Legends of the Pony Express

Legends of the Pony Express is a 2024 TV special documentary, which aired on the INSP network. It tells the story of how the Pony Express came into existence and operated.

Legends of the Pony Express
Genre	History Documentaries
Inspired by	Pony Express
Written by	René Brar
Directed by	René Brar Matthew Shewchuk
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Running time	43 minutes
Original release
Network	INSP
Release	March 10, 2024 (2024-03-10)

Background

Despite only running for less than two years,^[1] the Pony Express became steeped in western history and tales from the American frontier.^[2] Journeys by horse were made carrying postal mail between Sacramento and St Joseph, close to Kansas City, with numerous stops between.^[3]

The TV special studies and pay tribute to the young men that risked their lives to delivery mail along the 2,000 mile route between California and Kansas, through the Western Frontier. It shares lesser-known facts and trivia about the Pony Express, from the horses, saddles, station houses that made the postal system work.^[4]

It reenacts how famous Frontiermen from the 1860s such as Buffalo Bill were affected by the creation and operation of the Pony Express. The American Frontier during this period was also wild and dangerous, with large areas of land occupied by outlaws and hostile Native Americans. The TV special explores how the Pony Express and its riders & station keepers overcame some of these issues.^[5]

Cast

• David Abbott as Prairie Station Manager
• Stuart Bentley as Thomas Edison
• Nathan Keeper as Charlie
• Skene Kittle as Wild Bill Hickok
• Gary Layton as Sacramento Superintendent
• Dayleigh Nelson as Buffalo Bill
• Jack Romanuik as Egan Canyon^[6]

Release

The 43 minute TV special aired on March 10, 2024, on the INSP network.^[7]

References

1. Edwards, Phil. "When was the first mail delivered via the Pony Express? 155 years ago today". Vox.com. Archived from the original on 2024-06-05. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
2. Brady, Jeff. "150 Years Later, Pony Express Rides On In Legend". NPR.
3. Nalewicki, Jennifer. "Six Stops on the Pony Express That You Can Still Visit". Smithsonian magazine. Archived from the original on 2024-02-27. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
4. "Saddle Up for INSP's Legends of The Pony Express". INSP. Archived from the original on 2024-06-05. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
5. Worrall, Simon. "Why the Short-Lived Pony Express Still Fascinates Us". National Geographic. Archived from the original on 2021-03-02. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
6. "Legends of the Pony Express". IMDb.
7. "Thursday, March 7: The Man, the Myth, the Lie: His Name Is … Ricky Stanicky". Channel Guide magazine. March 7, 2024. Archived from the original on March 7, 2024. Retrieved June 5, 2024.