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.”