Blackwell, Oklahoma native Sean Herren trekked hundreds of miles on his horses, Odyssey and Storm, from the Kansas-Oklahoma border, all the way to the gulf coast.
BOLIVAR PENINSULA, Texas — An amputee horse rider from Oklahoma has finally reached the finish line, but he’s now saying that he’s not done yet!
35-year-old Blackwell, Oklahoma native Sean Herren trekked hundreds of miles on on his horses, Odyssey and Storm, from the Kansas-Oklahoma border, all the way to Crystal Beach since October 2024.
Now he has his sights set on our neighbors to the north.
When 12News spoke with Herren again, he said Canada is his next destination.
After hundreds of miles on horseback, Herren is now heading north not just for the journey, but for all of the friends he plans to meet on the way.
“It’s almost like that feeling of standing on top of a mountain. It was a pretty special moment going over that bridge,” Herren said.
After Herren saw the bay from the High Island bridge, Crystal Beach waved him in with a warm welcome.
“My mother and father were there. Both of them were crying… and wonderful southern friends I met along the way,” said Herren.
Herren says after over 650 miles on horseback, he can’t resist the Southeast Texas cuisine!
“The authentic, actual Cajun food down here is fabulous. The crawfish, the gumbo, we’ve got gumbo in Oklahoma, but it does not taste like it does down here. So nothing’s better than the genuine southern food, accents and love!” Herren told 12News.
He’s ready to do it all again, and more!
“Definitely an overwhelming excitement taking on the challenge of crossing the entire United States, border-to-border, a feat that I thought was insanity before,” he said.
Herren says a journey from Crystal Beach to Canada is his next great adventure.
“I have two options, I can take straight north, essentially I-35 not riding on the interstate. But essentially, I can take straight north of flat land of America and go to Canada. The other option is go north and then curve to the west and take up the continental divide,” said Herren.
He tells 12News this new challenge is about far more than the final destination.
“I started this journey and everybody says ‘you can’t do this.’ 50, 60, 70 reasons why that’s impossible. The advice of experts is like silver. But the advice of those who have accomplished those goals and produce actual results, their words are like gold,” Herren said.
After Herren, Odyssey and Storm get some much needed rest, they’ll drive back to Oklahoma to wait out the winter weather until it’s time drive back south and saddle up once again.
“It’s almost like it’s an honor to do it, to take on the challenge,” Herren told 12News.
Herren says he plans to begin his trip from Crystal Beach all the way to Canada in mid- February.
All of us at 12News wish him happy trails!