Riding the Divide

As a young boy, Al Quie developed a love for and knowledge of horses. Books he read and stories he heard since childhood inspired his dream to ride horseback along the Continental Divide. But it wasn t until the 1980s (after 28 years of public life, serving as State Senator, U.S. Congressman and Governor of Minnesota) that Quie made time to fulfill this aspiration and tell his life s story in a most unique, compelling, and inspiring way. Over the course of nine summers accompanied by over two dozen friends, colleagues, acquaintances and sons (a few on each odyssey) Al rode from Canada to Mexico, journaling along the way. That journal is now available for your enjoyment. As you read Riding the Divide, you also will experience the majesty and beauty of God s creation and gain an understanding of why Al s dream did not flicker through the years. Riding the Divide will also give you a first-hand look at what it is like to pack horses each morning and to find your way without a guide. You will become part of the banter among friends and will get to know the real Al Quie, who honestly reveals his loves, frustrations, struggles, strengths, weaknesses and quirks all the while remaining a man who strongly follows after Christ.

Al Quie was raised on Longfurrow Farm near Dennison and Nerstrand, Minnesota. Like most farm children, Al learned to do chores at a young age. He was given his first pony when he was eight years old. Al graduated from Northfield High School and shortly after became a pilot in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He graduated from St. Olaf College with a degree in political science, married his college sweetheart, Gretchen Hansen. The two have five children, 14 grandchildren and one great grandchild. In 1954, while operating the family farm, Al was elected to the Minnesota State Senate. In 1958 he was elected to the United States Congress, representing Minnesota s First Congressional District. Al was successful in his bid for governor of Minnesota in 1978. After 28 years in public service, Al decided not to run for re-election as governor. That is when he was able to take time to fulfill his life-long dream of riding horseback along the Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. Carol Pettitt is a free-lance writer in St. Paul, Minnesota. She was born and raised in North Dakota and graduated from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism. As a member of a family of horse lovers, some of her growing up years were spent riding the same trails as Al in the Badlands of western North Dakota.