The Ride of Her Life: The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America

On her way to Bear Mountain State Park, a treacherous stretch of narrow road took her, Tarzan, and Depeche Toi close to cliff edges while cars zoomed past them, unnerving her. As the road became icier, Annie’s worst fears came to pass when a truck barreled past them, clipping her and Tarzan. The driver asked if they were okay and then quickly moved on, and Annie, shocked, kept going.

Annie’s night did not improve. She spent the night in a public garage, and her leg was badly injured. After letting her leg rest a couple of days and treating the cut on Tarzan’s hind leg, Annie set off again and found New Jersey’s country roads easier to travel but more congested than she had hoped. Fortunately, New Jersey’s police departments coordinated lodging for her and the animals along the way. Police officer Joseph Mikalczyk and his wife, Irene, delighted Annie by hosting a birthday dinner for her and giving her and her animals presents.

When Annie left for Philadelphia, yet another stranger surprised her: A young woman named Millie Rose approached her on the road and asked to host her for Christmas at her house in Trenton. Reluctantly, Annie agreed. She hadn’t made much time that day but was charmed by Millie’s enthusiasm. At the Rose household, Annie noticed the family’s array of pets and livestock and soon felt a kinship with Millie and her husband, Carney, because of their kind treatment of animals and passion for country life. Annie spent Christmas with the Roses and left in early January, ready to ride to Philadelphia.

Philadelphia’s police did not want Annie to traverse the city on horseback; they trucked her and the animals through the city and accompanied them through Fairmount Park, a huge park with horse trails. Annie carried all her mail with her, continuing to correspond with many people. She was treated so generously that she spent little money and even made money by selling autographed pictures. At the Clover Leaf Inn, the D’Ignazio family warmly received Annie, agreeing to host her. They provided her with food for the road and even did her laundry.

Riding south toward Kennett Square, Annie reflected on the area’s historic nature: George Washington had lived nearby, and the route was a significant passage during the American Revolution. Her ancestors on both sides had fought in the Revolutionary War, and Annie wondered whether any of them had ever traveled there. Annie stayed at the Chadds Ford Inn overnight and socialized with the owners.

Annie hoped the dry weather would continue but noticed ice on the nearby Brandywine River. However, she did not see the thin ice covering a bridge, and Tarzan’s hoof cracked the ice, spooking him. Thrown from the saddle, Annie hung off Tarzan, one foot caught in a stirrup, dangling near the edge of the bridge. As a truck raced past, Annie kicked herself out of her boot and fell to the ground. Several men came to help her, including Mr. Flaherty, the inn owner. Shocked, Annie tried to piece together what had happened. She agreed to return to the inn to rest.

Determined to keep going, Annie set off again, crossing the bridge successfully. The hilly landscape was exhausting, and she had to walk Tarzan rather than ride him since he was limping. Eventually, she reached Kennett Square and sought a vet to examine Tarzan. The vet was unimpressed with Annie’s plan to continue riding in the cold conditions and told her that Tarzan needed to rest. He arranged for someone to drive her and her animals to Kentucky, where it would be warmer. Though perturbed by the sudden change in plan, Annie saw its logic and agreed.

Watching the sprawling countryside from the comfort of the truck, Annie realized what a long and uncomfortable journey it would have been for her and her animals, and the vastness of the American landscape became more real to her. Annie, Tarzan, and Depeche Toi eventually arrived in Kentucky’s horse country.

After two days of transport, Annie arrived in Kentucky, thrilled to have traveled over 100 miles more in 48 hours than she had during the last two months riding Tarzan. As they neared Lexington, Kentucky, Annie took in the large, stately houses, sprawling fields, and perfect pastures. The Lexington newspaper had featured her and her animals, so people recognized and greeted her as she traveled. However, the weather did not improve, and she rode through a snowstorm. A local insisted she stay in the apartment over their gas station, and Annie considered their offer but decided to carry on and cope with the snow.

Disaster struck when Annie fell and injured her arm. The next day, her hosts tried to get her to stay, but she wanted to persevere despite a painful arm and bad weather. Locals along her route warmly received her. She rode toward Elizabethtown, the hometown of Abraham Lincoln’s parents and their farm, “Sinking Spring.” The cabin where he was born was carefully preserved to commemorate his life. As American life rapidly modernized, people became more nostalgic for humble pioneer lodgings such as Lincoln’s log cabin. While most Americans had to imagine life in a primitive cabin, Annie did not: She had lived it. Therefore, the site did not impress her much. The book claims that her self-reliant farming background and determination to travel west alone allowed people to connect to the national narrative about the US being a country of adventurers and hardworking optimists.

In Glasgow, Kentucky, Annie stayed at the county jail; however, when she arrived at the neighboring town, Scottsville, the police put her up in a beautiful hotel called the Jacksonian. She gratefully received gifts and stayed in town for five days. However, she felt ill and had a cough. Fortuitously, at her next stop, she was hosted by a doctor who took her to the hospital and treated her. When Annie spoke to the press, she revealed that most strangers were kind and welcoming to her, reinforcing her belief that Americans are hospitable people who hadn’t lost their neighborliness.

In Franklin, Kentucky, Annie waited out another two weeks of bad weather, staying at the local jail, speaking to women’s and children’s groups, and answering postcards. She wanted to add another horse to her crew to lighten the load on Tarzan but was low on money and doubted that she could afford another horse, and she even turned down a $15 donkey out of financial necessity. As she continued her journey, she thought about this problem, as well as her other persistent problem, her chronic cough. She was relieved that different farmers and sheriffs almost always greeted her and gave her a place to stay.

When she arrived at Mr. and Mrs. Richard’s farm for lunch, Annie was moved when they gifted her a second horse, named Rex. She was impressed by his beauty and how well-trained he was. She was reluctant to accept such an extravagant gift and didn’t want to feel like a “charity case” but ultimately accepted the $800 horse, assuring his owner that she would share where she had gotten him. Tarzan and Depeche Toi accepted Rex into the group, and he had a high tolerance for traffic noise. Annie struggled to adapt to guiding three animals at once and worried about Rex’s stamina going up hills. She alternated riding the two horses and divided her load between them.

Near Memphis, a group of young men surrounded Annie, taunting her and trying to steal her horses. Luckily, a police officer showed up, scaring off the would-be criminals. Her reception in Memphis was not much better; people there viewed her as a “bum” and would not speak to her. After a couple of days, during which Annie’s horses were reshod and she sold more autographed photos, she was ready to leave.

After hearing stories about Arkansas from her father, who once dreamed of buying a hotel there, Annie had high hopes for her travels there. In Forrest City, she planned to meet Walter Devine, who was traveling by bicycle to the lower 48 states. Devine had a system: Every time he entered a new town, he arranged a press interview and asked to meet the mayor. Associated Press reporters arranged for him to meet Annie and took photos of their meeting on the side of the road. Devine eagerly used the opportunity for more press and told Annie that a TV show had sponsored his journey. However, Annie felt that this setup was gimmicky.

That night, Annie lodged with a farmer, who kept her horses in his field. A storm began, and the horses broke out of the field. Annie was sick with worry that they might stray onto a highway or into a swamp and die. This was the worst event she had faced thus far. That evening she heard that the police had caught the farmer’s three mares but that Tarzan and Rex had taken off, and she faced another night of uncertainty. While she seldom prayed for help, she desperately asked God for “some advice” about her predicament. The next day the police located the horses when they approached a roadside ice cream stand. Reunited with her horses, Annie continued to map her journey, planning to ride to Wyoming’s capital, where she had been invited to join their Frontier Days parade.