The dust swirls under Little Miss Rise N Shine’s feet as Sandy Mayor Monica Zoltanski urges her buckskin horse onward. 

She’s on the way to one of 15 stops in a 10-day Pony Express Re-Ride hosted by the National Pony Express Association. The trail goes through seven states: Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada
and California.

“As I ride today and see traces of our country’s history along the Pony Express trail, I can’t help but admire the tenacity of those early riders who braved the hot dust storms, wind and freezing cold, and out-foxed scoundrels looking to pounce,” Zoltanski said.

“The original Pony Express riders were known for their grit, riding skill and courage. You’d have to be brave to ride solo at breakneck speed, crisscrossing the frontier though rugged terrain in any weather, sometimes encountering nefarious types along the treacherous route.”

Volunteer riders from the association, including Sandy’s own mayor switched off to make the trek, starting in St. Joseph, Missouri on June 17 and ending in Sacramento, California on June 27. 

A week into the re-ride, Zoltanski rode a total of eight miles along the stretch from Murray City Park to Sandy City Hall, switching with other volunteer riders in two-mile increments. The mochila continued on to Camp Floyd State Park and then to Simpson Springs’ Pony Express stop on June 23, where it finished the Utah portion of the route.

To carry the mochila of letters from across the country, riders took an oath to not curse, smoke or drink while on the trail and referenced the bravery of the original Pony Express riders who carried a Bible and a gun without fail. 

To further commemorate the first day of the 164th Pony Express Re-Ride and the bravery of the riders, the United States Postal Service celebrated with the release of five new horse stamps for “unwavering loyalty, tireless dedication and wild beauty of America’s equines.” 

One specific letter carried in the mochila and passed from rider to rider throughout the nearly 2,000 mile journey was addressed to the children of Sandy City from Zoltanski.

In her letter written to the children of Sandy, Zoltanski challenged Sandy’s children to “choose a path that fulfills and improves the lives of others, while always conducting yourself in a way that will make others proud to know you.”

“There were few who would embrace such a challenge and those are the ones who forever changed the landscape of the American West. I am in awe of their courage,” Zoltanski said of the Pony Express riders. “Likewise, I look forward with great anticipation to your journey ahead, knowing you possess the passion and skill for unimaginable progress of your generation.”

“I hope you are inspired by the history of the Pony Express and want to learn more about our nation’s history and how young people played such an important part in building the great State of Utah,” Zoltanski wrote in the letter. “Did you know kids around your age did so much to shape our history? By working together for a common good, early settlers accomplished so much, and you can too!” λ