By Alan Reed

Managing editor

After nearly 2,000 miles crossing desolate desert, traveling historic cattle drive routes and finally reaching the land of Lewis and Clark, the finish line is truly visible.

"The Mexico to Canada Trail Ride" organized by the Best of America by Horseback cable television show reached Williston after recently leaving the Maah Daah Hey Trail to cross the Missouri River. Riders from 42 countries have participated in the journey that began April 21, 2009 at the Mexican border. The ride arrived in North Dakota on Aug. 12, marking the first time in the state for many participants, including Best of America by Horseback CEO Mark Laney of Hale Center, Texas.

"It's been wonderful. We really enjoyed the Badlands," Laney said of their time in the state. "It's all scenery we have never been around before." Laney and his wife, Brenda, are on the ride, and have friends from Kentucky who had previously been to North Dakota.

"They said it was very pretty and they were right," Laney said of what his friends shared. "I've never seen any scenery like what North Dakota has to offer."

The ride includes "core riders" who are making the entire trip or participate for at least eight weeks. There's also "adventure" riders who can join the group along the trail for shorter periods of time. Paula Fraley of Starke, Fla., is one of the riders who's been on the entire trip. She left home on Easter Sunday to travel to the starting point and Tuesday afternoon appreciated a break to get out of the saddle, grab a snack and water her horse about five miles north of Williston on U.S. Highways 85 and 2.

"I'm ready to go home. But it's been a great trip," Fraley said. "You can't spend four-and-a-half months with all of these people and not make friends. I have a lot of new friends."

Fraley said the people along the ride have been very generous, a sentiment that Laney echoed.

"The fairgrounds and rode grounds along the way have been very helpful in the cities," he said. "It's been great for the towns that we've been in, along with the riders. Everyone has been so gracious along the way."

The ride is led by Tom and Pat Seay, who are the featured individuals on the cable TV program. The couple organized "The American Transcontinental Trail Ride" in 1995 that went from Savannah, Ga., to San Diego, Calif.

Laney said the planning for this year's trip began a couple of years ago. The Seays drove the route this past October that has been broken into 15-20-mile daily segments.

The ride has average over 40 riders a day, with everybody providing their own living quarters. Nate Brown of Grass Creek, Wyo., is the oldest rider at 88.

"He's as tough as a boot," Laney said of Brown, who also rides one of the more unique horses on the trail in leopard Appaloosas that have spots over their entire body.

Laney said Brown joined the trail about four weeks into the ride with a cast on his leg after he'd broken it. Brown then had to return home to deal with flood damage at his ranch before again returning to the ride.

One of the things that amazes Laney is the wide range of states and individuals that have participated in the ride.

"Every imaginable occupation and background is incuded," he said of the group that includes a professional clown and a profession western singer.

"With all of the diversity of backgrounds, geography, as well as occupations, everyone comes together as one big family, just flowing from one city to another," Laney added. "It's just amazing to see how well everyone has meshed and pitched in."

Even in the driest, most desolate parts of New Mexico, Laney said participants found beauty along the trail. They fortunately haven't faced any life threatening situations with wildlife, although one horse was bitten by a rattlesnake.

The riders did spot a mountain lion south of Custer, S.D.

"It was off to the side and skedaddled," Laney said.

Almost every breed of horse has participated on the trail, and there's also been a handful of mules. The Laneys ride mules, along with another couple and a woman from Florida, he said.

His wife has ridden horseback all of her life, while he rode horses as a child. There was a time when they would travel together and she would ride off with friends and he would work in the motorhome.

He wanted to join his wife on the trail so he did some research.

"I found out mules are more sure-footed than horses, they are less apt to be explosive," he said.

So a mule was first found for him and later one was found for his wife, and they've been riding them ever since.

As the trail is finally coming to an end, it headed to Crosby Tuesday evening to provide a comfortable finish.

"We thought with Crosby having electricity for most of us and it being the last stop, we wanted to have some nice amenties for the last week of the ride," Laney said.

During the first few weeks of the ride, everybody was concerned about cell phone and wireless Internet service, he said. Upon arriving at the Upper Missouri Valley Fairgrounds in Williston, however, several riders weren't even hooked to electricity.

"They've gotten used to being without," Laney said.

There are three nurses on the ride, and they occassionally have monitored the health of participants by taking blood pressures and monitoring weight, Laney said.

A hospice nurse has lost 48 pounds on the ride, and Laney said blood pressures have dropped the longer they've been on the trail.

People have really relaxed," Laney said.

The ride is to conclude on Sept. 5, and the entire trip is to be featured on the cable television program.