Trails Center
| Contacts: | Lesley A. Collins | |||
| 307-261-7603 |
Trails Center Hosts Annual Pony Express Re-ride
Cheer on Pony Express riders as they stop at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) National Historic Trails Interpretive Center (NHTIC) on Sunday, Aug. 21, at 08:30 a.m.
“As we grow farther away in time from historic events, they become more important to our common understanding of who we are as a nation,” said National Historic Trails Interpretive Center Director Mike Abel. “We invite everyone to attend the 33rd annual re-ride of the actual Pony Express route, conducted by the National Pony Express Association, as it stops to relay mail at the Trails Center on Sunday morning!”
This year’s re-ride was delayed in June, but it is now scheduled to depart St. Joseph, Miss. on Aug. 17 and arrive in Sacramento, Calif. on Aug. 27. Nearly 500 members of the National Pony Express Association take part in the annual commemoration, which occurs day and night regardless of weather, to keep the mail on its historic 10-day transit of the 1,960 mile route.
“Please help us keep this chapter of our history alive and fun for younger generations,” said Director Abel. “Come on up and cheer on the riders as they race across Wyoming in honor of the original Pony Express! By doing so you pay tribute not only to these dedicated men and women re-enactors, but also to the original riders as well.”
Doors open at the Trails Center at 8 a.m. and admission is free until after the rider has departed.
All visitors are welcome to the event which begins promptly at 8:30 a.m., with the rider scheduled to arrive from the east around 9 a.m. For additional information please call the NHTIC at (307) 261-7780 or (307) 261-7781, and be sure to visit the web site of the National Pony Express Association, where you can follow the progress of the riders in real time, at www.xphomestation.com.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
Trails Center 2987 Prospector Dr. Casper, WY 82604