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True grit as cowboy saddles up for
charity
13.06.11
by Linda McGrory
AN American cowboy and his mule have swapped the
scorching Grand Canyon for Ireland's west coast to
raise money for children with cancer.
John Fox and his trusty mount, Jobe, are showing
true grit as they undertake a gruelling 460-mile
trek from Malin Head in Co Donegal to Mizen Head in
Co Cork. They hope to raise a fistful of dollars and
then a few dollars more for Barretstown children's
charity.
Fifty-six year old John worked for most of his life
as a wrangler on ranches in Wyoming, Montana and
Arizona. He also led horse-back trails for tourists
into the Grand Canyon.
But his wrangling way of life changed when he met
Dubliner Hazel Wansboro around a campfire three
years ago. "Hazel came over on a vacation to a ranch
I was working on, we fell in love and that was
that," beamed John. They married two years ago and
John and his 13 year old mule moved here permanently
last year. They now live in Virginia, Co Cavan - not
because it's Ireland's most cowboy-sounding place
but because Hazel's sister also lives there. |
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John Fox and his mule
Jobe pictured at Quigley's Point. |
John teaches horse
riding, western style, around Co Cavan but is also
on the look-out for something more permanent.
Mule and rider saddled up at Ireland's most
northerly point on Friday afternoon. They aim to
clock up 30 miles a day with Hazel travelling nearby
with their 4x4 and horse box. Jobe is wearing
special rubber-clad shoes sent over from the States
especially for the trip. They hope to make it to
Mizen, Co Cork, for Independence Day on July 4.
"It is a dangerous and exciting undertaking and has
never been done before. But I know this mule since
birth and have been riding him since he was one,"
added John, in his strong southern drawl. "I've put
up 80 miles in one day on that animal and I've
ridden him into the Grand Canyon in 120 degree heat.
He'll go a lot farther than you can sit in the
saddle.”
The couple, who have four grown-up children between
them, are sleeping at night in their vehicle and
camping out, weather-permitting. They've also been
enjoying the hospitality of well-wishers offering
them a bed (and field for Jobe) along the way.
Father-of-one daughter, John, has done a similar
charity trek for breast cancer patients in Arizona.
"I chose Barretstown because I wanted to do
something to help kids and Hazel thought the
charity's American connection, being the only hole
in the wall camp outside the US, would appeal."
The Kentucky-born cowboy says his ‘very clever’
mount, a horse and donkey cross, is taking well to
his new life in Ireland. "He loves the Irish grass,
that's for sure."
To make a donation to Barretstown children's charity
visit John's
MyCharity.ie page . |
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