By Brian Livingston / staff writer
As Bob Skelding and his wagon team passed through each town on his cross country journey, unbeknownst to him he was picking up passengers.
Not the kind who hitch a ride in his homemade RV pulled by four horses, but rather those who rode with him in spirit — that same spirit that now wishes for a speedy recovery as Skelding continues to receive treatment at a Meridian hospital.
Skelding was seriously injured when his wagon was destroyed by an 18-wheeler Tuesday. Skelding had traveled more than 1,700 miles throughout nine states since August of last year. Along the way he had become something of an inspiration for the many hundreds of people he met. It is those people, like David Taylor of Urbana, Ohio, Gary and Karen Miller of upstate New York, and Frank Gailding of Gleason, Tenn., who rode along with Skelding sharing through his blog the stories of those places he saw and the people he met.
"We are very sorry to hear of this accident," said Taylor through an e-mail. "Ever since he came through our town we've been following him through his Web site. We loved the great stories of the towns he'd visit and the people he came in contact with."
"He made quite an impression on our sons," said Gary Miller. "He came by their school and stopped so all the kids could see the horses and his wagon."
Since the word of the accident was released, The Meridian Star, Rush Foundation Hospital and Skelding's sister, Cathy Fagan, who is in Meridian looking after her brother, have been inundated with e-mails and phone calls. Most of the people want to offer their support and prayers while others have been concerned for the 49-year old's finances since he lost so much in the accident.
Even those people who didn't meet Skelding personally still feel the attachment to someone who was doing what most of them wish they could.
"To be totally honest I only met Bob on the internet," said Gailding. "But when you follow a man for five months on the internet it gets to the point where you think you know him."
Gailding, who is 72 years old, said he's been around livestock all his life and worked teams of horses and mules in the logging industry. Gailding admired the guts it obviously took for Skelding to go against the grain and begin this trek. He also applauded Skelding for stopping to show children about horse teams thereby educating them on a part of American history.
"He is just a unique individual," Gailding said. "I think that is very evident and I wish him all the best during his recovery."
