Gene Glasscock - By horseback to 48 state capitals

Gene Glasscock left Denver, Colorado, on September 17, 2002, on a quest to ride horseback to all lower 48 state capitals. He made it to his 37th (Salem, Oregon) last week, and he's still going. At the age of 70, mind you.

The above link is to Mr. Glasscock's website, which updates progress on the current adventure, but also has information on other "long rides", including one started in 1912 by four cowboys who thought that if they rode to all 48 states it would bring them fame and fortune. (It didn't quite work out that way.) Click on "The Overland Westerners" in the index to read the story.

Mr. Glasscock is a member of The Long Riders' Guild, www.thelongridersguild.com, which promotes long-distance horse travel, chronicles expeditions in progress, and is also trying to sort fact from fiction re: past claims of horse-travel feats. (Hint: If you want to start on good terms with these folks, don't call the movie Hidalgo "based on a true story" in their presence.) As part of their mission, The Long Riders' Guild started www.horsetravelbooks.com, which is reprinting old, rare titles, in addition to publishing contemporary books. At last count, they were offering more than one hundred titles in five languages.

Hat tip: March 2005 Oregon Trail Ruralite magazine.