Motorists gawked and pedestrians stopped to stare at what seemed to be a scene from the early 1900s on the busiest street in Okotoks.
A cowboy sitting atop a black Clydesdale/thoroughbred rode proudly along the Southridge Drive sidewalk on Jan. 30, looking like he didn’t have a worry in the world.
Alberta Outlaw, an alias the Grand Prairie area man is using, has his sights set on making his way south – maybe Texas, maybe Tennessee.
He says the final destination isn’t as important as his message.
Outlaw is riding about 4,000 kilometres to raise awareness and get people talking about mental illness.
He is one of thousands of Canadians who suffer from mental illness. He’s been diagnosed with depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder.
“You know something is wrong when you are crying all the time,” he said. “You feel horrible and you don’t know why.”
These feelings weren’t easy to grasp for a proud Alberta cowboy who was taught from the age of five that crying was for sissies.
Despite being married, having four children and running the family ranch, a chemical imbalance in his brain kept him from fully enjoying his life.
Two years ago, his wife left him.
“It kept manifesting,” he said. “It crippled me in the end. I couldn’t hold down a job.”
What keeps Outlaw in the saddle every morning is knowing he’s reaching out to others.
Outlaw stops in towns along the way and hears other people’s stories – some similar to his own and some tragic.
“It’s been unbelievable,” he said. “They come up to me with their personal stories.
“For some, someone close to them had taken their own lives. That gives me incentive to keep moving.”
While riding through Okotoks, it wasn’t long before the RCMP caught up to Outlaw and set him straight on the rules about riding horses in Okotoks.
That didn’t stop him from spurring on with his journey.
With Drifter back in his horse trailer in the Sobey’s parking lot before dusk, Outlaw put up his feet and thought about the days ahead.
“I’m riding my horse every step of the way,” he said. “That’s why I’m riding so hard, for mental illness.”
As the sun rises each morning, Outlaw pushes on, riding for hours. Some days he’s able to find a kind stranger that will give him a bed for the night or a hot meal.
Other days he goes hungry and shivers in the frigid temperatures in his cramped horse trailer.
The conditions aren’t so bad, considering he started his adventure in November with just his horse, a bedroll and a torn $5 bill, spending some nights sleeping on muskeg in -40°C temperatures.
“I lived in the bush all my life,” he said. “I am not going to say it wasn’t tough. It was very tough.”
After returning home for Christmas to spend a month with family and visit his doctor to get a clean bill of health mentally and physically to continue his journey, he headed south – this time with a truck and trailer.
With only his horse and guitar to keep him company for most of the journey, Outlaw tries to keep a positive attitude.
“I love a good joke and I love to laugh,” he said. “That’s some of the best medicine you can get.”
Medicine has been a problem lately. With a recent change in his medication, Outlaw said he’s been feeling down and is struggling to stay motivated.
“It’s the first time I felt like turning back,” he said.
It’s not just his medication. Outlaw said he needs someone to drive his truck and trailer throughout his journey. He’s been able to find occasional volunteers, but it’s something that weighs heavy on his mind.
Much of Outlaw’s journey relies on the kindness of strangers, whether it’s food for himself and Drifter, shelter, a new pair of cowboy boots or donations to support mental health.
For the most part, he hasn’t been disappointed.
“I believe there is good people everywhere,” he said. “People have reached out in a million ways.”
With another 3,000 kilometers to go and about six months of riding, Outlaw continues to raise awareness and money for his cause.
To follow the adventures of Outlaw and Drifter or to show your support, go to Facebook and search Alberta Outlaw and Drifter.
