Cross-country horseback riders reflect on time in Missouri at Cape send-off

Wyoming couple Richard and Jeannette McGrath began their coast-to-coast ride for Hearts Up Ranch March 4, 2010, and hadn't been lost once.

Then they arrived in Missouri.

Despite struggling to find a suitable spot to cross the Current River and getting off course in part of the Ozarks, the McGraths made it to Cape Girardeau nearly seven days ago, saying farewell Tuesday to the city they said they were dreaming about since they began their ride together near Point Reyes Station, Calif.

"We've been dreaming about crossing the Mississippi [River] since we started this trip," said Jeannette McGrath at a press event held at the Southeast Missouri State University River Campus. "We've enjoyed Missouri, though. We have so many new friends here. It's like a home away from home."

The couple crossed their 14th state line just after noon Tuesday, when they entered Illinois. Jeannette McGrath stopped to take a photograph of the sign and the river as they approached mile No. 3,000 in their mission to raise awareness for Hearts Up Ranch, a young not-for-profit they hope will be a refuge for adults seeking recovery from emotional trauma.

The couple called Cape Girardeau a milestone in their journey -- they'll cover 5,000 miles in all, ending their trip in Cape Henlopen, Del.

They hope to raise $2 million for the ranch they'd like to build in northwestern Montana. Hearts Up Ranch is run in Jackson, Wyo., where the couple live.

'Dream come true'

"Riding across America, the best way I can explain it, was a God-given dream come true," Jeannette McGrath said.

The McGraths' trek across the country is a way to raise awareness about the grand opening of their ranch, which they said Tuesday would use animals and adventure to help adults work through their emotional stresses. Jeannette McGrath said any activity at the ranch would also focus on pushing comfort zones of the individuals and encourage prayer ministry for healing.

Richard had the idea, said his wife, after the pair looked back at the experiences they've had taking people on a trail ride, rock climbing and tubing along rivers.

"You build a bond and you build trust. And as their guide you become their confidant," said Jeannette McGrath. "Time and time again people would just pour their heart out and start sharing things with us."

At the River Campus send-off, the couple also shared tales of their journey, which has had its scares and blessings, they said.

Just seven days into the trip Richard McGrath thought he was going to die. He and two of their horses fell off a cliff. A smaller horse on the ride with them got spooked, causing Richard McGrath and a larger horse to get tangled up. All three were pulled off the cliff, he said.

"I tried to bail but got hung up, so the last thing my poor wife saw was me going off a cliff and hanging upside down between the two horses," Richard McGrath said.

The result -- a dislocated jaw. The couple said they were back on the trail the same day. Richard McGrath said the incident taught him a "big lesson."

"I thought 'God, we might have got this wrong. You don't want us on this trip,'" he said. "But we reconsidered. It wasn't that he didn't want us on this trip, he wanted us 100 percent invested in it."

Traveling companion

In Kansas, someone else -- something else -- became invested in the ride to Delaware. She's a calm, golden, mixed-breed dog the couple calls Bella. She was a stray some ranchers had taken in at their stop in Kansas.

"She was showing up on their ranch, pregnant, skin and bones. They nursed her back to health and adopted out all her puppies," Jeannette McGrath said. "When we rode out their driveway ... she followed us."

The couple had their doubts and didn't think the dog would stick with them. Three days later, they named and adopted her, and Bella has been with them ever since. She avoids cars and only chases the occasional squirrel, Jeannette McGrath said.

"Bella was just meant for this trip," she said.

The McGraths have raised $20,000 so far for Hearts Up Ranch, nearly $3,000 of it in Missouri. During their stay in Cape Girardeau, a bank account was opened at Montgomery Bank for locals supporting the couple's mission to promote healing. The account will remain open, but donations can also be made on the ranch's website at www.heartsupranch.com.

ehevern@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent address:

518 S. Fountain St., Cape Girardeau, MO

Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, Cape Girardeau, MO