. He even had a toilet, and the horses were corralled, which means he's got peace of mind. The local vet (sorry, don't know his name again), kindly provided the horses with hay and grain, and would not take payment for them. Thank you very much for your generosity. Whilst Bob was settling in and brewing up a long needed coffee, Dana arrived and took his washing away to do. As Bob was still having trouble with his back, she had also arranged for the local chiropractor to open up for Bob the following morning (it was his day off) to see if there was anything he could do to alleviate the discomfort. The vet came along for a chat, and also checked the horses over for Bob. He said they were in great shape. They are really toned up now, and are not losing any more weight, so must be really fit. Bob is really fond of his "boys" now and spends a lot of time chatting to them, especially on the road. People were very kind and left him alone for the rest of the day so he could rest and write up his journal ( book in the making?).

The following day , 2 October, Dana arrived at 8.30 to take Bob to the chiropractor. He had come into town especially to see Bob and treat him and would not take any payment. What kindness! I hope I've got this right, but apparently he's got two vertebrae & ribs seized up and needs to wear a support belt, as he can't cure it.

After that Bob went over to the Burge Hotel for his shower. The Hotel is quite historical as it was built in 1878, and in 1929 the then owners built a fireplace. As the Hotel is next to the railway station it's used a lot by sales reps, and over the fireplace there is a plaque with 200 names of the people who have all contributed unusual items to build it with. There are things from all over the world......Civil War cannonballs, a Ist World War German helmet, a stone from the grave of Calamity Jane, prehistoric bones, to name but a few. Quite amazing ,eh ?

Later that day, Bob had an interview with the local radio station, who ran off a CD of the interview and gave it to him.

At 6 pm, the horses were corralled on a park area close to the Fairground so people could see them, and people started arriving to chat with Bob. Everyone brought food, and it was a good social event, which went on till about 9pm. Bob gave a talk on his long ride, and Dana has kindly sent me some photos of the evening, which I will put on the blog site once I've finished this write up. I think somewhere between 40 and 60 people turned up, which was great. Also the local paper, the Holyoke Enterprise, turned up for an interview.

I've really got to say a big thank you to Dana, as she has been marvellous with all the help she has given Bob over the last few days. Words aren't really enough to express our appreciation.
I would also say that Bob really loved Holyoke and its people. He said it's a great town, they really organized everything well , as well as giving him space to relax, and the people are wonderful. Thank you kindly, folks, for giving him such a good welcome.

His next stop was at Wauneta, at the home of Dean Jarrett.

Julesberg Fairground and David's place

2008-10-07T06:35:00.000-07:00

You're probably all wondering why there's been no blog for a week. Unfortunately, I've been away from Bristol, due to family illness. Have returned today to try and catch up on the blog site. So rest assured, Bob is fine and the long ride is still going well.

I last spoke to Bob when he was approaching Julesberg, and he has since told me that he arrived safely. Unfortunately, he did not have a good night's sleep, due to the trains running alongside the fairground , who blew their horns as they approached, and this continued throughout the night. Although he was under shelter the weather has turned very cold at night now........ nearly frosty, and he needs to wear several layers of clothes to keep warm.

My thanks go out to Jene at the fairground, who had kindly arranged the next stopover for Bob. This was at the home of David, and Bob arrived there on 30 September. I'm afraid I don't know how long the ride was, as Bob forgot to tell me. Some friends came to visit, and brought cherry pie and ice cream...........Bob had two helpings, and said it was delicious, and David kindly let Bob sleep on his couch that night. Mine and Bob's thanks go out to him for his hospitality. In the morning, some friends arrived with breakfast, and Bob left at about 10a.m.

As I've got so much catching up to do, I've decided to split his journey for the next few days into different headings, so I don't leave anyone out.

Lodgepole Nebraska and Julesberg Colorado

2008-09-30T14:08:00.000-07:00

On 28 September Bob had a ride of approx 19 miles to Lodgepole. The weather was quite pleasant, warm and dry, and there is plenty of grazing for Cody and Tigers on the way. Norma had arranged for him to stay with some people she knew, and they all went out for something to eat and a drink that evening. Bob was warm and dry in the barn that evening, and the horses were corralled. My thanks to Norma and her friends for letting Bob stay there.

Another Milestone.........Bob was now heading into Colorado to Julesberg Fairground, a distance of 27 miles , so he set off very early in the morning. The weather was pretty much the same as the day before, and he called me on his cell phone about 2 in the afternoon, to let me know he was en route. The horses were having a stop for grazing and water. Cody is recovering well from his adventure with the post, and seems none the worse for it. In fact, Bob said he has a job to contain him in the mornings because he is raring to go.

When I spoke to Bob in the early hours, he had not long arrived at the Fairground. Apparently, he was getting close to his destination, and then came across a train stopped right across the road. He had to ride the horses alongside till he came to the engine, cross, and then ride back down..........a distance of nearly a mile. Also that day he had seen a train with 5 engines pulling, and goodness knows how many trucks!

The Fairground is right next to the rail track, and the trains seem to come every hour, 24 hours a day, so I don't think he's going to have a good night's sleep, as they blow their horns every time they go past. Jene Bauerle at the Fairground had kindly arranged hay and water for the horses, and Bob had some sort of building to sleep in. My thanks to Jene for all his help.

Keep riding, Cowboy Bob.

Dalton,Sidney and on to Lodgepole

2008-09-28T14:33:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos that were kindly sent to me by Dan and Brenda McNeill, who Bob met on 17 September, whilst on the way to Crawford, Nebraska.

When they took this photo, Bob was trying to reach me by cell phone, but , unfortunately, his phone was flat.

Bob having a rest by the side of the road. Horses catching up on the grazing.

After Bob left Bridgeport Fairground he had a very easy ride to Mud Spring Ranch, the home of Betty Cape. Betty made a lovely meal for him and he had a comfortable bed for the night. He also met her three sons, who came over to visit with him. He had an early night as he had a long ride of 28 miles the following morning, and needed to make an early start. Thank you very much to Betty and her sons for their hospitality. I would also mention Jim, who stopped his truck when Bob was en route to the ranch and offered to trailer them all there. Bob politely declined the offer, as that would have been cheating.

His destination the next day was Cabela's RV Park and campground at Sidney, and he phoned me on 26 September when he was about 15 miles from there. It was a pretty hard ride, as he had left at 7am, and the weather again was very hot. He had stopped at a house along the way, where they kindly gave him water for himself and the horses. I contacted him later that evening when he had arrived at Cabela's. He had corralled the horses for the night, and set up his tent, and Norma ( sorry Norma, I don't know your surname) had arrived with hay for the horses. She also very kindly gave Bob a $20 gift voucher for Cabela's. Thank you for all your help, Norma, as I know you came straight from work with the hay, so it must have been a very long day for you. We do appreciate it.

Bob was staying there for the following day, and went to do some shopping in the store, as he needed some more socks and a few other items. Mary, the greeter in the store bought him breakfast, and Cabela's also gave him a goodies bag with lots of useful items, and would not let him pay for camping there. The Cabela newspaper also arrived to interview him, so he's a bit of a celebrity round there. Mine and Bob's thanks for Mary's and Cabela's generosity. It is so nice that everyone is extending a hand in friendship to him , as has been in evidence throughout this trip.

Bob was spending the rest of the day writing up his journal and resting , ready for his journey to Lodgepole the following morning . Once he leaves Lodgepole, he will be crossing into Colorado, and has already done in excess of 700 miles. In approximately one week's time, he will be half way through his long ride.

My sincere thanks to the people of Nebraska for all your kindness towards Bob, and all the help you have given him. Another great State!

McGrew & Bayard, Nebraska

2008-09-25T14:22:00.000-07:00

The photos below were taken by Rick Myers from the Star Herald when he came to do an interview with Bob at Lake Minatare.

Below is Farrier Wilkins making new shoes for Tigers.

Here's Bob's little yellow tent, nestling amongst the trees.

Bob and vet Arden Wohlers, who had come to visit that day. Bob stayed with him near Marsland.

Bob and David , the superintendent of Lake Minatare.

After the events at Lake Minatare, I expect Bob was glad to be back on the road again. He had 22 miles to travel to his next stay, and because he wanted to make it easy for Cody, he took all the extra weight off him, and also walked for 8 miles of the journey. The weather wasn't too hot, and he arrived at the home of Judy Durnal at Bayard in the early evening to a very warm welcome........there were about 20 people waiting to meet him. They all said they'd been reading about him in the newspaper, and they wanted his autograph on the newspapers they had brought!!!!! He is going to be sooooooo big headed if this carries on!

The horses were corralled for the night, and the barbecue came out, and I believe a good time was had by all. Bob reckons he didn't get to bed till going on midnight. I can't e-mail Judy as she hasn't got a computer, but if anyone reads this who knows her, please pass our thanks along to her for looking after Bob.

Bob left Bayard at 9.45 the next morning, accompanied part of the way by Judy and two of her friends, who rode for about 5 miles with him. He had an 18 mile ride to Bridgeport, where he was staying at the Fairground. Dale Frickey from the Fairground came out to meet Bob as was getting near to Bridgeport, and he had arranged hay to be there for the horses. Because there was no water at the fairground the local Fire Brigade came out and pumped about 100 galls of water into a container for Bob. They all enjoyed a beer after that, supplied by Dale. Thank you very much , Dale, and also the Fire Brigade for all your help.

Bob was heading today (25 Sep) towards Dalton, a distance of about 16 miles, so that won't be too taxing for Cody, although Bob says he seems remarkably unfazed by his adventure, and was raring to go again when they left Lake Minatare.

On a different subject. Under my blog "Marsland and on to Lake Minatare", I had mentioned at the end of the blog about Rocky Woolman's trip across the Central Divide. I have corrected it on that blog now, but for anyone who had already read it, I had mistakenly put he was the first person to do this, when I actually should have put, he was the first person to do it recently. Apologies to all the previous Long Riders who have already made this trip before him.

On A More Sombre Note

2008-09-24T05:27:00.000-07:00

I won't apologise for bringing up this subject on the blog site, as it indirectly affects Bob's ride, and any other long rider in the future, and I feel that anyone who reads this site would be as shocked as I was when they read the following article.

Yesterday it was brought to my attention by CuChullaine & Basha O'Reilly of the Long Rider's Guild about a case involving horrific abuse of four horses in the Bitterroot-Selway Wilderness on the Montana-Idaho border. I will not go into details of the case, as I have enclosed below the website for the article which was covered by the Rocky Mountain Magazine. The web address is:
http://www.rockymountainrider.com/

I will prewarn you that this does not make enjoyable reading, but I hope that you will all read this article, even though it will probably upset you as much as it did me. However, it needs to be brought to public attention, so that cases like this do not arise again, and the two men concerned brought to justice.

At the present time not many cases of animal cruelty go to trial in Montana as very few authorities are willing to spend time and the public's money to prosecute unless the public raises an outcry, and this is the important point. I have today written to the prosecutor for this county(details of him are available at the end of the story), to register my feelings about this case. The more people who do this, the more likely these individuals will get their just deserts, and people will come to realise that horses cannot and must not be treated in this way.

You all know that when Bob was planning his long ride, of paramount importance to him was the welfare of his horses. He spent most of the previous year gaining as much knowledge as possible so that he was totally equipped to deal with any eventuality, and also set up a network to ensure that his horses would be checked regularly by vets and farriers, and plenty of hay, grain and water would be available along the way. He also carries a first aid kit for the horses, and had taken a first aid course prior to leaving. Bob would be the first to admit he is no horse expert, but he had done as much as was humanely possible to ensure Cody and Tigers would not be neglected in any way. He receives regular compliments from people he meets on how good the horses look, which is very pleasing.

However, now this case of cruelty has come to light, we all feel that this may have a detrimental effect on any Long Rider, and that the public may now question the integrity of authentic equestrian riders such as Bob. History has demonstrated that the lives of the Long Riders and their horses depend on the generosity, trust and acceptance of people we have never met.

That is why it is critically important that when a person says they are a Long Rider from the Long Rider's Guild that the public instantly knows that the person in the saddle is a shining example of noteworthy action and equestrian integrity.

The following extract is a quote from the Long Rider's Guild :
"If it is discovered that any member has acted in any manner inconsistant with the good faith observable between members, or is found guilty of any conduct which injures the good name of the Long Rider's Guild, or threatens to bring about the dissolution of the Long Rider's Guild. or has falsified his or her equestrian achievements, is discovered to have intentionally neglected or injured his or her horse(s), or is not willing to help other equestrian travelers by sharing information, The Long Rider's Guild reserves the right to expel that person from the Guild."

If you wish to find out any further information on the Long Rider's Guild, the web site is below:
" http://www.thelongridersguild.com/ "

I hope that many of you will act on this blog and register you disgust at this inhumane cruelty.

P.S.
If you wish to check out how the horses are doing, the web site of the Bitter Root Humane Association is:
http://www.bitterroothumane.org/
and click on "update on horse cruelty case"

Thank you all for reading this.

Near Disaster at Lake Minnatare

2008-09-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

Well, believe it or not, I've been trying all evening to get this blog done, as, yet again, I've got three days blog to catch up on. I'm starting to feel like a full time secretary! It's now 1.26 am, so I'd better get started.

Anyway, Bob has been resting the horses at Lake Minnatare since 20 September. We had pre-arranged for him to climb his hill near the campsite to get reception, and he was telling me there had just been a massive rainstorm, and his tent was surrounded by rivers of water running both sides. But just as quickly as it started, so it stopped, and the sun was shining again. Arden Wohlers came to the campsite to meet with Bob, and that evening Bob went to David's ( the superintendent of the campsite) home for a meal. He had a wonderful time, as they had a family gathering, with guitar playing and singing Country & Western songs round the fire after the meal. Thanks to David and his family for a great evening. Wish I could have been there. I must also mention that David had got feed in for the horses, and refused to take any payment for it. What great people there are around.

Whilst I was talking to Bob on the hillside, he looked down, and the horses had broken out of their temporary corral. So our conversation was cut short, as he had to go and rescue them.

The following day (22 Sep) Bob was on the hillside again to tell me about the disasterous day. He was in his tent doing some jobs and heard a commotion outside. When he looked out, the horses had been spooked by something, and Cody had pulled his post out and was galloping for the horizon, with the post still attached to his rope. As Bob looked, Tigers thought "blow this, I'm going as well," and pulled his post out and took after Cody. Bob legged after them,but luckily there was someone nearby in his pickup truck who gave Bob a lift and they chased after the horses. They were about two miles down the road by the time they caught up with them, and Bob managed to lead them back to the camp behind the truck. Cody had lost two shoes,and he came off the worse as his legs were cut and grazed from the posts. Luckily, Bob had arranged for a farrier to come out that day to re-shoe both horses, and even more luckily Arden Wohlers (who's a retired vet) arrived at about the same time as the farrier. The shoes were sorted and Arden gave Cody an antibiotic injection as a precaution against infection, and after checking both horses over, pronounced them fit for riding. In fact, he said it was better to ride them, albeit gently, or they would stiffen up. Bob had been prepared to stay put to give them a chance to recover, but Arden said there was no need for that and they would be as right as rain within a few days. He put a poultice on Cody's leg, which Bob was to remove the next morning, to reduce the swelling. Thanks for administrating the first aid, Arden.

The name of the person who gave chase in his pickup was Scott, and we would both like to thank him for his quick actions which averted what could have been a total disaster. I believe that he and his wife, Barbara, had come down to do some fishing at the lake, and when he left the next day, he gave Bob a load of lighweight food for his journey the next day.

Later that day Rick Myers from the local paper, the Star Herald arrived and took a load of photos of Bob and the horses as well as doing a write up for the paper. He kindly sent me some photos and a copy of the article today.

That evening Arden came to collect Bob and took him back to his house for the biggest steak he has ever had in his life. He said it was absolutely delicious, was cooked by Arden's fair hands on the Barbeque and totally covered his plate!

The following morning Bob was up at 5am, as he had a 22 mile ride to McGrew/Bayard, and he had to give Cody another antibiotic injection in his neck before they set off. He also wanted to do a gentle ride today, because of yesterday's events. He phoned me this evening when he was about 6 miles away from Chimney Rock, on the Oregon Trail. This is a local landmark, which is quite famous, as the first settlers going out West went along the Oregon Trail, and used the Chimney Rock as a guiding landmark. The Trail also runs alongside the North Platt river. Apparently, you can see the Rock from up to 40 miles away. He was riding Cody, who seemed unscathed from yesterday's adventure and was raring to go! I'm beginning to wonder if the horses get bored after one day's rest and start looking for trouble. The weather was quite windy and pleasantly warm, so good riding weather.Bob is heading for the home of Judy Durnal on whose land the Chimney Rock stands, so I'll find out more tomorrow when we speak again.

I've got more photos to put on the blog site, but sorry, folks, you'll have to wait till tomorrow for them, as I'm ready for bed.

Happy riding, Bob.Jess (our dog) wants to know when you're coming home.

p.s. When I was talking to Bob I mentioned he had about another 2.5 month's riding to do, and he turned around and said"I might carry on through Mexico and head for Argentina. My response was "I'll take a crash course in Western riding , and join you then!!!"

The promised photos

2008-09-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

This is the obligatory wildlife photo, that I like to include from time to time.Don't ask me where this frog (toad?) was .........

Someone has got a sense of humour! Aren't they cute?

The following photos were sent to me by Trudy Henderson. This is Bob on the way to Lake Minatare. You can see how flat and tree less the land is.

Tracey's son Kyle, with Cody.

Bob posing with the two boys. He's riding Tigers.

And here's a picture of Jace posing with the three boys!!!!

Kyle, Dorothy and Dave Henderson outside their ranch after Marsland. Bob was leaving for Lake Minatare.

The following photos were sent by Irene Tillusz, when Bob was up in the Maah Dah Hey. This is the campground, and the little yellow speck in the middle is his faithful yellow tent.

Our intrepid adventurer with his equine friends.

Keep on posting those photos to me . I love to see the faces of the people Bob has met on the way.

Marsland and on to Lake Minatare

2008-09-21T13:24:00.000-07:00

I was going to start off with some photos, but maybe Sunday evening is not a good time to download them, as I've been sitting here for ages and everything is on a go slow. I guess everyone's on their computers , so will do a separate blog with the pretty pictures in the early hours of the morning when all sensible people are in bed.

As you've probably gathered, I've had little or no contact with Bob for the last three days. But, miracles, I phoned at 1.00a.m. this morning and Bob answered. He was standing on a table to get reception, and even then we kept cutting out! We were both speaking as quickly as possible to get as much information relayed before he disappeared again.

When I last blogged, Bob was heading for Marsland on 18 September, a distance of about 20 miles. When I post the photos, you will be able to see what the scenery is like. The land is very flat, with a few low hills, but quite desolate, and very few trees for our man to shelter under. The temperature was in the high 80's, so it must have been quite tough not to have any shelter when he was resting on the way. He arrived at the home of retired vet, Arden Wohlers, who had arranged for him to sleep in the house. He had also arranged a stopover for the following day, which was great. Bob had not yet met him, as he wasn't at the house, but apparently is coming to meet Bob at Lake Minatare , two days on, where Bob is resting over for a few days. Arden has kindly arranged for a farrier to come with him to see to the horses' shoes and feet.

Can I take this opportunity of thanking Arden Wohlers for all the help he has given Bob in making his long ride that much easier.

Bob set off the next morning (19 September) at 7.15 am to his next destination, The Henderson Ranch. From what he was telling me when we spoke, the ride was very tough, not because of the terrain , but the weather was very hot, and he lost his way at one point , and ended up having to ride 30 miles . He didn't arrive at the ranch until 7.30 that evening, so was pretty exhausted. Trudy Henderson has kindly sent me some lovely photos, which she took after Bob left the ranch on the way to Lake Minatare, and also some of him with her family. Watch the next blog I do for the photos. She also kindly e-mailed me when I was out of contact with Bob, to let me know that he had arrived safely and from the sound of it was being well looked after. Mine and Bob's grateful thanks go out to all the Henderson family for their hospitality.

On 20 September, Bob rode nearly 23 miles to Lake Minatare, without incident. The weather was very hot, but a breeze was blowing, which makes it a bit cooler. I forgot to ask him how his back was when we talked, but there was no mention of it, so maybe things are improving in that direction. He is resting at this site until 23 September, and he has all mod cons here.....showers, wc, laundry, and even food for sale and a restaurant. He won't want to leave!!!!

He said there are quite a few people there camping etc, but I think he's the only one with horses, so is attracting a bit of attention, especially when they hear that British accent! The horses have a roped off area, and David, the superintendent of the site, has kindly got in hay for them.
Bob has pitched his tent only feet away from the lake. I guess he might have a swim if it's warm enough, while he's resting.

David's wife (sorry I don't know her name, but I'm sure Bob will let me know when we speak) has invited Bob over to their home for a meal this evening. I'm surprised that he's still losing weight with all these lovely people feeding him up.

With any luck, I will get the photos on the blog site this evening.... or early morning.( O.K. for those of you following the site in America, but not so good for the Brits). So keep watching, and we welcome any comments you wish to make on the blog site..... nothing rude though!!!

p.s. I've just been advised by CuChullaine of the Long Rider's Guild that Rocky Woolman has completed his longride of 1500 miles over the Central Divide from Mexico to Canada . Several riders had tried recently, and had to give up because of their or the horse's health, so a fantastic achievement. I've been in e-mail contact with Rocky today, and he's hoping to meet up with Bob, and hopefully ride with him some of the way.I'll keep you all posted on that. Congratulations to Rocky, and I hope it will be an inspiration to Bob.

p.p.s Bob has now ridden 720 miles, so has completed over a third of his long ride . Keep going, Long Rider in the making.

A lovely quote I've pinched from Rocky's blog site
"Life is a journey, enjoy the ride"

Rumford South Dakota and Crawford Nebraska

2008-09-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

As you've probably gathered, cell phone contact has been non existant again, so I've got three days to catch up on.

After Bob's rest days at Edgemont Head, he had a 23 mile ride to Rumford on 15 September. The weather was very hot in the high 80's, and the scenery quite desolate, with very few trees. For a lot of the journey, the road he was riding along ran close to a railway line, and at one stage he rode alongside the rail line, as, although he had been told trains went along there every 15 minutes, he had been riding for 4 hours and not seen one! He came across some men working on the line, and they told him it was closed for repairs for six hours, so he managed to ride the rest of his journey alongside it, which cut down his journey somewhat.

He arrived at his stop at Rumford where he met up with Jerry Styles, who had kindly got in hay and grain for the horses, and allowed Bob to sleep in his camper van there. Jerry does not live there, but runs cows on some land down there. My thanks to Jerry for all his help, especially as he went out of his way to go quite a distance to get extra water for Bob for the next day.

After a good night's sleep, Bob was originally riding to a lake some further 20 miles on, but he couldn't find it. I guess either his map was a bit out of date, or it had dried up. He ended up riding for 26 miles, and eventually found a field, where the owner let him rope of a corner for the horses to graze in, and Bob pitched his tent there for the night. Dinner consisted of a can of stew, and luxury of luxuries, cups of tea, as he'd bought some milk the day before!

On 17 September Bob had crossed the border into Nebraska, and was heading for Crawford to stop at Crawford Park. As he rode further yesterday, he only covered 16 miles today, and the weather again was very hot. Unfortunately, even though I couldn't reach him last night, he had forgotten to turn his cell phone off, and because it was searching for a signal, was totally flat. As he was riding along, he met a couple, Dan and Brenda McNeill who were driving along in their camper van. They offered to take his phone and recharge it and meet him in Crawford.

When he arrived in Crawford, they kindly let him take a shower in their camper van (was he smelling horsey ?!?! ). He met Sheriff Karl Dailey at the camp ground who had arranged a corral for the horses as well as feed. Thank you very much , Sheriff Dailey, for your kindness.

When I spoke to Bob tonight, he was just about to go out for a meal with Dan and Brenda, as they had offered to take him out. I'm sure Bob will have already thanked them for helping him out so much, but I'd like to express my appreciation also.

Tomorrow, Bob is heading for Marsland, a ride of 20 miles, and I will be blogging again in a couple of days. I think reception will be poor again, so there may be nothing to report for a few days. Keep watching, folks!

Edgemont South Dakota

2008-09-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

Terri Harwood kindly sent these three photos of Bob, Don and Jerry today, on his last rest day at Edgemont on 14 September.

Below Jerry is resetting the front shoes on Tigers ready for the ride the next day.

Farewell, and thanks, Jerry, for all your help, not forgetting to mention his wife, Linda, as well.

A big thanks to Don. Hope you enjoyed the rides with Bob. My heartfelt thanks to Terri, for keeping me informed of how Bob was doing when I was out of contact with him, and for sending the photos through so quickly.

After Bob left the Minnekhata trailhead he rode over 16 miles to Edgemont. The weather has cooled considerably, so riding was much easier, although his back is still giving him a lot of pain, and he's having to take painkillers. When I spoke to Bob on 12 September he had arrived at the home of Geri and John Baillie, and was being very well looked after. He was actually in the supermarket with Geri stocking up on supplies when we spoke!

Bob rested up there for two days, and Geri and John took him out on a visit to Hot Springs. His horses have been well fed, and I think they were probably enjoying the rest. My sincere thanks to Geri and John for looking after Bob so well.

On 14 September, Don and Jerry arrived in the morning, and Jerry kindly reset Tigers' shoes, after which they went into Edgemont for burgers and chips.Don had brought a breast collar for Tigers, which was really good of him.

When I spoke to Bob today, he was well on his ride to Rumford, although he still had a considerable distance to go. Where he is riding is pretty desolate, very flat, and not much traffic. He is riding alongside the road, but says he only sees about 3 cars an hour. As I spoke to him, he said 4 deer had just run across the road in front of him. The weather is starting to get hotter again, and will be heading for 90 degrees in the next day or so. After his stay at Rumford tonight, he will be crossing the border to Nebraska.

Many thanks to all the kind people along the way in South Dakota.

Photos of Bob on the Minnekahta Trailhead

2008-09-13T05:48:00.000-07:00

Here we go, the promised photos, which I was too exhausted to do last night.
This is Bob riding Tigers, with Cody in tow on the Minnekahta Trail. Most of the trail is flat,as it was originally an old rail truck line, and runs for 100 miles.

Here all four horses are having a well deserved rest and chance for a feed.

This is Jerry from the Suncatcher's Theraputic Riding at Pringle, who rode part of the trail with Bob .

Here is Don Harwood from Custer, who rode for several days with Bob. He is coming to visit with Bob this weekend, as is Jerry.

The safe arrival of Bob and Don at the Harwood's home in Custer.

Reception is good with the cell phone now, so I will be talking to Bob this afternoon. He is resting up at Edgemont today and tomorrow, and then will heading off to Rumford, before he crosses the border to Nebraska. Another milestone!

Custer,Pringle and the Minnekahta Trailhead

2008-09-12T17:46:00.000-07:00

Hooray, Communication was re-established tonight, so I will fill you all in on what has been going on for the last few days.

Bob had an uneventful ride to Custer, but once there had a bit of trouble finding the Harwood's home where he was staying for the night. Don Harwood rode out to meet him and escorted him back. The Harwoods have some really beautiful horses, Spanish Mustangs, which I got the chance to look at on their web site. The following morning, Don rode with Bob to Pringle where he was staying at the Suncatcher'sTheraputic Riding, which is a charity that provides riding for disabled people. This is managed by Linda and Jerry.

Don took his camera on the ride there, and Terri very kindly e-mailed some really nice photos, which I will be putting on the blog site tomorrow, as it's now 2 o'clock in the morning, and I want to catch up on the news before I forget it.

A very big thank you to Don and Terri for all they have done for Bob. I know he really enjoyed his stay with you both, and thank you Terri for sending the photos so quickly.

The following morning Bob was all set to leave and then Jerry asked to come along for part of the ride, so there was quite a party with Don, Jerry and Bob riding. When they were half way to the Minnekhata Trailhead, Jerry rode back home, and reappeared at the Trailhead with dinner for them all (Jello and all!). After they had eaten, Bob set up his tent for the night, and as it was starting to get dark, Jerry trailered Don and his horse back to Custer. Bob was able to let the horses roam to graze, as it was fenced in at the Trailhead. There is water there and even a toilet. What luxuries!

Thank you very much to Linda and Jerry for all your hospitality. The dinner was very much appreciated by Bob ( and Don as well, I expect).

When I spoke to Bob tonight he had ridden just over 16 miles in the pouring rain to the home of Geri and John Baillie. Now he knows what it's been like in England for weeks! He's resting up there for 2 nights and will then be moving on to Rumford. After that he will be leaving South Dakota and heading into Nebraska.

This weekend, Jerry, who used to be a blacksmith is, coming out to Edgmont with Don and Terri
to visit Bob. Whilst there, he is going to trim the horses' feet and reset their shoes, as they've done quite a bit of mileage now ( 585 miles to be exact).

I spoke to CuChullaine and Basha O'Reilly from the Long Rider's Guild tonight. They have been invaluable in providing support and contacts for Bob when he was planning the long ride. I know Bob has spoken highly of them many times, and it is so nice to have that backup when you're heading into the unknown.It was lovely talking with them, as we've had a lot of contact by e-mail, but this was the first time I have spoken with them.

Tomorrow, I will post some photos, as Terri is planning to take some more when she comes to Edgmont at the weekend. I hope to see one of her and Don to put on the blog site.

Keep watching this space for further developments.

Custer and Pringle South Dakota

2008-09-11T16:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry, folks, communication has been totally lost since Hill City, so we can only hope that everything is going well.

I know that Bob made it to Custer, as I had an e-mail from Don and Terri Harwood telling me that he had a good night with them, and that he and Don had ridden off to Pringle on 10 September. Thank you very much Don and Terri for your hospitality, and for letting me know that Bob is ok. I will give more details on Custer and Pringle once we re-establish contact.

Today he was riding nearly 16 miles to the Minnekahta Trailhead, and obviously is still in the Black Hills, so I doubt we will have any communication for a while. If anyone reading this blog site over there spots him, feel free to let us know. He will be camping at the Minnekahta Trailhead, and the following day moving on to a couple of miles before Edgemont. The weather tomorrow is forecast rain and thunder and lightning, so I hope he's got his slicker handy!

In a few more days he will be leaving South Dakota and heading into Nebraska

All for now until our adventurer surfaces again !

Rochford and Hill City

2008-09-09T06:27:00.001-07:00

At last I've had some time to download a few more photos from Bob's camera

Here we can see the blacksmith at Allen Russell's place at the beginning of the trip shoeing
the horses and trimming their feet. The dogs are waiting for the parings. Tasty!

This is Allen's fantastic house on stilts with a fabulous view of the mountains. I love the veranda all the way round.

Here is Jed and Melissa Rider and their little one, who kindly put Bob up at the last minute at his stopover after Williston North Dakota

This is Irene Tillusz and her fiance who Bob met up in the Maah Daah Hey. He spent an enjoyable evening socialising with them in the campsite there.

Another spectacular view of the Maah Daah Hey. I can quite understand why Bob lost his way at times!

Coming into the Maah Daah Hey.

One of the campsites that Bob stayed at in the Maah Daah Hey. Not exactly overpopulated is it?
Two horses and a tent!

I'm hoping that Bob will be able to forward more recent photos soon, as it makes the blog site more interesting.

On 7 September he had a long ride of over 26 miles to Rochford over very hilly terrain. The temperatures are a lot lower as it is so much higher up here, and to make matters worse, it rained all day. When he set off there was a frost in the morning, and he was cold for the duration of the ride. What a change from temperatures a week or so ago.

He arrived at the bar run by Betsy Harn in the early evening and had a wonderful night there. Nobody would let him buy a drink, and they had a couple of live singers who were very good. All in all a good night, and he didn't get to bed until after midnight. Thank you so much, Betsy, for looking after him and all your customers for giving him such a memorable evening.

A milestone has been reached. Bob has now completed a quarter of his trip.

Bob is now on the Michelson Trail, and he said the scenery is magnificant......Massive hills covered in Pine trees, beautiful little streams, and full of wildlife such as Deer, Rabbits and Squirrels. Not to mention the smaller creatures, that he's not sure what they are!

After a good night's sleep at Rochford on 8 September Bob had a ride of approx 18.5 miles to his next base, which is a campsite, where he would be staying in a log cabin at Hill City. He said the ride was very easy, as the trail is gravelled, so the horses don't slip or sink in the ground, and he got to the High Country Ranch at about 4pm. He made this trip on Cody, who loves to be the lead horse, and can't wait to get going in the mornings. Both horses are really brilliant, very responsive, and it seems they are enjoying this adventure as much as Bob.

When I spoke to him last night, he was settling into his cabin for the evening. Bob had climbed to the top of a hill which was about the only place where you can get cell phone reception, about a quarter of a mile away, so that I could speak to him, as contact up till then had been lost for 2 days. The cabin is very luxurious, with its own bathroom, fridge, tv etc. Don't get too used to it,Bob, cos you'll be back to basics soon!!!!!

Next episode soon, as Bob makes his way to Custer.

Chill out time in Deadwood

2008-09-07T04:54:00.000-07:00

On 4 September Bob had an easy 10 mile ride to Deadwood and is staying in a log cabin in a campsite there. He is aiming to have a bit of time out to see the sights of Deadwood and when I spoke to him had settled into his temporary abode. Dawn and Wilbur turned up in their trailer whilst we were talking and he was planning to take them out for a meal, and then they were going to trailer the horses back to their place, so they could be coralled for the three days.

I spoke to Bob the next night, and they had a wonderful meal at a restaurant owned by Kevin Costner (who, incidentally, Wilbur has met!!!) The restaurant is full of memorabilia from his films. Sounds like a great place to go. Bob said the food was fantastic.

That evening Bob met up with Dana Peep and his family and relatives of Kim Howie that Bob stayed with in Belfield. They had kindly driven out to Deadwood to meet him, which was really nice of them. They gave him a lift back to the campsite afterwards.

When we talked last night Bob was chilling out. He'd bought a load of "naughty but nice" goodies from the supermarket, and was catching up on his diary. He has an early start on 7 September, as Wilbur is arriving with the horses at 6a.m. and the ride to his next stop at Rochford is 26 miles. Thankfully, the weather has cooled down a lot, so the going should be easier, but he reckons it will take him about 10 hours riding. He is staying at Moonshine Gulch which is very sparsely populated at a bar owned by Betsy Harn. He will be hitting the Michelson Trail soon, which he is looking forward to, as it will be a bit of hill riding again.

Reception for cell phones is pretty bad in that area, so, once again, we may loose contact for a while.

Keep watching this site. When I have a bit more time, I will be aiming to post some more photos from Bob's camera that J.B. had sent me earlier.

Belle Fourche and the Newlands

2008-09-04T13:20:00.000-07:00

This is a selection from the photos that were kindly sent to me by J.B. yesterday.
Below is Bob leaving Dave Meredith's place at Spearfish, en route to Deadwood. This is one of the photos Dave sent tonight.

I don't think Wilbur will ever live this down! Dawn and Wilbur Newland washing the pots together!

Bob and Wilbur Newland at Mount Rushmore on 3 September

Bob gave a talk to the children at the school in Ludlow.

This is Suezet and Ron Braaten in their bar at Ludlow, where Bob stayed for the night.

Whilst Bob was in Medora, he was coming out of the show he went to with Myrna Eberle and her family and he spotted this Elk between the two buildings, on the top of the hill.

This is the buffalo that stood in Bob's way when he was on the trail in the Maah Daah Hey. Everyone has since told him that he should have kept well away from it , as they can be very aggressive!

Two exhausted horses up in the Maah Daah Hey having a well deserved rest

A view up in the Maah Daah Hey. Quite spectacular, isn't it?

This is typical of the trail that Bob rode on in the Maah Daah Hey. the whole trail took him a week, and was 100 miles long.

This cute little bunny was up in the Maah Daah hey. I had to include him!!!!!!

Yet another view in the Maah Daah Hey

And last of all. Here's Bob trusty yellow tent, that accompanies him everywhere. He has spent many an uncomfortable night in it!

Enough of photos for now. I will resume the ongoing saga of Bob's latest adventures.

Wilbur has now returned, and took Bob to complete the part of his ride that he had missed when he was trailered to Wilbur's and Dawn's place. Bob decided just to take Cody, as there was no point in loading the pack horse for this trip. However, Cody was not very happy about being parted from Tigers and kept neighing for him throughout the trip.

Wilbur trailered him to the point where he had been picked up the previous day, but en route took him to a point which is the place that the three states of Wyoming, Montana and South Dakota all meet up. He also took him to another point which is the centre of the United States.

Bob had no trouble with the ride and was back and Wilbur's and Dawn's late that afternoon.

The following day, the vet arrived to check the horses and give Bob the health certificate that he has to have renewed every 30 days. Bob mentioned the episode of colic with Tigers, and also the fact that he was having trouble weeing. It turns out he has what the horsey people call "beans in his penis"!!!!!! or for the layman "a blockage in the urethra " Anyway, Wilbur sedated the horse and did the necessary ( don't ask!!!!!) and all is now fine. He did say to Bob that he was happy to do it for the horse, but would not do the same for Bob!

The following day Wilbur took him for a bit of sightseeing, while the horses were resting. They went to Mount Rushmore to see the presidents' heads carved in the rock, and also Custer National Park. While they were out Bob spotted a Bald Headed Eagle, which he managed to take a photo of. They also did a check up of the campsite that Bob is staying at in Deadwood. I'm not sure yet, but Wilbur has offered to trailer the horses back to his place while Bob is in Deadwood, as there are no corrals for the horses at the campsite, and they would have to be tied up all the time. When I speak to Bob tonight, I will find out what's happening.

Dawn's brother, J.B., kindly spent most of the last evening Bob was there, sending about 100 photos to me through the computer from Bob's camera. Thank you very much , J.B. for spending so much time on that .

I really must say heartfelt thanks to Dawn and Wilbur for spending so much time with Bob , and for being such wonderful hosts, as well as accomodating him on what was a very busy weekend for them (It was Labour Day in America). They have totally gone out of their way to make sure he had a good time, and I'm sure Bob has already expressed his appreciation to them.

On 3 September, Wilbur rode with Bob to Spearfish , amply supplied with beef sandwiches and dried fruit from Dawn, where a friend of his, Dave Meredith, had offered to put Bob up for the night. I got an e-mail from Dave tonight saying that Bob had gone out for breakfast with him that morning, after a good night's sleep, and was now on his way to Deadwood. Thank you , Dave, not only for putting Bob up, but for kindly sending some photos, and also for letting me know he was safetly on his way.

Well that's the site brought up to date for now, so will resume when there's further news.

Colony & Belle Fourche

2008-09-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

After Bob left Redig he had a 19 mile ride, basically to the middle of nowhere, as there is nothing between Redig and Colony. He set camp beside a lake, and had to clear a path down to it to get water for himself and the horses. He had no hay for them so they were hobbled for grazing and were tied up when he went to bed. He dined that night on home made pork and antelope salami that was given to him by someone in Buffalo.

The next day disaster occurred. The weather was exceptionally hot (103 degrees). and he had ridden 14 miles when Tigers developed colic and kept trying to lie down. Bob was forced to walk with him for three miles to keep him moving. People kept stopping in their cars, saying "Are you mad ? Do you know what the temperature is ?" A couple, Tim Olsen and his wife stopped and gave Bob water which he was very grateful for, as he'd practically run out. Also, another car stopped and gave the horse some Bute, which is a medication to ease the pain, and he seemed to be better after that. The name of those people were Ralph Craig and his daughter Kirsty, and they also gave him a can of lemonade and a bunch of grapes. Bob said they tasted like nectar. I would like to extend my thanks to them all for helping him out.

Bob was stopping at the ranch of Wilbur and Dawn Newland, and because it was miles off the road Bob was travelling, they sent a trailer out to collect him when he was close. Because his vet's certificate had run off, he was forced to go to their place at Belle Fourche, instead of Colony. Dawn's brother JB came out in the trailer looking for him, as he was nowhere near the place they had arranged to meet because of the problems with Tigers.

The vet is coming out tomorrow (2 Sep) to do the new certificate, and check the horses over, and Bob will be resting that day.

When I spoke to Bob last night he was at a tractor pull at Newell, 25 miles from Belle Fourche, with Dawn and her brother, JB. Another new experience for him!

He said that Tigers was fine now, and eating well. He had arrived at Belle Fourche on 30 August and was planning on resting up there for a couple of days. Unfortunately Wilbur is away at the moment but Bob hopes to meet him before he leaves. He has been given wonderful accomodation, and he said the bed was fantastic. I think he was pretty exhausted that first night, after walking so long in the heat.

I think he was planning on riding the bit he missed when he had to go to Belle Fourche today, but I will find out more when I call him tonight.

Buffalo South Dakota

2008-08-29T11:18:00.000-07:00

Bob had a good ride to Buffalo of 21 miles with no mishaps, but his back is still niggly, and he's got a cold now. Poor chappie!

He's staying at the fairground, and had corralled the horses and set up his bed in a garage. Wally Stephens from the Nation's Center News arrived to interview him, so I'm hoping that he will let me know the web site for the interview and perhaps forward a photo or two. Bob is resting in Buffalo for two nights.

I must thank Jerry Krogh for kindly getting him some hay and oats for the horses, as well as the sheriff's deputy for doing the same.

Bob had gone to the local cafe for some food and was just settling down when Wally arrived and announced that he was sleeping at their place. So , once he had finished eating, Wally kindly ferried him back to the fairground, packed his gear and lo and behold a comfy bed was had for two nights. Better than sleeping on a table as he was going to do!

He had a very enjoyable stay with Wally and Linda Stephens who took him to his first Baseball game. I must ask him how it went. Whilst he was in Buffalo he also gave two talks to the local school children. I think he's getting to be a bit of a celebrity!

He left Buffalo on 28 August, and had only got 7 miles down the road, and who should turn up but Linda Stephens, with food and drink for him. Later on again, she drove out at 2 o'clock with dinner for him. I can't thank Wally and Linda enough for their kindness, especially for putting themselves out so much to make sure he was fed.

Whilst he was riding along a car pulled up, and a lady got out and said "Hello Bob I've been following your blog site. I'm Sharon Moline's cousin" ( he stayed with James and Sharon at Williston at the beginning of his ride) I e-mailed Sharon to tell her, and she said she was meeting her cousin this weekend for the first time in about 20 years. What a small world it is.

His next stop was about 25 miles down the road, near to Redig, and he was camping outside a cafe (handy for food), but would have to tie up the horses are there is no corral. Behind the cafe is a hill called Crow Butte, and there's an interesting story about it. in 1822, the Souix Indians ravaged a Crow camp and warfare followed between the two tribes. The Crow Indians retreated to the top of Crow Butte for a better vantage point. They were then surrounded by the Souix, who waited patiently until they all to died of thirst. Subsequently, the nearby Canyon of Skulls to the northwest of Crow Butte was filled with the skeletons of the Souix Indians who were decimated by a fever they picked up from the Crow Indians. What irony!

The following morning 29 August, Bob was riding a further 18.5 miles down the road, and will be camping where he can. The weather is very hot again, but he can take his time today, and said he will stop frequently to let the horses graze, as he has no hay for them. His next port of call will be Colony, which he will ride to tomorrow. By then he will have ridden 420 miles.

Keep watching this site.

Ludlow South Dakota

2008-08-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

Today I received the following photos from Kim Howie at Belfield, whom Bob had stayed with on 21 August. The first picture is Bob leaving the Howie ranch en route to Amidon. He was to stay that night with another of Kim's relatives. See how flat the land is.

Below we can see Bob and his horses with Kim at the Howie Ranch.

The next picture shows from left to right, Stewart Homelvig, Kim's cousin, Bob, Eric Homelvig who is also her cousin, and her brother Doug Howie.

Thanks Kim for supplying the pictures. It cheers up the blog site!

I spoke to Bob last night, after a bit of trouble with getting through, and he told me that he had given a talk to the children of the local school at Ludlow. I'm hoping that we will get a photo of them to put on the blog site. They all seemed very interested in what he was doing. I expect it makes a change from ordinary school work!

He is currently staying with Suezet and Ron Braaten, who run a bar in Ludlow, which Bob reckons is very atmospheric. He has spent the last day just chilling out after his long trip to get there.

When he was on his way there from Bowman, the horses were a bit jinked when he was crossing a bridge, and a car going the other way with a trailer attached, did not slow down. Apparently, the noise of the trailer crossing the bridge made the horses freak out, and he had a bit of a job to calm them down. Anyway, all's well that ends well, and they made it to Ludlow safetly after a ride of 26 miles ( hot as usual). Bob was glad of the chance to stay over at Ludlow for 2 nights as he was pretty well exhausted after that trip, as were the horses.

He has to be on the lookout most of the time when he's riding on the verges beside the roads, as not only are they full of bottles and cans, especially near place signs, where people driving past throw their bottles at the road signs, but are also full of holes dug by Praire Dogs.

Many thanks to Suezet and Ron for looking after Bob whilst he was in Ludlow.

Whilst I'm on the blog site, I must also thank Kayla from the Bowman County Fairground, as she not only ferried Bob around to do his shopping, but also took him for a complimentary meal on his arrival at the fairground. He had a really good steak!!!! Also, the following day when Bob had resumed his journey, she drove out with water for him and the horses, which was very welcome. Thank you so much, Kayla. It was much appreciated by Bob.

Today Bob was heading for Buffalo, so I will keep you all posted with the next chapter of his adventures.

Amidon and Bowman

2008-08-24T13:55:00.000-07:00

Bob arrived at the home of Kim Howie on 21 Aug after a ride of 20 miles, to a warm welcome. The ride was quite uneventful, apart from the heat and, as seems to be usual, when I spoke to him that evening he was relaxing with a beer. My thanks to Kim for her hospitality.

He left Kim's home early the next morning, 22 Aug, ( he's getting the packing and care of the horses down to a fine art now), but there was a stiff breeze going for the duration of the ride, and unfortunately, he was heading into it, so by the time he arrived in Amidon at the home of Lynn and Norman Homelvig, his face was very burnt. Guess what he was doing when I phoned that evening ? Yes, beer was at the forefront again!!!!

His back is improving daily. It's no longer giving him problems, and he says that he is feeling really fit and the horses are doing just fine. They know who is boss now! He said they are responding very well to him, and I think he is forming a deep attachment with them.

A little snippet of information. Amidon is the highest point in North Dakota.

Once again, I must thank Lynn and Norman for sharing their home with him, and making his journey a little easier.

He now gets up at 6am to get on the road a bit earlier, and avoid a little of the sweltering heat, and left the Homelvig's on 23 Aug for the 22 mile ride to Bowman. En route a man passing in a car stopped and said "you must be Bob Jones", and got out and shook his hand and wished him luck.

When I spoke to him in the early hours of this morning (in England) he had just arrived at the Bowman County Fairground, and had settled the horses for the night. Kayla from the fairground had got in Hay and grain for the horses, which was waiting for him. Thank you, Kayla.

I believe another reporter was coming to see him at the fairground for an interview, and he was then going into Bowman for a steak. He will be sleeping in the barn, but has the luxury of an electric light, although he says the horses' accomodation is better than his!

On 24 Aug he has a 26 mile journey to Ludlow, his longest trip yet, and apparently the weather, which had cooled down a bit over the last few days, is going to be really hot again. When he reaches Ludlow, he will be in South Dakota.

Thank you all the kind people in North Dakota. We think you're great.

Riding To Belfield

2008-08-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

The above photo is Bob with the Fulton's dog, Ash, Maggie and Katie, and a family friend.

Here we have the Fulton clan. From Left to right, Nick , Connie, Maggie, Wyatt, Bob, Katie, and last but not least, Don.

Here's Bob at eight o'clock in the morning, ready to set off again en route to Kim Howie's home. He has quite a long ride today, and unfortunately it's very hot again .

Yesterday Bob rode alongside the Interstate to Belfield, a distance of approx 18 miles. The weather was really hot, about 97 degrees, with no breeze whatsoever. I received an e-mail from his new hosts earlier that day to advise me that he had been spotted about 5 miles from their home, which was good as it put my mind at rest. The verges along the Interstate are really wide, but you have to look out for bottles etc that could be a problem for the horses. I thought that traffic might be a problem, but everything went smoothly.

When I spoke to Bob last night he had arrived at Don and Connie Fulton's home, and was chilling out with them and their children, and the dog ( a cocker spaniel, I think) by the name of Ash. He was drinking a Coor's beer with tomato juice! Don called out over the phone for me to join them. I would love to get some of that sunshine, and leave our rain behind.

My thanks go out to Don and Connie for being such wonderful hosts and for forwarding the photos so quickly to me. It's nice to be able to put up pictures on the blog site whilst Bob is still in that area.

Happy riding.

P.S. Bob found his watch which he had mislaid up in the Maah Daah Hey.

Rest Days In Medora

2008-08-19T03:21:00.000-07:00

Temperatures in Medora are very high , 97 degrees, so Bob is resting and trying to get rid of the backache.He thoroughly enjoyed the concert last night, and my thanks go out to Mryna and her family for being so hospitable to him. I do hope they get this message, as I can't contact them by e-mail.

Bob spotted a large Elk on the hilltop in Medora, and reckons he took some good photos. Please can we have some for the blog site!

He had another newspaper interview last night, so I'm hoping that will be sent to me, so I can pull it off, and keep it for when he gets back.

He also told me that the good people of Medora are being extremely kind to him, with a special mention to George at the stables who drove for miles to get Bob grain for the horses.

Bob will be on the move again tomorrow with a ride of 17.5 miles to Belfield.

More news later.

Bob Arrives At Medora

2008-08-17T16:07:00.000-07:00

Another long ride of 22 miles to the Wannagan Campsite over very hill terrain, but Bob arrived without mishap. The horses could roam free again that evening within the fenced off campsite. Their shoes are bearing up well, with hardly any wear showing.

An early start at 7.30am from the campsite for the last 16 miles to Medora. He spotted buffalo a couple of times and there was one on the trail which he took some really good photos of.It was so close he could have touched it, but because he was on horseback the buffalo didn't seem to realise he was there. He also saw a lot of what he called "lumpy lizards that looked like tortoises without shells". Turns out they're horned toads! Apparently there are a lot of Elk up in the hills, but he didn't see any at all.

He arrived at Medora about 1.00pm, and had to hose the horses down when he got to the Medora Foundation as he had gone through a river on the way and they were covered in mud. He will be resting in Medora for two days now, and the horses have got pens for the duration. When I spoke to him he was sitting outside an icecream parlour with double rations of ice cream in 92 degrees of heat. He will be camping with the horses whilst in Medora.

He has met up with Myrna Eberle and her family from Williston who are down in Medora for a show ( unfortunately poor Fred had to work and couldn't make it.) So they've got a spare ticket, and Bob is going with them this evening to the show.

I think he's looking forward to chilling out for a few days, as the Maah Daah Hey was quite hard work, even though he enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to seeing some of the photos of the scenery up there.

Had a comment on the blogsite from one of the cyclists he met up in the Maah Daah Hey, which was nice. Look forward to hearing from other people on the blog site that he meets on the way.

Magpie Campground & Elkhorn Campground

2008-08-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

Bob had another long ride of 23 miles to get to Magpie Campground, and he was in the saddle for 10 hours. He reckons it takes him about 3 hours to get ready every morning(he was never any good at doing anything in the mornings!). So in future will make a far earlier start, as when I spoke to him on 13 Aug, he was still riding to the campground at 6 that evening. He is suffering with backache, but hopefully as his back strengthens, that will disappear.

Saw a rattler in the campground, but it disappeared when he approached.

He reckons the campgrounds are fantastic, as they are all fully fenced against wild animals, and the horses can roam free without having to be hobbled. They also have fire pits, and running water, together with benches and tables (all mod cons).

The following day (14 Aug), he had a 20 mile ride, with out of this world scenery, and arrived at the Elkhorn Campground, where he stayed for 2 nights. The first night he shared the campground with 3 cyclists, but apart from that he has not seen a soul for several days.( he did see another snake today) . He has been enjoying the solitude, and catching up on his diary. The following night he met up with Bob and Marla Neugebauer from Menoken, and had an enjoyable evening with them sharing beer and popcorn ( A nice change from iron rations). My thanks to them for their hospitality.

Apparently, Theodore Roosevelt had his ranch very close to this campsite, which was called Elkhorn Ranch.

I spoke to Bob this evening, and he'd just climbed to the top of a hill in order to get reception. He's up at 5 am tomorrow to get an early start, as he has a ride of 22 miles to Wannagan Campground. He will spend one night there, and the following day will ride out of the Maah Daah Hey and towards Medora. Weather still very hot, unlike rainy old England.

Storms Over The Maah Daah Hey

2008-08-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

Here's the promised picture of lightning over the Maah Daah Hey. Quite spectacular, isn't it?

I managed to speak to Bob for about 5 minutes last night. He was still riding towards his next camp site at the Bennett Campground, but had managed to lose his way several times en route so was behind time. He saw his first snake today, but evasive action was taken by them both!!!

It's taking him longer than he had anticipated to pack up and go in the mornings, so he will be leaving earlier in future. The next campground he will be heading for is 23 miles away, so he's got a long journey today, and more storms are forecast. He hadn't seen a soul all day, so was quite pleased to speak with me.

Keep checking as I'm waiting for more photos up in the mountains.

Rest Days In The Maah Daah Hey

2008-08-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

Hooray. Communication was re established last night. Bob has been resting the horses for the last two days, and chilling out in the foothills. He had a shower in a mountain spring yesterday, which must have been quite invigorating.

There have been some spectacular thunderstorms, with lighting zig zagging across the sky. It must be quite something to be up in the hills and see that. His little one man tent has kept him dry and snug, and the army rations are keeping his belly full, even though they're lacking in taste.

He has met up with several people passing through who have kept his spirits up with food and cans of beer. One Canadian was riding through on his mountain bike, with his girlfriend following in a camper van, and they spent the evening with Bob, and upon leaving presented him with food and a bottle of wine to while away the evening. I'm hoping for some photos from them, as they promised to e-mail them to me when they get back to Canada.

All in all Bob remains very positive (does that surprise me?), and was ready to get back on the trail today with Cody as the riding horse for this stint, and Tigers packing. He will be in the hills for another six days, and if I can get through we will have to ration our talks as he needs power in his cell phone in case of emergencies. So there may not be much news to report for the next week.

Watch out for the sink holes, cowboy!

P.S. These hills were named The Maah Daah Hey by the Mandan Hidatsa tribe. Bob was going to give me a bit more info, but his phone died.

Maah Daah Hey

2008-08-10T16:09:00.000-07:00

Had an e-mail from lonnie & Marcy Falmeier, who had kindly obtained hay and grain for Bob at Watford City fairground, and also the following day at the CCC Camp. They reported that he and the horses looked fine.

Many thanks to them both for helping him out, as it is difficult for him to get feed for the horses when he arrives at a place.

I got fleeting contact with him last night, but was unable to speak as he kept cutting out, and tonight contact has gone completely. So will have to sit tight now and hope everything is going well.

Alexander To Watford City

2008-08-09T06:15:00.000-07:00

Hooray. Received the first photos from Bob. So I'll explain who they are before I continue
the account of his travels

This photo was taken when Bob and Andrew rode to the Canada border at the start of the trip. just to make it official that he did start from the border!

Below is Andrew with his wife and mother. Bob's first stopover at the beginning of the trip.

Here is Mark and Charise Smith with their lovely children. Bob has kept the picture that one of them drew of him on his horse.

This is Jim and Sharon Moline. Notice the dreaded Mosquito repellant on the table. Now Bob knows why they were insisting he took some with him to Williston!

Fred and Myra Eberle at Williston, with the state trooper who held up the traffic while Bob rode across the Missouri river. You can see the bridge he crossed in the background. After he had done this the horses went "down to the river to drink".

I managed to catch up with Bob on the phone last night, so there is quite a bit to tell. Contact was lost the previous night.

After Bob left Fred and Myrna he rode for 15 miles in 93 degrees of heat, pursued by swarms of mosquitos. Apparently, he reckoned when he reached his next stop he had about 40 bites on his face. He was put up for the night, at the last moment by Jed and Melissa Rider, who went out of their way to help him. For this we are both very grateful, and extend our thanks.

The next stage of the journey was a 16 mile ride to Alexander, which I think he found a bit of a struggle, as needless to say it was sweltering hot, and he'd not had much sleep the night before as his eyes had swollen up because of all the bites. About 10 miles out of Alexander, the Mayor, Kay Glick, drove out to meet him. The horses were installed in the Rodeo ground, and she then took him to the"best cafe in town" to eat. I think this was a really lovely gesture ! I'm afraid I don't know the name of the elderly couple who put Bob up (another last minute arrangement) for that night, but my thanks go out to them. I think he was in bed early that night as he needed to catch up on his sleep!!!

When he arrived at the Rodeo ground at Alexander, there was another reporter waiting to meet him, but he didn't do an interview as he was going out with the Mayor, and didn't manage to catch up with the reporter again.

The following day he set out on the 20 mile journey to Watford City. A bit of a disaster occurred on the way. As he was travelling on the soft verges, The pack horse, Tigers, lost his footing and fell over. Bob was convinced he'd broken a leg, but he got to his feet(with all the pack saddles still on his back), and was as right as rain. Needless to say, Bob stopped and gave him a good checkover, but there were no problems. Again, the weather was very hot, but apparently is starting to get a bit cooler, so this should make it more bearable. I've had to check the next week's weather in case of thunderstorms, as they can be very heavy, but it will be dry all week when he's in the foothills.

When I spoke to him last night , he had arrived at the Watford City Fairground , which is on the outskirts of town, and was waiting for an arrival of hay for the horses. He thought he would have to sleep in his tent, but a room had been opened for him. So, he's got electricity and cover, and a corral for his trusty steeds.

I must relay this event that happened as he was riding along Watford City main street when he first arrived. He was riding past this church, and there were a crowd of men all wearing Western hats, together with a man with his hair in plaits who looked of Red Indian origin. As Bob rode past, the said man came up to him and put his hand out to shake Bob's hand, and in his palm there was a 20 dollar bill, which he tried to give Bob. When Bob refused to take it the man said "Please take it, and buy some feed for your horses with it". We've just come out of a service for our friend, who was a lifelong cowboy, who loved horses, and was killed yesterday in a road accident. Please take this in memory of him".

I did some research on the internet last night, and found out the name of the man was Jarrette Johnson, a 64 year old rancher from that area. I was really touched by this, as was Bob, and even though I don't know his family would like to pass on our condolences at this terrible tragedy.

Today, Bob will be riding 17 miles to hit the Maah Daah Hey (The Badlands). From now on, any phone conversations, if I can contact him, will be very brief, as he may not be able to charge his phone for the next 5 days, and needs it for emergencies. This is where the iron rations start!!!!

Keep 'em going, Cowboy Bob!!!!

Heading For Alexander

2008-08-06T15:42:00.000-07:00

Bob stayed for two days at the home of Fred and Myrna Eberle, who took him out for breakfast at their favourite cafe (funnily enough Bob had decided when he was planning his route that he was going to go there, as it was on the approach to Williston.)

This kind couple really went out of their way to help him, and even drove him into Williston so that he could organise crossing the bridge at Williston with the local Highway patrol .

If anyone could pass my thanks on to Fred and Myrna, I would be grateful, as it was only organised at the last minute that he stay with them, and I'm unable to e-mail them.

Bob left them about 8.30 am and got to Williston early afternoon, where he was met by the local Highway patrol. They kindly stopped the traffic across the bridge so that he could walk the horses over. He's now got people going past in their cars, waving and shouting "hello Bob". The local television channel ,KUM TV, also caught up with him for an interview, which will be shown on the evening news today.

Today has been a really uncomfortable ride as he has been plagued by hundreds of mosquitos which have eaten him and the horses alive, together with the high temperatures, and the fact he had to cover 22 miles. As I was talking to him tonight, he was resting the horses by the side of the road, and was within sight of his next stay.

After today, he will be resting at Fairgrounds or Rodeo grounds until he hits the Maah Daah Hey foothills (the Black Hills of Dakota) in about 3 days time, when it will be tent and iron rations for our traveller. I'm fully expecting to not be able to talk to him then , so we may have a gap when no blogs are posted.

Keep watching this space

Off To Williston

2008-08-05T14:54:00.000-07:00

Bob arrived at the ranch of James and Sharon Moline, to a warm welcome, and the horses were corralled for the night. Only fleetingly though, as apparently Tigers decided to jump out of his pen, to go and greet the other horses!

While Bob was there, the local reporter arrived for the Williston Herald, and attached is the link to the interview with "cowboy Bob".

www.willistonherald.com/articles/2008/08/04/local_news/news2.txt

Sharon e-mailed me the next day to say how they had enjoyed Bob's company, and learning about our culture. I must thank them for giving up their time to look after him, and for feeding him so well.

Below is a photo of Bob arriving at their place, and below that a photo of Bob with his hosts.

Bob has now arrivedat his next destination after a short ride of only 11 miles, and is now resting the horses for several days. Apparently, he is becoming a bit of a celebrity in the area, as people seem to be looking out for him. Once he sets off again, the going will become tougher as he will not be staying with anyone for the next few weeks, and will be hitting the Maah Daah Hey foothills on 10 August. I may then lose contact with him for a few days, as we may not be able to get cell phone connection.

Watch this site for further developments!

First photos of Bob on the ride

2008-08-03T12:17:00.000-07:00

This is a photo of Bob when he first arrived in Montana, out riding and getting to know the horses, in the countryside around Montana. Below is a photo of Bob and Allen Russell at Allen's ranch. You can just see snow on the mountains in the distance.

I've attached an article, which Allen had submitted to the Long Rider's Association, which makes interesting reading:

'Tuesday, the 29th I dropped Bob Jones and his two quarter horses, Cody and Tiger at the Canadian border in North Dakota. He began his ride to Mexico on Thursday. The long period of dreaming, planning and preparation finally became reality.
When Bob originally contacted me, wanting me to put two horses together for him, I had some reservations. He was very open about his lack of riding experience. After some email communication with Bob I agreed to take on the challenge.
My first inclination was to pick up a couple of good old solid dude horses for Bob. Such horses have usually seen it all and have few arguments with their riders, primarily because they have learned that their riders know little, so they don't pay any attention to them and go ahead and keep them safe regardless of rider commands.
But, I just couldn't do it. It just seemed too miserable a fate to have to kick up a dude horse from Canada to Mexico. I felt, for the journey to be the experience Bob was seeking, he had to have good horses. I explained that this put a lot of responsibility on him and he would have to make the choice between bringing himself up to the level of good horses or go for the dude horses. Bob chose the challenge of being horseback.
Finding the right horses was even more difficult than I anticipated. There are many horses for sale out there but few good ones. People keep the good ones, especially good gentle ones. I put out the word that I was in the market for two horses, five to twelve, that were experienced to ride and pack, totally sound of body and mind, of similar size around 15.1, and would work for an inexperienced rider from England to make a Canada to Mexico ride. The phone didn't ring off the wall. Nearly all who did call had the normal stories of horses that would be really good horses if someone just put the time into them. My reply was always the same, nearly all horses would be good if someone just put in the time to make them so. Show me a good horse and I will show you a horse that has been used a lot.
Anyway, after burning the tires off my truck looking at prospects I ended up with Cody and Tiger; nine and seven year old registered quarter horses. They are almost identical in size 15.1 and 1150 pounds. Cody has spent the last four years as a guide horse in hunting and summer camp and Tiger has been an all around ranch horse and recently worked fighting forest fires.
Cody is dominant physically and Tiger mentally. They are a good team and they bonded well. I put a lot of miles on them, smoothing them out before Bob arrived and was very pleased with them. I would have been proud to put my brand on both; but they are real horses and require proper ridding. I was looking forward to seeing how they made the transformation from me to Bob.
When Bob arrived I saw that he hadn't exaggerated his inexperience. I saddled up one of my horses and set out with Bob for his introduction to his new travel companions, the first horses he has ever owned. There is a tendency that some good horses have, where they adjust themselves up and down to the rider on their back. Although I had hoped for this, I knew it was a lot to hope for; so I was more than pleased when both Cody and Tiger brought themselves down a couple of levels and from day one took good care of Bob. To his credit, Bob is patient, gentle and shows good confidence. Best of all he was open about his inexperience and followed my advice to not pick any fights he couldn't win. I watched then get better by the day, riding the rough country around my ranch as well as the frontage roads since much of Bob's ride will be along roads.
So, as I pulled away and saw Cody, Tiger and Bob disappear in the rear view mirror I felt confident that my three friends were in for a great adventure.'

Bob had another good day's riding, a fairly short distance of 11.3 miles and arrived at his next host's home in Grenora, to be greeted by Scott Keffler and his family. Needless to say he was warmly welcomed, and my thanks again to the Kefflers for their hospitality.

I'm now doing a bit of catch up as I've been away for the weekend, and couldn't update the blog.

On 2 August, Bob set off on his longest ride yet, in temperatures exceeding 100degrees, a distance of 20 miles. Because of the heat, frequent stops were needed to water the horses and rest them, and in the late afternoon he arrived at the home of Mark and Charise Smith and their four children at Zahl. He's feeling quite stiff and sore, but will no doubt toughen up as the journey progresses. When I arrived home today I was thrilled to see that Charise had e-mailed me to say that Bob had ridden off safetly this morning, and she sent me a load of photos, several of which are below, showing Bob with the Smith family. It looks as though the kids are enjoying themselves !

Charise told me that they had thunderstorms last night , but today is clear and sunny again. So hopefully, a good's ride and I will be back on the blog site soon with updates. Many thanks to Charise , Mark and kids. What a fantastic family.

Ride 'em cowboy !

First Day Completed

2008-07-31T16:59:00.000-07:00

I eventually managed to contact Bob in Fortuna, but reception is very bad, so could only have a brief conversation. He had a brilliant first day's ride, and his host from the previous night, Andrew, and his wife rode with him all the way, which was a lovely way to start his first day's riding.

The horses are bedded for the night, and Bob is now waiting to entertain the neighbours who are coming to meet him this evening. His new hosts,Roger and Diana Bloom, have had to go out , but they took him out this afternoon sightseeing. He is living in comfort tonight, as apparently he has his own little house to sleep in away from the main house. Thank you Roger and Diana for all your hospitality.

We are both constantly amazed at the open heartedness of the American people who are going out of their way to help him with the journey.

Many thanks to Andrew and his family for looking after him on arrival in North Dakota. I'm only sorry that I can't e-mail them to pass on our thanks, but if anyone in Fortuna reads this please pass the message on.

We're off at last

2008-07-29T05:16:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to let you all know what's happening with Bob and the horses.

Bob arrived in North Montana on 8 July, and has been staying at Allen Russell's ranch where his horses were waiting for him.

Over the last few weeks Allen has been invaluable in passing on his expertise to our intrepid rider, and Bob has been out every day riding TJ and Cody through the countryside and getting to know them really well. He has also conquered the daunting pack saddles !!!

Apparently, the countryside is really stunning round there, and Allen's ranch is surrounded by mountains covered in snow, and there's loads of wildlife around. Sounds like a dream.

Anyway, today is the day that Allen,Bob and the horses are trailering up to North Dakota, a distance of 500 miles, and they should arrive this evening. The horses will be rested tomorrow, and then 30 July is D Day.

Watch this space, and I will keep you posted on the forthcoming adventure.

Many thanks to Allen for his generosity in putting up with Bob for the last few weeks, and all the work he has done to help us get this adventure off the ground.

My two Horses

2008-06-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

These are the two horses I will be using for my ride, the sorrel is called Tigers, and the brown, Cody, It's possible I might rename them when I get to know them better, but we'll have to see. Both horses are around 15.1 hands and weigh just over 1120 lbs. When I set off both horses will be fully vaccinated and have their health certificates in order, they'll also be "stepping out" in new shoes.Long Rider Allen Russell, a great guy who lives in Montana, found both horses for me. What Allen doesn't know about horses isn't worth knowing, and I have been doubly fortunate as Allen is letting me stay on his ranch for a couple of weeks to enable me to get to know them before I set off. Allen has also offered to trailer me the 500 odd miles to North Dakota where I will be starting the ride at the end of July, so all in all I'm very indebted to this generous Long Rider.

An American Long Ride, and why I’m doing it.

2008-06-16T08:41:00.001-07:00

After endless months of research, planning, telephone calls, and emails the time is fast approaching when I will be flying out to America for the start of my 2,000-mile long ride. It is my intention to undertake a solo ride from Canada to Mexico, starting off on the border in North Dakota, and all being well, finishing in El Paso, Texas. The trip has been planned to take around five months and I will be using two horses that I have recently bought, one to ride and one to pack. Both are Quarter Horses, and are very similar at 15.2 hands and around eight years old.
As the time draws near, with my excitement beginning to grow I sometimes wonder why I decided to do this at all, especially when you consider that up until six months ago my only experience with our equine friends was on Weston-Super-Mare beach, when my children were young. I think they were called donkeys.
Well, it all started just over a year ago, I had just retired and sold my business, and my children had grown up and left home. So, what was I going to do, I had time on my hands, I was still reasonably fit and active, and I felt much too young to settle down with pipe and slippers. I knew I needed a fresh challenge, something worthwhile and meaningful, but what? Months and months went by and I couldn’t think of a thing, nothing grabbed me, Climb a mountain? No, much to old. Sail around the world? No, not rich enough. Go to the North Pole? No, not brave enough. Oh what could I do? Then, in a wink of an eye it hit me, I knew exactly what I was going to do.
I’m a big Country and Western fan, and I was sitting down listening to some music, as you do, It was the late, great, Marty Robbins. Now Marty recorded a lot of cowboy songs, and with cowboy songs you get a lot of horses, and in this particular song he was relating the story of a cowboy riding to El Paso. Well, it hit me like a train; in that moment I made the decision. I was gonna ride to El Paso. Now the fact that I couldn’t ride didn’t come into it, after all, how hard could that be (wasn’t I the clever one)? So, that song was my main inspiration, however it was allied to the fact that I like America and the people that live in the small towns there, and the thought of meeting them, whilst being on horseback just feels right. About seven years ago, some friends and I were sat outside an old bar in Bandera, Texas, when in the distance we could see a guy on horseback trotting towards us leading a packhorse. Well, he rode up to the bar, tied the horses to the hitching post in front of us and came in to have a beer, luckily he sat down beside us, and we got chatting. He was a Frenchman and he was riding from California to Cuba and he seemed to be just fine. So that also told me that riding through America could be done.
I have had a lot of help, advice and logistical support from a body known as “The Long Riders’ Guild” a group of equestrian explorers, dedicated to helping other long distance riders. They have been kind enough to mention my ride on their website. This is the address, should you care to take a look. http://www.thelongridersguild.com/jones.htm
Having now decided to do a long ride, I had to learn to ride, and learn Western style, luckily for me there was a Western riding stable fairly close by, It was called “The Mendip Stud”, I made an appointment for a Western experience day towards the end of last November, where I met John, Lou, and Lisa, feeling slightly foolish I explained that I wanted to ride down through America, and could they help me, and could they teach me to ride by July. To their great credit and without any hesitation they said they could, and the rest as they say, is history.I would like to express my gratitude to John, Lou, and Lisa who have helped me over and above the call of duty, and not only has Lisa taught me to ride, she has also given me truckloads of advice and many hours of her own time, which I know will prove invaluable in the months to come. My thanks also to RL, Mo, Smarty, Jarvis, et al. For their tolerance, and forgiving natures during the last six months.