Pony Express Rides Through Casper [AUDIO]

A pony express rider is going to ride through Casper from the east and hit town Sunday Morning. The pony express re-enactment will be at the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center at about 9:30 am, but Reed Miller, with the BLM and interpreter at the center, says you may want to come early.

Scene from 150 years ago re-enacted:

"It will be Sunday morning, August 21st, we expect the rider will arrive at about 9:30 in the morning. We would like to invite the public to come to the center before that though because we'll open our doors at 8 o'clock, free of charge to the public until after the rider leaves but right at 9 o'clock, at the flagpole, we're going to have a brief ceremony where we recognize and honor the national president and the Wyoming Division president of the National Pony Express Association."

This year is the 33rd re-enactment of the pony express, and the riders left St. Joseph, Missouri, Wednesday, and their destination is Sacramento, California.

Original Pony Express route:

"Members of the National Pony Express Association, indeed there are about 800 members. They ride day and night, on a 10-day transit of the actual route. It's 1,960 miles, almost 2,000 miles. There are men and women volunteers that conduct this effort every year."

Another reason to be early, says Miller, is the transfers are quick just like the original riders.

Mochilla transfer is quick:

"It's very quick; they ride day and night, just like the original riders. And I have to tell you, you don't want to be late because you'll miss it. They're here and gone in the wink of an eye."

Other scheduled stops are at Fort Caspar, and at the Sun Ranch at Martin's Cove. For more information you can log onto xphomestation.com.