History will be re-ridden as the Pony Express ends its journey in St. Joseph on Saturday. 

Gary Chilcote is the Director of the Patee House Museum and Director of the Missouri Chapter of the National Pony Express Association. He said the 37th annual commemorative Pony Express re-ride began in Sacramento, California, on June 15th. 

“It will arrive here on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m., probably the hottest day of the year,” Chilcote said. “But that’s just the way it is, that’s the way the Pony Express operated in 1860, and that’s the way we operate today.” 

According to a press release from the National Pony Express Association, riders travel the 1,966 miles each year with riders traveling around the clock and each covering one to five miles. Chilcote said the Association was created in California and each state has its own chapter that’s involved with the ride each year. 

“They put it together 37 years ago and it’s been going ever since,” Chilcote said. “There’s about 550 riders each in their own state. Here in Missouri, we only have two riders this year because quite frankly, St. Joe only had two miles of trail, but some of the states have 500 miles of trail, so they have quite a ways to go.” 

Chilcote said the re-ride is set up to be as close to authentic as possible to the original rides back in 1860, but there have been a few changes. 

“About 25 years ago, we added women to the riders because originally they didn’t have women riders,” Chilcote said. “But today we feel that it was an equal opportunity for the women to ride and now they’re among the riders.” 

The Pony Express re-ride will arrive in St. Joseph at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. Chilcote said the public is invited to the commemoration at the Patee House Museum at the time of arrival.