An Arkansas man making a horseback journey across the United States passed through Jackson County last week, staying at the home of a Netawaka family who helped him celebrate his 21st birthday.
Tye Sturgeon, riding across the country to raise awareness of and funds for the Western Wishes charity, said that so far, Kansas is the seventh state he’s ridden through on his trip through every one of the continental 48 states. Sturgeon and his horse, Edward, camped out with Bruce Meininger and his family on Thursday night before taking off the next morning toward Whiting, Muscotah and other points east and south.
“I’ve been out in it all,” said Sturgeon, a former rodeo rider who began his trip across the country in March of last year. “I’ve camped out in the snow before, and I’m not saying I won’t camp anymore, but if there’s a place I can stay, I’d rather stay in a barn — that’s camping, too, if you really think about it.”
His partner on the cross-country journey is Edward, a sorrel of unknown origin that Sturgeon said has become “a great trail horse.”
Born and raised in north central Arkansas and calling Batesville home, Sturgeon learned a love of horses from his father and grandfather, and he participated in local rodeos as a bronc rider until receiving doctor’s orders to stop. Still, he said that even though he no longer participates in rodeo, he finds the cowboy’s way of life exciting.
“When I was a kid, I thought it would be cool to live in the days before cars,” he said while he and Edward paused Friday morning on Kansas Highway 9 between Netawaka and Whiting. “On this ride, I basically get to ‘live back then.’ It’s challenging, but it’s not as hard as it could be a lot of times.”
Sturgeon’s cross-country ride for Western Wishes — a charity that benefits children with various illnesses, granting them “wishes” with cowboy themes — was inspired by a friend’s request to take it across the country. After thinking about it for two weeks — and watching a video on what Western Wishes does — he graciously took up the task.
“Once I’d seen that video,” he said, “I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”
The trip began on March 15, 2014, and took Sturgeon and Edward from Arkansas to Wisconsin before the journey was sidelined by both the coming winter months and an injury Edward received. Sturgeon said he wanted to make sure that Edward was 100 percent ready to hit the road again before resuming the journey in Iowa this spring.
Sturgeon finds his way to homes such as the Meiningers through radio interviews and through his Twitter and Facebook pages. On Thursday, he enjoyed a birthday cake with the Meiningers in celebration of his 21st birthday, which was Wednesday, then took off the next morning on his ride.
One thing that keeps Sturgeon going is the reaction of young people he meets.
“I love the look on the kids’ faces when I ride up,” he said. “Some people have never seen a cowboy doing a long journey like this, and it makes it all worth it when you see their expressions.”
With a sponsor’s help, Sturgeon also enjoys giving away cowboy hats to children.
“I give a hat away to a kid in every state,” he said. “If I’m in a state for a while, I’ll give away two or three.”
For more information on Sturgeon’s trek, including how to support the Western Wishes charity, visit www.americanwishride.com.
By: Brian Sanders
SOURCE: http://www.holtonrecorder.net/news/arkansas-man-rides-raise-awareness-funds-charity
