Wagon team rolls into Kennett

Bob Skelding adjusts the hitch on his wagon while having lunch at Bradley Distributing of Kennett on Sunday. Photo provided

An Indiana man recently came through the area on horse-drawn wagon as part of his third wagon tour to meet people and see the country.

Bob Skelding, who began his trip on November 14, 2009, passed through Kennett on Sunday, Dec. 20. Skelding's plan for his third wagon tour is a four-leg tour, beginning in Indiana and ending in Indiana.

The first leg of Skelding's tour, which he is currently in, is to travel from Indiana to Austin, Texas.

After beginning his tour in November, Skelding traveled through Indiana and Illinois, arriving at Perryville, Mo., on Dec. 11. From Perryville, he traveled through Fruitland, Dutchtown, Advance, Aquila, Dexter, and Malden, before reaching the Bootheel at Holcomb on Dec. 19.

In an excerpt from his blog, Skelding said at Holcomb one of his Belgian horses suffered a nail in his hoof.

"With Doc and Bob hitched, we were just getting underway, when we noticed that Doc was lame," Skelding said. "Quickly, I pulled over and unhitched the team. When I examined Doc, I found he had a roofing nail lodged in the sole of his front left hoof. While [his wife Denise} mixed up a concoction of antibiotics, bute (for pain), Karo syrup and oats, I started working on the hoof. I pulled the shoe off, then the nail out.

"After I carved the hole out a little better, I washed it out with water and iodine. Then I covered the hole with an iodine soaked gauze pad and re-shod the hoof, with a pad for protection. I then hitched Bob and Bill up (Bill lost his day off) and put Doc behind the trailer."

Skelding said in spite of the late start, the tour managed to "trek" 16 miles on Sunday.

While at Holcomb, Skelding said everywhere the tour went, people were stopping by to say "hi" and see the horses.

"We can definitely tell we're in the south now; cotton grows everywhere, people are friendly, restaurants all serve sweet tea, and a form of un-sweet tea is available in one quart Mason jars - hmm," Skelding wrote in his blog.

On Sunday, the tour traveled through Kennett and Octa, working its way around through the Bootheel, en route to Arkansas.

Skelding and his team had lunch at the Bradley Distributing plant on Sunday afternoon.

"Even though we were parked under a Budweiser sign, only one person assumed that the horses were Clydesdales," Skelding said in his blog, adding that they stopped at McDonald's of Kennett shortly after for a burger and fries. He said his wife Denise had "sworn to buy a Big Mac in every state on the trip.

"While we were at McDonald's we drew quite a crowd of people," Skelding said. "I guess seeing draft horses under a Budweiser sign is more common than under the Golden Arches."

Sunday was Skelding's last day in Missouri, reaching Leachville, Ark., on Monday, heading for The Lone Star State.

"So far, this trip as exceeded all are expectations," Skelding wrote. "The weather has been great (for this time of year) the countryside nice, and the people have been fantastic. We've been on the road for five weeks now and we're both having the time of our lives!"

For more information on Skelding or to follow his trip, visit his blog at www.wagonteamster.com.