On April 5, 1910, 9-year-old Bud and 5-year-old Temple Abernathy left the Crossroads Ranch near Frederick, Oklahoma, and traveled alone on horseback to New York City. Their father, Jack Abernathy, a close friend of President Theodore Roosevelt, planned to meet the President in New York City after an African safari trip. The boys begged for permission to ride the 2,000 miles on horseback to meet their father and President Roosevelt, and they became famous as they crossed the country. After many adventures, they arrived in New York City as planned on June 18, 1910. While there, Bud and Temple persuaded their father to buy a Brush Runabout "Wildcat" car, which they drove back home, while he followed in a new Maxwell Touring Car.