Horse Illustrated Magazine

ST JOSEPH, MO — On June 17, the U.S. Postal Service dedicated its new Horses stamps at today’s kickoff for the 164th Pony Express Re-Ride, a 10-day annual event in which riders retrace the historic route from St. Joseph, MO, to Sacramento, CA.

The ceremony was held at the Patee House Museum in St. Joseph.

“Beyond their grace and majesty, horses have long been integral to American culture and society,” said Jamiel Freeman, St. Joseph postmaster. “Their participation in the Pony Express is a testament to their reputation as loyal and hardworking and the Postal Service is honored to celebrate them on these new Forever stamps.”

“We are honored that the Postal Service chose the National Pony Express Association’s 2024 Re-ride kickoff celebration in St. Joseph, MO, to release the horse stamp,” said Pam Simmons, president of the National Pony Express Association. “Horses have been such a vital part of our country’s history and by honoring these magnificent animals we are acknowledging their beauty and stamina as well as their part in our history and vital role for the Pony Express.”

The pane of 20 stamps features five photographs of individual horses. Three of the five appear in their natural environments against a background of green foliage: a gray-maned dappled white stallion; a horse with a russet coat, copper mane and white facial markings; and a golden chestnut with a chalky white mane. A horse with a brown spotted coat and light-colored mane is captured standing against a snowy wooded background, and a chestnut horse with a white blaze is photographed against a simple black background. The selvage depicts a chestnut horse with a black muzzle and mane peering out of a Dutch barn window.

Derry Noyes, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps using existing photographs by Stephanie Moon and Karen Wegehenkel.

The Horses stamps are available at Post Offices and on usps.com. The Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1 ounce price.

News about the stamps is being shared with the hashtag #HorsesStamps. A video about the stamps will be posted two hours after the ceremony on the Postal Service’s Facebook and Twitter pages at facebook.com/USPS and twitter.com/usps.

More information about the Pony Express Re-Ride, including the 2024 Re-Ride schedule, can be found at https://nationalponyexpress.org/re-ride/current-reride/.

About the Pony Express

The Pony Express operated for 18 months in 1860 and 1861. It revolutionized communication in the pre-telegraph era. Riders on horseback relayed mail and news along a 1,966-mile route between St. Joseph, MO, and Sacramento, CA. The Pony Express Re-Ride is an annual event that commemorates this historic feat.

Postal Products

Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 844-737-7826, by mail through USA Philatelic or at Post Office locations nationwide. For officially licensed stamp products, shop the USPS Officially Licensed Collection on Amazon.

— Edited Press Release