June 17 (UPI) — The U.S. Postal Service trotted out its new “Horses” stamps Monday as the 164th annual Pony Express re-enactment got underway in Missouri.
A ceremony to dedicate the new stamps, which are available now at post offices and on usps.com, was held at the Patee House Museum in St. Joseph.
“Beyond their grace and majesty, horses have long been integral to American culture and society,” said Jamiel Freeman, St. Joseph postmaster. “Their participation in the Pony Express is a testament to their reputation as loyal and hardworking and the Postal Service is honored to celebrate them on these new Forever stamps.”
The stamps feature five photographs of individual horses, which include a gray-maned dappled white stallion, a russet-colored horse with a copper mane, a golden chestnut with a chalky white mane, a horse with a brown-spotted coat in the snow and a chestnut horse with a white blaze.
The U.S. Postal Service teamed up with the annual Pony Express Re-Ride, which is a 10-day annual event where riders carry mail and retrace the historic route from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California. The Pony Express re-enactments began in the 1960s with the National Pony Express Association formed in 1978.
“The Pony Riders will travel 24/7” to make the nearly 2,000-mile trip that will take them through Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and into California, according to the NPEA.
“We are honored that the Postal Service chose the National Pony Express Association’s 2024 Re-Ride kickoff celebration in St. Joseph, Mo., to release the horse stamp,” said Pam Simmons, president of NPEA.
“Horses have been such a vital part of our country’s history and by honoring these magnificent animals we are acknowledging their beauty and stamina as well as their part in our history and vital role for the Pony Express.”
