Distance Riding on Al Khamsa horses
Through Annie's Ears — The Great Adventure Episode Six: 2018, the Grand Finale! by Ellen May, with Cathy Rochon
Introduction:
2018
This is Episode Six of a story of an amazing feat: A journey that took more than six years from start to finish and covered more than twenty-five thousand miles. Ellen May started with a dream, an indomitable spirit and a curiosity about all the places she’d never seen. Her dream, first conceived somewhere around the summer of 2012, was to ride in all of the lower forty-eight states on the same horse. Her partner for this remarkable journey has been a little red chestnut Al Khamsa Arabian mare whose willingness to go places and do things is no less remarkable than Ellen’s own. “Annie” or more formally Sabiaana (Masada Sabar x Masada Adriaana) was born on Ellen’s farm in 2006 from a breeding recommended by Walter Schimanski. Ellen has done all of Annie’s training herself and they have become a team to be reckoned with. Episode One was in two installments in Vol. 30 No. 1 and No. 2. Episode Two was in Vol. 30 No. 3. Episode Three was in Vol. 30 No. 4. Episode Four was in our first digital issue, Vol. 31 No. 1. Episode Five was in Vol. 31 No. 2. This feature is “mostly” in Ellen’s own words, in diary format, much like Lady Anne Blunt’s travels. We join Ellen and Annie at the beginning of their "2018” ultimate rideabout in the scenic West ………>
June 1, 2018: This ride about will be about 7,000 miles by the time I add a detour over to the dry side of Oregon. Length of time on the road: three and a half months by current estimates, and number of stops, 40 at last count. It is indeed the biggest Ride About of them all. If everything goes well, it will certainly be a grand finale!
Top: Near Chacon Valley, New Mexico.
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