Simon Casson - Riding the Outlaw Trail: In the Footsteps of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

A record of a courageous quest absolutely gripping

Daily Mail

The account of duplicating Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid makes a bumptious and entertaining adventure story. Not Paul Newman and Robert Redford but wonderful chroniclers of the sights, sounds and feelings of that grand, harsh country.

Time Magazine

A fast read, a compelling story

The New Mexico Magazine (USA)

A glorious story, part adventure, part history, full of marvellous characters and amusing episodes. An outstanding book. Highly recommended.

Douglas Preston, author of Cities of Gold

An interesting read. One heck of a ride, an accomplishment it made me think more of what Butch went through.

Bill Betenson, great-great nephew of Butch Cassidy

An intriguing adventure that Butch and Sundance fans will surely enjoy.

Richard Patterson, author of Butch Cassidy A Biography

A fast-paced read into the history of Butch and Sundance. Experience unforgiving wilderness, along with the challenges of mounting such an epic.

Richard Dunwoody MBE

A delightfully revealing mix of candour and humour a first-rate read of a frequently treacherous trek.

Journal of the Western Outlaw-Lawman Association (USA)

A highly enjoyable read

Kirkus Reviews UK

What a trip! What a story!

Anne Meadows, author of Digging Up Butch & Sundance

Everyone loves Butch and Sundance, many would like to emulate their adventures, but only these guys have done so. Im envious it makes good reading.

Nick Middleton, explorer and TV presenter

An epic and impressive undertaking

Hugh Thomson, writer, film-maker, adventurer

A fun read and an interesting commentary on the hardships of outlaws on the run.

Donna B. Ernst, great grandniece of The Sundance Kid

One hell of a tough expedition; one hell of an exciting story.

Gary Ziegler, explorer

A great adventure story full of intrigue

Horse Magazine

The book is a pleasure unputdownable!

Local Rider Magazine

An enjoyable read

Western Outlaw Lawman Association Gazette (USA)

Entertaining

Outlaw Trail History Association & Centre Journal (USA)

A modern day adventure the legend is brought alive through Simon and Richards epic ride

Western Rider UK

An easy read amusing and graphic!

Western Equestrian Society

Vivid detail and desciption a triumph of endurance and persistence

The American Quarter Horse Association, UK

A cracking read, packed full of adventure and drama

Wanderlust

This Eye Classics edition first published in Great Britain in 2011, by:

Eye Books

29 Barrow Street

Much Wenlock

Shropshire

TF13 6EN

www.eye-books.com

First published in Great Britain in 2004

Copyright Simon Casson and Richard Adamson

Cover design by Emily Atkins/Jim Shannon

Text layout by Helen Steer

The moral right of the Author to be identified as the author of the work has been asserted.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

The paperback edition of this book is printed in Poland.

ISBN: 978-1-903070-65-9

To Butch & Sundance for existing, Richard Adamson for his excellent leadership, A.C. Ekker for starting this grand adventure and Gene Vieh for making THE connection

R ICHARD A DAMSON

Sadly, whilst heading operations for security company ArmorGroup, Richard was murdered in a robbery in Kabul, Afghanistan on August 16, 2007. Richards CV would make James Bond envious. Tasked by Margaret Thatcher to lead secret teams training Afghans in the use of stinger missiles, (credited in turning the course of the war against the Russians), he returned to Kabul in 2001. Richard opened ex-pat bar Elbow Room and took a partnership in Samarkand, a club. His working knowledge of the people, culture and languages was vital. He was recognized as a true friend of Afghanistan.

A.C. E KKER

A.C. personified the American cowboy. He knew the Robbers Roost country like the back of his hand. His grandparents homesteaded the famous ranch over a century ago great grandfather was Charlie Gibbons, friend and employer of Butch Cassidy, who hid out at the Roost and did business with Gibbons at his store in Hanksville. Tragically, on November 17, 2000, A.C. died crashing his plane searching for stray cattle on the final round-up. In the toughest tradition of the Old West, he died with his boots on.

G ENE V IEH

A big tip of the hat to Gene, who passed in April 2008, he was instrumental in connecting me to his cousin Dr Joe Armstrong, who assisted the Swedes in the attempt to ride the trail. Without that connection and knowledge brought, our quest would have been higher risk, with stronger likelihood of failure. Gene introduced me to many ranchers, land-owners and families that were supportive of our challenge.

Riders who passed along that trail were men of iron, accustomed to the roughest sort of life, able to ride all day and night without rest over dry deserts and through dangerous canyons. When required, endurance and courage were paramount those who lacked either were quickly eliminated.

Charles Kelly

The Outlaw Trail: A History of Butch Cassidy and His Wild Bunch. New York, 1959

April 17, 1990