Five horses laden with packs and gear, two men, a woman and a dog rode east out of Fulton through green, swaying grass under a bright blue sky Tuesday morning. It would have looked like a scene straight out of a John Ford film, if it weren't for the rumbling semis passing by on U.S. Route 54.
Tim and Lynn Tuggle, originally of Fort Bragg, Calif., have been living the lives of modern cowboys since late 2010. The couple have been traveling by horseback toward North Carolina on a riding missionary tour, "Disciples of Jesus Horsemen," stopping in towns to rest and help the local community along the way. They stayed in Callaway for the winter, stabling their horses, giving sermons and working with troubled youth at Timberline Stables in New Bloomfield. They've made many new lifelong friends in their travels, including New Bloomfield's Evan Brendel, who is joining them for about a week's leg of their trip.
Tim Tuggle was a contractor and Lynn a nurse, before they felt God call them on a trip from coast to coast, praying for America and its leaders. So the Tuggles sold everything they own, down to a few pair of boots, articles of clothing and riding gear, hitched up and rode out in August 2010.