RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – The National Pony Express Re-Ride is making its way through the region, giving residents a chance to watch a piece of American history pass by on horseback.
The annual ride travels through eight states, including Nevada, following the historic Pony Express route. The original mail service operated from 1860 to 1861, relaying messages nearly 2,000 miles between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California, and dramatically cutting communication time between the East and West.
Organizers with the National Pony Express Association say the event also highlights the role the mail service played during a tense moment in U.S. history.
“The Pony Express historically was a significant contributor to keep California from seceding from the nation in 1860-61,” Petra Keller a Pony Express rider said. “So we carried very important mail from Abraham Lincoln to California to ensure that they would not secede from the nation.”
Today’s re-ride is run by volunteers who spend months preparing trail sections and lining up riders and horses to cover the route around the clock. This year, riders are carrying about 1,600 letters submitted by people across the country to be transported along the entire trail, organizers said.
“It takes incredible effort of all of our volunteers,” Keller said, noting that planning happens state by state and can include clearing storm debris from mountain trails, conditioning horses, and recruiting enough riders to cover each handoff point.
More than 160 years after the Pony Express ended, spectators still line the route to catch a quick glimpse of riders as they pass, supporters said.
“This is such an important part of American history, and we want to keep the trail alive,” Keller adds. “Kids get excited to see the riders come through.”
Fans can also follow the ride online using live tracking that shows rider locations and handoff points in real time. The re-ride typically lasts nearly 10 days, about the same amount of time it took riders to complete the journey in 1860 and organizers say it remains a symbol of persistence and determination.
To follow the riders in real time and look back on the trail click here.