This story is part of our Quick Hits series. This series will bring you breaking news and short updates from throughout the state.
Southwest Wyoming will see horses and riders dashing through the desert on Monday, June 16, as part of the Pony Express Re-Ride.
Each year, more than 700 riders simulate the mail delivery route starting in Sacramento, California and ending in St. Joseph, Missouri.
It’s been over 160 years since the Pony Express was actively delivering mail across the West. A horse rider would gallop for hours until they met the next rider, handing off the letter carrier bag.
“In operation for only 18 months between April 1860 and October 1861, the Pony Express nevertheless has become synonymous with the Old West,” according to the Re-Ride website. “In the era before electronic communication, the Pony Express was the thread that tied East to West.”
But once the telegraph became popular, it made the Pony Express obsolete.
Nowadays, horse riders complete the almost 2,000 mile journey as a celebration, but they still carry around 1,000 letters to be delivered as a novelty.
The Pony Express Re-Ride is making its way through Sweetwater County Monday. People can get a glimpse at the riders’ stop-off in Granger mid-afternoon. The last re-ride horseman is set to finish in Missouri June 21.
