65th Annual Hashknife Pony Express Event
Until this January, I had no idea that there is an annual convention and ride commemorating the Pony Express mail delivery system of the 1860s. Starting in Holbrook, Arizona and finishing in Scottsdale, riders of the Hashknife Pony Express ride horses 200 miles across the state and hand off mail between them. They are accompanied by parades and celebrations of the original Pony Express along the way as they stop in several cities along the way. There’s plenty to read about the history of this event on their website, https://www.hashknifeponyexpress.com/about-us/.
On January 30th and 31st of this year, I was lucky enough to travel from Flagstaff to Holbrook with a group of my NAU photography classmates to document the 65th anniversary of this event. The first day, we attended a dinner for the riders (and were fed some amazing lasagna) and rested up for the day ahead. The following day, we photographed a few of the riders with their horses at sunrise to create some portraits with a classic southwest feel. We later photographed the weighing of the mail for the riders to carry, the parade through town, and the pre-ride oath. Because it was such a milestone anniversary, there was also the unveiling of a beautiful statue at Gillespie Park.
Being a part of this event was truly an incredible experience. Getting to meet so many new people, experience history being recreated, and see the town’s support for the riders was truly something special.
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