Agathos Dorea

“Wanted: Young, skinny, wiry fellows. Not over 18. Must be expert
riders. Willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred.”

~Pony Express Recruitment Ad, March 15, 1860.

On 8 June, 1860, Nebraska horseman Jim Moore “took up the run” for the Pony Express carrying highly-sensitive government documents across Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado. Reaching his appointed destination, Moore was informed that his replacement rider had been killed the day before. Without hesitating, Moore continued on covering more than 280 miles in fourteen hours and forty-six minutes. An unparalleled feat of human endurance, he delivered his documents to government officials. Remarkably, Moore was one of only 183 men to ride for the Pony Express. After his ride, he took up farming in South Platte Valley, Nebraska.

Although the Pony Express was an important part of American history, the undertaking lasted only 18 months. Running from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California, the 1,900 mile trip was made in less than two weeks by forty men riding approximately fifty miles each.

For a Pony Express rider, a modest frame was essential. To further conserve weight, a rider’s clothing was very light, saddles were small and thin and no weapons were carried. The horses themselves wore small shoes or none at all. The mail pouches were flat and thin–all letters had to be written on lightweight paper–and postage was $5 an ounce, an enormous sum in those days. Despite the scrupulous weight precautions, all riders were issued Bibles and were allowed to carry them on the rides.

According to historians, Pony Express riders considered each horse sacred and many openly spoke of their indebtedness to the performance of 500 of the finest horses the West may have ever known.