Nearing the final stretch of the trail, Matt stays with an Amish family in Ohio. While there, he faces a day of such great consequence he wonders if his entire journey has failed.

Chapter 10: American Whirlwind

Dec 8th, 2023 23m 13s

Matt Parker prepared for his third and final riding season across the American Discovery Trail by strengthening his body and training with a new horse.

Ride of Passage returns Dec. 8

Dec 1st, 2023 50s

Ride of Passage, the true American adventure story about one young man's solo ride across the country on horseback, returns to your podcast feeds on Friday, December 8.

Chapter 9: Sisyphus

Sep 1st, 2023 23m 20s

The second year of Matt's ride across America is marked by pain - emotional and physical. He considers quitting the journey altogether.

Chapter 8: Nostos Algos

Aug 25th, 2023 21m 29s

Matt returns for a second riding season on the American Discovery Trail. He knew it would be another challenging year, but he couldn't anticipate that the ride would begin with a major setback.

Chapter 7: Horseman

Aug 18th, 2023 28m 22s

Matt and Smokey come to the end of the first riding season, with some tough decisions to make before tackling the rest of the trail. And they find new, crucial partners in their journey in central Utah.

Chapter 6: Escape

Aug 11th, 2023 17m 17s

For every peak there is a valley. Matt and Smokey lose the trail, and are held against their will at an outpost.

Chapter 5: Promised Land

Aug 4th, 2023 28m 1s

The land is everything in adventure stories. And everything in the American story. Matt learns in Central Nevada that how people feel about their land impacts how they feel about other people... especially strangers.

Chapter 4: The Desert

Jul 28th, 2023 24m 35s

The desert of Nevada reveals to Matt what's essential for survival — for him and for his horse, Smokey. The blazing sun and isolation peel away at Matt and threaten his morale for the long journey ahead.

Chapter 3: The Whistle

Jul 21st, 2023 23m 2s

Matt makes his way into the Sierra Nevada mountain range, and encounters the first true test of his ability to withstand the wilderness alone. He learns about equipment he doesn't need - a tent - and which he does need - a staple gun.

Chapter 2: Setting Out

Jul 21st, 2023 18m 12s

In order to ride horseback across the country, Matt would need a horse and a trail. The problem is there were no modern trails that were tested all the way across on horseback. And there were few modern examples of what kind of horse would be g

Chapter 1: Come On Down!

Jul 21st, 2023 23m 45s

Twenty years ago, Matt Parker was in that weird phase of life right out of college; rudderless and adrift, unsure of what adulthood would hold. And then an idea hit him like lightning — he'd ride across the country on horseback. Never mind that

Introducing Ride of Passage

Jul 13th, 2023 1m 52s

In 2003, Matt Parker set out on a journey that would take years to complete. He became the first to ride horseback across the country on the American Discovery Trail.

Rate