What:

The U.S. Postal Service will release Horses, a set of five new stamps that pay tribute to the unwavering loyalty, tireless dedication and wild beauty of America’s equines.

The first-day-of issue ceremony will be held before the start of the 164th Pony Express Re-Ride. USPS will help cheer on participants as they set off on the 1,966 mile run from St. Joseph, MO to Sacramento, CA. The ceremonial event is free and open to the public. News of the stamps is being shared with the hashtag #HorsesStamps.

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/.

Who:

Jamiel Freeman, postmaster, St. Joseph, MO

Pam Dixon Simmons, president, National Pony Express Association

Gary Chilcote, Missouri State president, National Pony Express Association

When:

Monday, June 17, 2024, at 2 p.m. Central

Where:

RSVP:

164th Commemorative Pony Express Re-Ride

Patee House Museum

1202 Penn St.

St. Joseph, MO 64503

Attendees are encouraged to register at: usps.com/horsesstamps.

Background:

Once vital to the early economic development of the United States, horses are now valued for their roles in sports and recreation, beloved as companions, and admired for their timeless beauty. 

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 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.