ROCKINGHAM – Chris MacLuckie is 5,400 kilometres into his 8,000 kilometre horseback ride. On Labour Day 2017, MacLuckie started out on Roxy on the 5,000-mile journey from Rockingham to San Andres Itzapa, Chimaltenango, Guatemala. Having passed through the United States, MacLuckie is half way through Mexico on a journey that is trying to raise money and awareness for a Guatemalan non-government agency, Maya Pedal. In 2003, MacLuckie interned for Maya Pedal, which develops, builds, markets and distributes sustainable pedal power technology for homes and farms. For example, the agency created pedal power water well pumps and corn grinders. To fund his ride, MacLuckie created a GoFundMe campaign and held a yard sale in Rockingham last August. He has been riding about 30 kilometres each day, but including rest days, his average is more like 20 kilometres a day. His primary concern is the health of Roxy. Since he arrived in Mexico ahead of schedule, he has been able to slow down his pace. MacLuckie sees the journey as a one-way trip. While he is riding, MacLuckie is taking an online teaching English as a second language course. When he gets to Guatemala, he hopes to teach English, work in tourism and volunteer at Maya Pedal promoting their technology. Despite some anxieties about travelling through Mexico, MacLuckie has felt very welcome. “It’s an awesome place.” To read more, pick up a copy of the June 20 paper.