Monday Spotlight: The Pony Express

An Arizona tradition will be making a stop right here in Fountain Hills! The famous Hashknife Pony Express has started it’s journey from Holbrook, and will be arriving in town Thursday, February 9 at 3:00 PM to deliver mail – the “Old Fashioned Way”.

For those who may not be familiar with the Pony Express, it is an Arizona horseback mail route that covers over 200 miles from the majestic Mogollon Rim through the wilderness of the Mazatzal range to the desert city of Scottsdale, Arizona.

According to their website, neither rain, sleet, nor dark of night can stop the Hashknife Pony Express. Each January/February for the last 58 years, the old West is brought to life as an elite group of riders thunder through Arizona. This exciting event is the oldest officially sanctioned Pony Express in the world. Each rider is sworn in as an honorary mail messenger braving weather, terrain, and modern-day obstacles to deliver the United States mail.

The arrival of the Pony Express is a celebrated tradition here in Fountain Hills. People come from all over to see this fun tradition unfold before their eyes. The clan of riders and their horses will be making their way up the Avenue of the Fountains to make it to the Post Office, where Mayor Linda Kavanagh will be there to receive the mail marked for delivery in Fountain Hills.

Wondering how people get their mail delivered by the Pony Express? Those who wanted to be a part of the action had to get their mail turned into the Post Office by February 3. From there, all of the mail is hand-stamped with the official ride logo, the treasured cachet coveted by stamp collectors around the world.

After leaving Fountain Hills, the Pony Express will be heading to Scottsdale, where the journey ends at the Museum of the West. On Saturday, the City of Scottsdale continues the celebration with the famous “Prada del Sol” parade.

Fountain Hills is proud to be a part of this exciting piece of history, and is excited to continue this event in the years to come.

You can learn more about the Pony Express on their website, Here.

Photo above is from the Fountain Hills Times.