Lauren Hollister

the Williston Herald

'Out in the West Texas town of El Paso/ I fell in love with a Mexican girl./ Night-time would find me in Rosa's cantina;/ Music would play and Felina would whirl.'

The words of Marty Robbins' classic country western song El Paso have inspired something more than nostalgic thoughts of the Old West; at least it did for Bob Jones of Avon County, Great Britain.

"I retired from work last year and I had time on my hands. I just didn't know what I wanted to do," Jones said. That time, and the immortal words of 'El Paso' have brought Jones to the United States to do something extraordinary. He is at the start of a journey where he will ride on horseback from the Canadian border all the way to El Paso, TX, a ride that will be about 2000 miles and take approximately six months.

Bob is currently staying at the home of Jim and Sharon Moline, on a farm just 13 miles outside of Williston. He will be resting here for a total of two days and three nights before beginning his journey again.

Jones says that he has always felt like something of a cowboy, although it wasn't until last August, when he started planning the trip, that he actually rode a horse. Since then, he has been learning everything he could about horses, from healthcare to proper nutrition to how to ride. He's also been studying the various horse laws, gun laws, wildlife and the weather of each state he will be traveling through.

"I thought I better prepare the best I can because I didn't know the country like an American. I've organized a support group along the whole way," said Jones on his almost year long preparations.

As part of his preparations, Jones lost about 50 lbs. in order to make himself as light as possible. He's also carrying a minimum of supplies so the horses aren't strained overly much.

Bob's network of support was found through local county sheriffs along the route. Jones said he would call and say "Hi, I'm Bob Jones, I'm ringing you from England," and tell his story to the sheriff and ask if the sheriff knew of any ranchers or farmers who would be able to help him out. Jones said he would then call the people the sheriff suggested and tell his story again. Many people thought it was a hoax but Jones said of the 60 or 70 people he called for support, none of them turned him down.

"Everybody has been so kind to me," Jones said.

Jones found his main support through the Long Riders' Guild, an international association of equestrian explorers. It was through the guild that he found people to guide him in learning to ride and also someone who purchased horses for him in Montana. A member of the guild, Allan Russell, purchased and trained the two Quarter horses that Jones is riding now. He also let Jones stay on his ranch for two weeks to get used to the horses, Cody and Tigers, before Jones left for his trip.

Before he left, Jones had the horses shoed and certified by a veterinarian. He will also have to renew their certificates of health every 30 days.

Jones started his ride just north of Fortuna on the U.S./ Canadian border about four days ago. The first people he stayed with rode with him for the first part of the journey but since then, Jones has mostly been on his own. About a third of the time, Jones will be camping at local fairgrounds. His route takes him through Smalltown, America mostly for the safety of himself and the horses, not to mention the difficulty of finding a place to stay in a larger city. Jones says that the small towns of the United States have always attracted him. He has visited the States four times prior to this, each time spending a couple of weeks here to drive around and explore the countryside.

Jones describes himself as very meticulous in his planning. He has planned out each day with its own individual map that marks out ranches, gas stations, etc. He says that at every point along the journey, there is someone he can call either ahead or behind him, that can come help him out if there is a problem.

"I'm prepared for anything," said Jones.

Jones will be stopping in several other towns in North Dakota, including Watford City, Alexander and Medora. His journey will take him through South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas. He also has a blog that he updates almost every day at www.americanlongride.blogspot.com. More information about the Long Riders' Guild and a special page about Bob and his journey can be found at longridersguild.com.