Faith & Cowboy Values

When people ask me how I made it 27,000 kilometers across 12 countries on horseback — through snowstorms, deserts, cartel territory, and moments of utter loneliness — the answer always starts with one word: faith.

I’m not just talking about religion, though I did pray often. I’m talking about the deep, unshakable belief that something greater than myself was guiding me, watching over me, and giving me the strength to take one more step when everything inside me said stop.

Every journey has a breaking point. Mine had many.

There were nights under the stars when I hadn’t seen another soul in days, when my body was spent, my horses thirsty, and the road ahead seemed endless. In those moments, I didn’t have a map or a manual. I had faith. Faith that my purpose was bigger than my pain. That my horses and I were meant to carry this story forward. Not just for us, but for all those chasing a dream.

In THE LONG RIDER documentary, you see the physical ride. But beneath every hoofbeat is a spiritual journey. One that tested my heart and mind more than my muscles. When the border guards refused me passage, when bullets flew too close, when grizzlies stocked me in the Yukon wilderness, it was faith that held me together. It was prayer, it was trust, and it was the still, small voice that whispered: “Keep going. Everything will be okay.”

Along with my faith, my cowboy values also kept me trekking no matter what.

Photo Courtesy of Filipe Masetti Leite

I grew up believing in the Cowboy Code. Not something written in a rulebook, but a way of life passed down in silence. Through dusty rides, calloused hands, and the way you show up for your neighbour.

Values like:

• Grit – because life will knock you down, and the only way forward is to get back in the saddle.
• Loyalty – to your horses, your people, your word.
• Integrity – doing the right thing even when no one’s watching.
• Humility – knowing you’re not bigger than the land beneath your boots or the animal carrying you forward.
• Respect – for nature, for others, and for yourself.

These cowboy values shaped me. And I believe the world needs them now more than ever.

Photo Courtesy of Filipe Masetti Leite

In an era of fast likes and virtual validation, we’re losing touch with what really matters; commitment, character, connection. You can’t fake it on the trail. Your horse doesn’t care about your followers. The mountain doesn’t care how many likes you got on your last post. Out there, it’s about who you are, not who you pretend to be.

That’s the gift of the cowboy spirit, it cuts through the noise. It reminds us that hard work, heart, and honesty still mean something.

I didn’t ride from Alaska to the tip of South America because it was easy. I did it because I had something to prove. Not to others, but to myself. That I could dream big. That I could endure. That I could tell a story worthy of the horses who carried me.
And through every mile, faith and cowboy values were my compass.

Today, as I speak to audiences around the world and write stories for the next generation, I carry these truths with me.

In a world full of shortcuts, choose the Long Ride.
In a time of division, live with loyalty.
When fear creeps in, lean into faith.

The cowboy way is not about nostalgia.
It’s about timeless truth.

Long Live Cowboys!