Postmark displays route for 66th Hashknife Pony Express

Postmark Pursuit by Molly Goad

Arizona’s 66th Hashknife Pony Express concluded on Feb. 2, and the event’s pictorial postmark is now available.

This January/February tradition is recognized as the world’s oldest officially sanctioned Pony Express. Riders are sworn in as honorary mail messengers, navigating various challenges to deliver 20,000 first-class letters.

Clad in authentic cowboy attire, more than two dozen riders relay the mailbags along the 200-mile route, which spans the Mogollon Rim to the Mazatzal Mountains, starting in Holbrook, Ariz., and ending in Scottsdale.

The riders include Navajo County Sheriff’s Posse members and invited guests.

The Hashknife, originally a tool for cutting meat, became a brand in Texas and was later adopted by the Aztec Land and Cattle Co. in Holbrook in 1866.

In 1957, the Navajo County Sheriff’s Posse gained limited use of the Hashknife brand, now representing the Pony Express.

For more information, visit the event website at www.hashknifeponyexpress.com.

To obtain the postmark, address your request to:

SCOTTSDALE Station, Postmaster, 1776 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85257-9998, Feb. 2.

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