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

After a week of riding, Annie reached the Maine town of South Lebanon. After several landowners rejected her, a farmer offered his barn to her animals and drove Annie to the police station, where she spent the night in a cell. The police were accustomed to offering homeless people a cell for the night, and Annie did not mind sleeping there. In the morning, the farmer picked her up, and she was reunited with Tarzan and Depeche Toi.

A local journalist spotted Annie’s name in the police records and caught up with her on the road, eager to know her story. Annie revealed why she was journeying across the country, oblivious to how fortuitous the interview was for her. Shortly before crossing the New Hampshire border, an Associated Press wire service journalist interviewed her and took photos of her and her animals. The journalist arranged for Annie to have a place to stay and a hot meal close to South Lebanon. Proud to make it to New Hampshire, Annie did not consider that readers from all over the country would soon learn about her story. Mina Sawyer, a Maine journalist who specialized in human interest stories, was intrigued by Annie’s travels and asked to correspond with her and report on her experiences. In addition, she requested that Annie carry a letter from Maine’s governor to the governor of Idaho. Sawyer hoped that this would help generate good publicity for Annie.

Entering New Hampshire, Annie recalled the few years she lived there as a child, which were among the happiest of her life. She also recalled her brief marriage to an animal trainer and thief, whom she later divorced, citing cruelty as the reason.

By the time Annie, Tarzan, and Depeche Toi reached Rochester, they were working together more smoothly. Tarzan was still easily spooked by traffic but was careful not to step on Depeche Toi, who no longer got tangled in the rope. After meeting a local girl named Eleanor along the road, Annie followed her advice and rode to the local fairground. There she found a stall for Tarzan, and she and her dog went to Eleanor’s house for dinner. Annie marveled at the family’s suburban life. They enjoyed the newest appliances, and the children had leisure time and did not have to work.

Annie previously took one long trip, which had ended in disaster. As an adult, she and her parents tried to leave New England by buying a Ford car and driving down the East Coast to Florida. However, her father died during the trip, and she and her mother had to work their way back toward Maine. After that, Annie never traveled. While she faced new challenges on her latest trip, she decided to follow her late father’s advice and persist through them.

Traveling without a map, Annie relied on locals’ information for distances and directions. Tired and sore, she was eager to reach Manchester, New Hampshire, an old industrial New England town that had thrived in the 1800s but declined during the Great Depression. When she arrived, well-wishers from a Catholic church surrounded her, recognizing her from the papers as she passed. A local couple, Russ and Muriel Foster, were eager to host Annie in their home and insisted that she stay for two nights. While she was there, the local news station asked her to appear on TV. She agreed and was amazed by the TV studio and seeing herself on camera. Annie was invited to lead the local parade the next day and agreed, riding on Tarzan. She was touched by the many gifts and well wishes from spectators. The next day Annie continued south and stayed at a local farm. Though she had been on TV and led a parade, Annie was naive about how famous she was and how many people were following her story.

In Massachusetts, a young woman named Jean Lane insisted on hosting Annie for lunch. Lane loved horses and raised huskies for her hobby as a sled dog racer. Lane’s adventurous spirit and hospitality impressed Annie. As Annie rode into Spencer, Massachusetts, she was surprised when a group of riders from a local riding club greeted her, excited to ride alongside her. These riders, who were affluent and had beautiful breeds of horses, took Tarzan to their stables so that Annie could go to the home of the Hamletts, who hosted her for dinner and an overnight stay. When Annie’s cough worsened, the Hamletts consulted a doctor and insisted that she stay a few days to rest. Annie relented and stayed for two days. Finally, she and her animals set off again from the stables, where club members presented her with a horse blanket, money, and flowers.

Annie approached Springfield, Massachusetts, a prosperous town with a long history of invention, including the Springfield rifle, Goodyear tires, the Merriam-Webster dictionary, and basketball. The town was also home to the board game company Milton Bradley, which had invented “The Checkered Game of Life,” which they later renamed “The Game of Life.” Springfield’s local papers and residents had enthusiastically followed Annie’s story, which was a welcome break from the bad news of Senator McCarthy’s recent censure. A local farmer picked up Tarzan, and Springfield’s Chamber of Commerce president, Ted Jarrett, took Annie to the Highland Hotel. As she entered the luxurious hotel, Annie felt embarrassed and out of place in her farm clothes. She was too self-conscious to visit the dining room, so the hotel staff brought a cart of food to her room. While staying at the hotel, she was amazed to receive letters from strangers all over the country, inviting her to stay with them. She also received kind messages from acquaintances, such as Jean Lane.

Eager to capitalize on this free publicity for Springfield, Ted Jarrett called reporters, updating them regularly about Annie’s excursions. In addition, he accompanied her to the vet, who examined Depeche Toi and suggested that the dog wear leather boots to protect his paw pads, so a harness factory made boots for the dog. Annie was then obliged to meet with a vet and an ASPCA prosecutor who expressed concern about Tarzan. However, the vet examined the horse and determined that he was in good health, a proclamation that also made the papers, ending speculation about Annie’s treatment of her animals. She was relieved that she could continue her journey. After greeting hundreds of well-wishers who lined the hotel lobby, Annie left Springfield.