ST. JOSEPH, Mo.— People lined Penn Street to watch as Pony Express riders, led by Penny Orrick of Easton, Missouri, put hooves to pavement and made haste for the Missouri River, the Pony Express Bridge and Sacramento, California.
Following a speech by Maj. M. Jeff Thompson, recited by local historian and former News-Press reporter Marshall White, the crowd shouted three cheers for the Pony Express, and the horses were off, following a St. Joseph Police Department motorcade.
Orrick, who is making the ride for the 26th time this year and this time with her daughter, said she hopes to continue making the ride for the next 26 years.
The two were the first to sign the mochilas, specially crafted bags designed to fit a horse’s saddle and carry larger quantities of mail.
“It would be great to be able to do this with a future granddaughter or grand son,” Orrick said.
Gary Chilcote, a history preservationist with the Patee House Museum — once the headquarters of the Central Overland California & Pikes Peak Express Co., a hotel and now a National Historic Landmark — spoke to the crowd, introducing speakers from the National Pony Express Association, including President Fred Leslie of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Treasurer Lyle Ladner of Frankfort, Kansas.
Leslie told the crowd about the forthcoming trip and how more of the trail is becoming asphalt every year. He said some of the more than 300 riders who will help carry the mochilas to Sacramento will experience mild weather and ride through sparsely populated areas, while others will travel through the heart of major cities.
Ladner said the weather Monday was perfect for the ride, with ideal humidity.
Chilcote told the crowd that a U.S. flag celebrating the country’s 250th anniversary will accompany the ride the entire way.
People from all over the country joined the event, including at least one visitor who was surprised and thankful to be in town.