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Adios to the Lady Long Rider
In
2005 a ballet teacher borrowed a horse and set off on what was to become an
extraordinary equestrian experience. Sixteen-years and 30,000 miles later,
that remarkable woman’s amazing journey has come to an end.
Bernice Ende began her
equestrian travel career in 2005. Riding a borrowed horse named Pride, Ende
learned many essential lessons as she began her apprenticeship riding south
from Montana to New Mexico.
She wrote, “The reasons for swinging into the saddle
for my first ride seem vague now. It seems impossible that I even made it! I
simply did not know what I was getting myself into. I rode on a wave of
ignorance. I cried the day I left and cried for weeks until fatigue finally
broke the fear into tiny digestible pieces.”
What
happened next took the new Long Rider and everyone else by surprise. Despite
the hardships of solo travel, Bernice discovered an insatiable urge to return
to the saddle. Astride her new horse, Honor, and accompanied by faithful dog
Clare, the trio (right) set off a 5,000 mile exploration.
Despite
the winds of change that blew across her country, Bernice became a reassuring
sight to weary Americans as year after year she swung into the
saddle and rode into people’s lives. Clare perched atop the
pack saddle for 17,000 miles before succumbing to old age. Honor was replaced
by Essie Pearl. What didn’t change was Bernice’s insatiable desire to explore her country.
In 2016 Bernice became
the first person to ride “ocean to ocean” across
the United States in both directions on the same journey. Carrying the Long
Riders’ Guild
flag,
the team reached the Atlantic Ocean on October 8, 2015. After wintering over
on the East coast Bernice resumed riding. Bernice reached the Pacific Ocean
on June 17, 2016. By the time she rode back to Montana, Bernice had been in
the saddle for two and a half years and had ridden 8,000 miles.
Long Rider history is filled with examples of
travellers who drew inspiration from others. Bernice was no exception. Having
entitled her journey “From
Suffragettes to Lady Long Riders,” the mounted champion of female
liberty carried a message in honour of all those women who sacrificed so much
in the cause of freedom. When she reached New York, Bernice made a special
pilgrimage to the grave of Susan B. Anthony, one of the early champions of women’s
rights.
"I
think it's so important that women know they can do anything," Ende said
"This is a way of saying to women, go and ride your dreams."
In
2018 Bernice’s book, Lady Long Rider, was published.
The Foreword, written by CuChullaine
O’Reilly,
states, “There are millions of people who ride horses. In stark contrast,
there are only a handful of Long Riders scattered around the world. And even
among the Long Riders there are only a rare few, like Bernice Ende, whose
journeys transcend miles and instead resonate in countless lives for years to
come.”
At the conclusion of her second journey, Bernice
pondered, ““I
shake my head when I turn in the saddle and look at the long ribbon of road
behind us. Oh how can it end?”
It
didn’t.
Bernice
is riding among the stars. |
