The essence of Nevada grit

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - The book, “Seven sets of horseshoes, an American Journey.” is the story of then 23 year old Lynn Lloyd who decided to ride from Pennsylvania to the west coast.

“But what was really cool; let’s say I would stay with you wherever, and I would say I’m going west what’s the best way for me to go from here to there,” says Lloyd of her many encounters with strangers along the way. “And do 25 miles, because 25 miles was what I tried to do in a day. They’d say take this dirt road it will prevent you from getting on the hot top over there.”

No plan, no map, Lloyd would arrive in San Diego a year later.

“I didn’t care if it took two years,” she says.

She returned to the east coast and trained horses. But her thoughts would often go west.

“So, I put my horses in my truck and trailer and ran out of gas in Nevada,” she says.

With no money she used her horse training skills to get jobs and never left.

That was in 1980.

“I just fell in love with the land,” says Lloyd. “There is so much open space out here. So, I stayed here.”

She saved her money and wanted to bring her love of fox hunting to the Silver State.

She was able to buy property and coax local riders to try something new. She would wear the red jacket which would indicate she was in charge of the hunt and the hounds.

Red Rock Hounds, and their hunt would become world renown with enthusiasts coming from Europe to participate.

“Because Nevada is so open,” says Lloyd of the international interest. “And that’s a big draw to Europeans. Hunting, wherever you are hunting the world. And it is just, they want to see the open spaces and the wild horses that intrigues so many people.”

Instead of foxes, the group would attempt to catch coyotes.

Lloyd says it was rare as coyotes are smart and have a keen sense of survival.

A couple of years ago though she hit a rough spot and has now found herself in a rebuilding stage.

She has the hay stored and the drive never left.

“Boarding horses, training horses, training riders, selling horses, buying horses and hunting,” she says of her goals. “And I think everybody in life, if you are lucky enough to have a job that is your passion, it doesn’t get any better than that.”

She’s starting out with five walker hounds who go out with her on a hunt every Sunday with a handful of riders.

Ever the optimist, she says it’s exciting to start again. There are no other words in her vocabulary.

“It is already in my nature. You don’t quit.”

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