Randy Davisson can cross another goal off his bucket list.
The former Ortonville resident, 71, set a record when he and West Branch resident Bill Zettel drove three horses abreast, pulling an Amish wagon with them on it, in the Michigan Double-Cross.
The ride took place for 21 consecutive days, from Sept. 6-26, and covered 547 miles, from Oscoda to Empire, Mich. and back.
‘No one else has ever drove horses single, double or triple that far on this particular ride,? said Davisson, who now resides in Oxford. ‘We wanted to establish a record.?
Davisson and Zettel are members of the Michigan Trail Riders Association, which sponsors the Michigan Double-Cross ride every three years. Davisson averaged about 26 miles per day, rising at 4 a.m. to eat breakfast, feed the horses and move trailers at 5:30 a.m. to the next camp. They would be brought back by bus to their starting point and horses and spend the next eight or nine hours driving their horses’Eli Whitney, 18, Chester, 16, and Chief, 17? to camp.
Their route included M-72 through Grayling, Mio and Lucerne, and M-65 through the Glennie area. They tried to avoid major roads, and took as many gravel roads, fire trails, and two-tracks as possible. When the horses were walking, they did 3-4 miles and hour, and when they were gaiting, between 7-8 miles per hour. The weather cooperated, except for when remnants of Hurricane Ike was passing through, when about 4 inches of rain fell over the course of a day-and-a-half.
Other than the rain, the biggest challenge, Davisson said, was getting three horses, each with their own personality, to work as a team. It helped that the horses were well-conditioned. Davisson rode them around the Granger Road area four or five times a week in the two months leading up to the ride.
Davisson and Zettel were among 46 riders who started out on the Double Cross and were among 35 who completed the entire trip. Dozens of other riders joined for segments of the journey, some for a weekend, others who went one way across the state.
‘We were glad we were able to finish,? Davisson said. ‘The last four days, the horses had to walk. They were not trotting or gaiting, they were tired. They came through well, though, they didn’t lose a great deal of weight.?
Davisson is no stranger to record-setting rides. He earned a spot under Impossible Feats in Ripley’s ‘Believe It or Not!? Book 3 (page 183), published in 2006, after riding his horse Eli in all 50 states and the 10 provinces of Canada in less than five years, using post offices as documentation.
His latest feat in the Double Cross was just another part of his bucket list, things he wants to do before he dies.
‘Some people want to sail around the world, others want to ride a lawn mower to Saskatchewan,? Davisson says. ‘There’s all kinds of things people want to do, but never do, something holds him back. My father was a wonderful guy, but indelibly marked by the Great Depression. Every decision he made was influenced by it. He wanted to ride a Harley, but wouldn’t allow himself to spend that much money on a motorcyle. I wanted to do this and I did it.?
Now, it’s on to crossing more items off the list? he wants to ride in Monument Valley and also hopes to ride in the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, Calif. one day.