News From: NPEA Missouri Division
The first rider, on horseback, left the historic riverfront neighborhood of Old Sacramento, California last week with 1,000 pieces of mail inside a leather satchel. They rode a few miles, satchel draped over the horse, until meeting up with a second rider astride a fresh horse. They made the handoff of the mail and bid farewell.
By the time those letters reach St. Joseph, Missouri on Saturday night, if all goes well, more than 750 volunteer riders will have re-created the way mail was delivered for a brief, historic period of U.S. history — by the Pony Express. Every summer, members of the National Pony Express Association stage a 10-day Pony Express Re-Ride. They journey nearly 2,000 miles across eight states — 24/7, day and night.