FROM: Wendy Anderson
PST
Well, another year has already come and gone for us and the 2019 re-ride will soon be complete.
We started Sunday afternoon camping at Hicks Ranch with a whole lot of sheep for company.
Before dinner, we had the ceremony for new members, the swearing in and taking of the Pony Express oath. New members included Travis and Suzette Bradshaw, Loyde Cobb, Kent Lynskey, Jennifer, and Siddy McWilliams, and Jennifer Trice. After dinner, we had time to sit around the fire and visit, then a few hours of sleep, before getting ready to ride. The riders picked up their breakfasts, loaded the horses and headed for the monument. The ham operator, Ken Head, told our group that the Utah section was making good time. We picked up the mail at the Ibapah monument a little after 6:30 a.m. and we were off and running. Everyone lined out and we made great time getting to Schellbourne rest area.
Lunch for the riders, water for horses and extra gas was available for everyone. Special thanks to Joyce Christensen and Cindy Thompson for making this all happen for us at Schellbourne.
Everyone lined out again heading for Egan. Now the fun starts, we got poured on by mother nature coming down Schellbourne pass and heading out to Egan. Some riders drove around Cherry Creek heading for Butte Valley, while other riders made the rides over Egan and across the mine road, and down the mountain heading into Butte Valley. Jim Hannah and Gene Ockert road many miles where only a horse can travel through White Rock. While on this ride, one horse played down on the rider (he is okay, both horse and rider) luckily we held onto the horse and mail. A lot of the valleys were had to get through, it was mud bogging time, and yes we got stuck a few times. There were flat tires too.
Kent Lynskey, a new rider, took the mail across Ruby Valley. Then everyone lined out again for the last 20 miles, with tired horses and riders, we made great time. We handed off to Rebecca Mossow and her great horse. They took off at a gallop heading 3 1/2 miles up the mountain to the top of the diamonds, complete with marshes with the mud going up to the horses’ knees. She made great time and handed off to the other side of Nevada a few minutes late. We made up some time, even with all our trials. Thanks to all the other re-riders I have not already mentioned, Ride Captain, Tony Zamora, Norman Christensen (38th year), George Christensen, Wendy Anderson-Cobb, Dana and Jude Grover, Deanna Hoge, Eva Jensen, Tom Love, James Mossow, Greg Seamore, Jennifer Trice, Jim and Jimmy Hannah (all the way from Pahrump, Nevada), and Gene Ockert. It is always a group event for us, it takes everyone to make it all happen. Thanks to everyone!!! Can’t wait until next year—already.
