The Pony Express will ride again this month, bringing a piece of living history through Churchill County as part of the 2026 National Pony Express Re-Ride.
The annual relay began Monday, June 15, in St. Joseph, Missouri, and will continue west around the clock until the final rider reaches Old Sacramento, California, on Thursday, June 25. Along the way, riders will follow the original Pony Express route across eight states, carrying a traditional mochila filled with commemorative letters.
This year’s ride carries added meaning as the country prepares to celebrate America 250, the nation’s semiquincentennial. The National Pony Express Association is using the ride to honor both the short-lived but legendary mail service and the larger American story of endurance, communication, and connection across long distances.
The Nevada portion of the ride is scheduled to begin Monday, June 22, when the relay crosses from Utah into Nevada. Riders are expected to reach Cold Springs at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 23, and Middlegate at 9 p.m. before continuing west toward Sand Springs, near Sand Mountain, around midnight. The schedule is approximate, and the rider can run ahead of or behind posted times depending on weather, terrain, horses, and relay conditions.
The re-ride recreates the historic mail route used by Pony Express riders in 1860 and 1861, when young riders on horseback carried mail between Missouri and California before the completion of the transcontinental telegraph. Though the original Pony Express lasted only about 18 months, it became one of the most enduring symbols of the American West.
Riders participating in the modern re-ride wear period-style clothing and exchange the mochila from horse to horse along the trail. The mochila, a leather cover placed over the saddle, holds the mail and is passed from rider to rider throughout the journey.
Local residents will have a chance to celebrate the ride and America 250 on Saturday, June 20, at Oats Park in Fallon. The Pony Express Re-Ride Celebration will run from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and will include family activities, a photo booth, stick pony relay races, 1800s-era games, gold panning, a “get deputized” activity, and food trucks.
The Fallon Cake Picnic will begin at 5 p.m., with residents encouraged to bring lawn chairs and enjoy cake with the community. A free concert featuring Micky and the Motorcars is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
The National Pony Express Association encourages spectators to follow the ride live through its real-time GPS tracking map and to watch for mochila exchanges along the trail. Organizers remind the public that posted times are estimates, but the tradition remains the same: horse, rider, mochila, and the long road west.
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