Pony Express 2024

164^th Pony Express Annual Re-ride and New Horses Stamp First Day of Issue

The GKCPCC teamed up with the Central Missouri PCC to witness history on Monday, June 17, 2024, at the Patee House Museum in St. Joseph, MO. The First Day of Issue Horses stamp kicked off the event at 2pm followed by the 164^th Pony Express Annual Re-ride.

The United States Postal Service dedicated the new Horses stamp. This pane of 20 stamps features five photographs of individual horses. St Joseph, MO Postmaster, Jamiel Freeman, Customer Relations Coordinator, Hope Walbrecht and National Pony Express Association President, Pam Simmons unveiled the new Horse stamp.

This year the Pony Express Re-Ride began in Saint Joseph MO and ended in Sacramento CA just like the original Pony Express. Letters were loaded into the mochila (leather saddle cover that holds mail) here is MO and made this year’s journey to CA and were hand cancelled upon arrival. Each year all riders that participate get to sign the mochila in front of the crowd as a symbol of their help preserving this great tradition. The Pony Express was a mail delivery system that was instituted in April of 1860. It only lasted 18 months until October of 1861, during which time riders traversed over 600,000 miles of rugged, dangerous terrain.

The GKCPCC and the Central Missouri PCC want to send a big thank you for all who joined and helped us relive a part of our country’s history and witness how mail was transported via horse back in 1860. Mail delivery has come a long way since the 1860’s!