The Hashknife Pony Express riders are gearing up for their 60th anniversary ride, which begins on Wednesday, Feb. 7. But from Friday, Feb. 2, through Tuesday, Feb. 6, there are a number of events happening from a mock ride in Winslow to a Saturday night dance in Holbrook and a meet-and-greet with the folks in Heber-Overgaard as well as visits to local elementary schools.
On Friday, Feb. 2, the riders will travel to Winslow, where they will visit students at the Jefferson Elementary School at 10 a.m. before heading to a private lunch hosted by the Winslow Chamber of Commerce that is exclusively for the riders and support staff. At 1:30 p.m., four of the riders will do a mock ride carrying the mail from the Winslow Post Office down Second Street to Pope Avenue.
From 10 a.m. until 12 noon on Saturday, Feb. 3, the riders will be at the Heber-Overgaard Chamber of Commerce, located at 2774 Hwy 260, for a meet-and-greet. That same night, from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Holbrook Elk’s Lodge, located at 714 Elkdom Ave., there will be a free community dance sponsored by the Hashknife Pony Express. The band playing is Holbrook’s own Dirty White Boys.
At 9 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 5, riders will meet with students at Joseph City Elementary School, then at 10:30 a.m. they are scheduled to stop by the Holbrook Head Start and Indian Wells Elementary School. At 1:30 p.m. the riders will split up and visit with kids at the Seventh Day Adventist Indian School, Hulet Elementary School and Park Elementary School.
On Tuesday, Feb. 6, Holbrook will host the kick-off parade starting at 11:20 a.m. at the corner of Eighth Avenue and Hopi Drive. The parade route will go east on Hopi Drive to Navajo Blvd, where it will turn north and end at the Historic Navajo County Courthouse. There is still room for more entries and folks can enter by contacting Billie Perkins at (505) 240-0606 before 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3.
After the parade, the public is invited to enjoy a hot cup of homemade posole, compliments of the Holbrook Chamber of Commerce at the courthouse, followed by a swearing in of the riders at 12 noon in front of the courthouse. The day ends with a pre-ride dinner at the Holbrook Elk’s Lodge, which starts at 7 p.m. Tickets for the dinner are $10 per person and can be purchased at Holbrook City Hall. Tickets also will be sold at the door.
On Wednesday, Feb. 7, the day starts at 6 a.m. with breakfast being served at the Holbrook Senior Citizens Center, 216 Joy Nevin Ave. Cost of the breakfast is $6 per person and tickets will be sold at the door.
At 8 a.m. the ride begins with First Lieutenant Steve Reynolds riding out the mail from the Holbrook Post Office. The riders will travel down Highway 377 arriving at the Heber-Overgaard Post Office by 11:30 a.m. After picking up the mail, the riders will break for lunch and then leave Heber at 1:30 p.m., arriving at Creekside Café in Christopher Creek at 2 p.m., where the mail from Christopher Creek and Pine will be picked up.
From there, they continue riding west on Highway 260 to Payson, reaching the Payson Post Office, located at 100 W. Frontier Street, by 4:45 p.m. After the mail is secured for the night, the riders will announce the winners of the Elementary School Coloring Contest and help with the Hashknife Boot Camp activities for the kids.
As Swing Boss Tim Kelley said, “The boot camp is a chance for the kids to learn how to saddle little mock barrel horses and stamp the mail. It’s great training for future riders.”
From 7 to 11:30 p.m. that night, dinner will be served at the Oxbow Inn, located at 607 W. Main St., in Payson. It is open to the public and tickets are available at the door for $20 per person.
On Thursday, Feb. 8, the mail will leave the Payson Post Office at 9 a.m., with the riders traveling down Highway 87 to Fountain Hills. They are expected to arrive at the Fountains Hills Post Office by 3:30 p.m. From there the riders and support staff will break for a private camp out at the Verde River.
The last day of the ride, Friday, Feb. 9, starts at the crack of dawn with breakfast at 6 a.m. By 9 a.m., the riders take on the last stretch of the ride into Scottsdale with the mail arriving by 12 noon at the Museum of the West on Second Street and Marshall Way where folks can meet the riders, buy souvenirs and watch the kids run through the Hashknife Boot Camp activities.
On Saturday, Feb. 10, the Hashknife Pony Express will ride in Scottsdale’s 65th Annual Parada del Sol Parade before returning home to plan for the next year.
Souvenirs, including posters, bandanas, coffee mugs and pins will be sold at every event. Folks are encouraged to come out and support what has become an Arizona tradition.
The Winslow Post Office will be accepting mail for the Pony Express until 1 p.m., Friday, Feb. 2, and the Holbrook Post Office will be accepting Pony Express mail until closing time on Tuesday, Feb. 6.
