Bhuvan Unhelkar, an admitted greenhorn from Florida, recalls nervously saddling a gentle white mare named Jenny for a two-hour life-altering horseback ride along a picturesque mountain trail in Cody in September.

It would be a ride he would never forget — one that he continues to come to terms with.

The setting at the Bill Cody Ranch, nestled in the shadow of Yellowstone National Park, was idyllic, and the company of his friend Josh Baker and six other riders was collegial.

But even that was not enough to ease Unhelkar, who brought up the rear as the others on horseback clip-clopped ahead.

About 30 minutes into the ride, his legs began to cramp. “I am an Indian who was trying to be a cowboy,” said Unhelkar, a 65-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen, who is taking a break from duties as a

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