Cross-country horseback ride passes through Sonoma
By Rob Warren and Val Robichaud
Six years ago, Star-Buck the horse was near death. Emaciated and weighing only 400 pounds, he was rescued by Angela Wood and friends. Now, the 10-year-old American Quarter Horse gelding was strong enough recently to walk across the country with Wood to raise awareness for childhood hunger.
In Wood’s years as an over-the-road truck driver, she saw more childhood hunger throughout America than she cares to remember. Having gone through Star-Buck’s rescue and nursing him back to health from the brink of starvation, she adopted Nokidhungry.org as her cause.
“Star-Buck is the perfect poster child for hunger,” said Wood, explaining the origin of her campaign. “He knows hunger as well as anyone.”
So in the summer of 2018, Wood set out from her home in Kentucky for a cross-country journey with Star-Buck and Renegade, a 15-year-old American Paint Horse. The horses pulled a covered wagon that became Wood’s home for more than a year.
“I slept in that wagon almost every night,” said Wood. “I’d pull into families’ farms and ranches – the hospitality has been truly amazing.”
One of her last nights on the road was in Sonoma, hosted by Chris Finlay at her Jackalope Ranch on Carriger Road. The visitors rested, stocked up at Brocco’s Barn, and saddled up for the final leg of the long journey. After 13 months on the road, the cross-country trek would end at Bodega Bay.
“I’m not ready for this ride to be over,” she wrote, approaching the coast. “I still have a strong urge to continue on with the journey. However I have just as strong a need to make sure my Renegade is safe at home and Star-Buck is happy eating grass. So being one day from the coast is bittersweet.”
Wood and the horses actually began the 4,000 mile trip by heading east, to the North Carolina coast. Once there, they turned around and officially started their way to California. All was well for 13 months until Renegade suffered an injury in Nevada. Wood decided to leave the wagon with supporters and finish the journey riding Star-Buck.
As she approached the Sacramento area, her supporters contacted the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine to inquire about a place for Star-Buck to bunk for the night. The school offered a stall in the barns of its veterinary hospital, and looked forward to Star-Buck’s arrival.
When they arrived at UC Davis, Star-Buck was showing slight signs of lameness. Dr. Larry Galuppo, chief of the Equine Surgery and Lameness Service, and a team of residents, technicians, and students examined Star-Buck to make sure he was healthy enough to complete the final portion of the journey to the coast.
Thankfully, Star-Buck’s injuries were slight – just a bit sore from the saddle. So the team worked with Wood to help her adjust the saddle to not affect the minor sores Star-Buck was developing on his sides. After two days of rest at the veterinary hospital for Star-Buck, he and Wood were back on the road for the final seven days to the Pacific Ocean. Best horse reins.
“I was always looking and wondering what was over the next hill, beyond the next curve of the road,” she said. ”I was always exploring trails less traveled to find out where they went.
Behind the wheel of a semi, Wood had driven 48 states and Canada. “But all I’ve seen are the main roads. I drove by national parks, through wilderness areas, by historical signs, but could never stop and actually see the places where history was made.”
With that urge to explore America at a slow pace, and motivated by the end-hunger campaign, Wood raised money for horse feed, and hit the road. “I take roads less traveled. I want to hear people’s stories of their lives and their ancestors. I want to inspire people to follow their dreams no matter how hard or crazy they seem. I want to show that one person can make a difference.”
