On July 11, 1909, Louis Van “Bud” Abernathy and his brother Temple Reeves “Temp” Abernathy left their home in Guthrie, Oklahoma and headed to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Bud and Temp expected to travel about 35 miles each day on their 1300-mile round trip.

Rather than making the trip in an automobile, which was still a rarity in Oklahoma at the time, or trains, both of which would have made the trip faster, Bud and Temp decided to go on horseback to toughen themselves up. Bud and Temp were dressed in their “summer ducking suits,” garments made from plain-woven fabric treated with wax to make them waterproof. They carried canteens and haversacks which held their food and water.

They planned to stop at each county seat along their way to make the acquaintance of the sheriffs so they would not be interfered with and for protection. Bud and Temp were armed only with pocketknives. Bud rode on a white horse called “Sam,” which became famous three years earlier when President Theodore Roosevelt rode him in a wolf hunt. Temp rode on a less famous gray mare named “Geronimo.” To borrow lines from the film “Forrest Gump,” when Bud and Temp were tired, they slept. When they were hungry, they ate. When they had to go, they went.

At 10:00 on the morning of July 15, four days into their journey, Bud and Temp, “travel-sore and half sick,” arrived in Lawton, Oklahoma. They had ridden over 100 miles in four days through “extremely hot weather,” and briefly considered giving up. Rather than just passing through Lawton as they had planned, they decided to stay overnight for some much-needed rest. Early on the following morning, they saddled up and continued. They slowly made their way through Olustee, Oklahoma, Estelline and Tulia, Texas, Portales and Roswell, New Mexico.

Finally, on Friday afternoon, September 3, 1909, 54 days after setting out, Bud and Temp arrived in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Hordes of people lined both sides of the street to watch the travelers mosey past. Bud and Temp casually waved and nodded as they rode their horses up to the capitol building and handed their credentials to Governor George Curry. For several days, Bud and Temp were guests at the executive mansion where they were wined and dined by the governor.

While in Santa Fe, their father arrived by train to join them. When it was time to leave, their father tried to convince Bud and Temp to trade their saddles for train cushions, but they refused. Bud and Temp hopped in their saddles to begin their return trip. They hoped to return home by September 20, which they were sure was possible. However, it wasn’t until September 26 that Bud and Temp completed their journey.

Thousands of people crowded the streets to cheer as they rode their horses into Oklahoma City. Thousands of people crowded the streets to cheer for Bud and Temple. “Ladies and gentlemen,” Bud spoke from atop a fire wagon, “We are glad to be back in Oklahoma City, and we are glad that Oklahoma City has given us such a big reception. We… have had a good time, and we would do it again.”

The pair set their September 20 arrival for a specific reason. That was the day they were to return to school. You see, Bud was just eight years old. His brother Temp was five.