Ponies West

by Jeff Pappas

A retro 1980s twist on the classic western genre, Ponies West follows two best friends—devoted husband Jeff, and big-hearted wild man Chet—as they attempt to ride across America on horseback (for charity) to set a world record no one in their lives thought was possible. After preparing for two years, Jeff must choose whether to leave his wife Sue behind after she announces she’s pregnant with their first child. Conflicted, guilty, and searching for the meaning of life, Jeff will find it on the trail by discovering what a lot of Americans tend to forget—there are good folks everywhere willing to give you the shirts off their backs.

Embarking on their horses from the shores of Long Island Sound, the boys get a heroes’ send off from the Governor of Connecticut, only to run into an endless thicket of humorous and harrowing setbacks like being attacked by Dobermans and chased by buffalo as they plod 3,000 hellacious miles on America’s back roads. On the way, life and limb is risked by human and horse, alike. Jeff and Chet risk losing their careers, their friendship, and even the women they love, to achieve their crazy goal. Aided by two semi-loyal hands (the reliable “Preacher” Dave, and the rebellious “Troubadour” Andrew) the “Cross America-86” team has a series of encounters with uniquely American characters across 12 states: from camping with the Amish in Pennsylvania to partying with Hell’s Angels in Montana. Jeff and Chet get to live out a lifelong dream of playing keep away with park rangers in Yellowstone Park like Butch & Sundance, and carving their names on the famed Oregon Trail rock next to the scrawls of the old pioneers, ultimately, ending their journey on the Lewis and Clark Trail, all the way to the promised land—the Pacific Ocean.

The Story

Thematically, Ponies West is about love and death, friendship and regret, perseverance and redemption. Days before Jeff was to embark on the trip, Sue drops the bomb: she’s pregnant, after years of trying unsuccessfully. Jeff wants to cancel, but Sue won’t let him. Jeff wrestles with his conscience, and almost turns back many times, but Sue’s enduring love and support inspires Jeff not to give up. Ponies West is also a bittersweet elegy for Jeff’s fallen partner, Chet. After a senseless falling out in the years following the trip, a week before Jeff was to reunite with Chet, he died in the Emergency Room from an illness that could have been prevented. Ponies West is dedicated to Chet’s memory, and the spirit of the Old West.

Author

Jeff Pappas is a successful entrepreneur who’s held executive positions with multiple growth brands over the past 30 years; this is his first book. Murphy Hooker, who collaborated on the book, is an award-winning screenwriter and ghostwriter of more than a dozen published books, including two New York Times bestsellers.