Spirit of the Pony Express

As I first started watching this documentary, I wasn't sure if the name fitted the description... but as I completed the film, it truly was about keeping the Spirit of the Pony Express... ALIVE! As a photographer of the "Remnant's of the Pony Express; Sacramento to Salt Lake City" I commend all of you on your work on keeping the Pony Express memories alive; the Museums across this country and all of the volunteers of each organization, including the National Pony Express Association!I recently had to opportunity to photograph a few riders on this years Annual Re-Ride (2017). These folks are not provided a horse at a Station to ride as were the original riders. No, these folks BRING their own horse(s), and must drive their personal trucks and trailers to the sites to do the Ride.I learned that can be quite a challenge, as this year in Nevada there was a snow storm, the roads were muddy and with this kind of weather comes a lot of challenges. It didn't stop them though!Thank you to the NPEA volunteers who also helped me to get to stations that I otherwise would not have been able to photograph! My book will be coming out next year Lord willing. This video has been part of my research, along with many a books and Archives in Museums and Online. I enjoyed watching this video.

Some interesting material, but I was disappointed that it really had very little to say. Lots of scenes of re-enactors saying "hey we're re-enacting". They must have said "it's important to remember our history" about 6000 times, but then never told the audience that history. At one point someone says that there are a lot of myths about the Pony Express and we need to separate the fact from the myth. Then they never told us what those myths are or what the truth is! Long drawn out scene of people standing around the grave of one of the founders and talking about how important he was, with no discussion of what he did or why it was important. Etc. Maybe 15 minutes actually telling us things about the Pony Express and 90 minutes telling us how people should learn more about the Pony Express.

The film wasn't quite I expected,,, because I didn't expect a documentary! For what it was -- a celebr ation of the umpteenth birthday of the Pony Express-- it was pretty good, I guess. I didn't really know much about its history , so, from that standpoint, it was worthwhile. It was too repetitive, however. I'm not sure what other approach they might have taken, but it became a little boring. Everyone along the way wanted to present what THEIR town had contributed to that history, and there were a LOT of topwns!

I was hoping it would be more about the pony express and the trial and tribulations the riders went through. While the history was given, it was narrated in anticipation of the celebration of the anniversary. I was sorry to learn that it happened a few years ago and I missed it. I never heard about it and they went through SLC which is near my hometown. I might have driven down to join in the festivities. I wanted more of the story of the pony express.

I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the true purpose of the pony express system and how it came about. Not just anybody could be a rider because of the dangerous sacrifices one had to make much less the skill and sheer stamina a person needed to accomplish the job! The fascination of this part of American history is still with me. I challenge anyone to watch this documentary start to finish without coming away with a sense of complete amazement. I am much the wiser for watching

I had mixed feelings about watching this video thinking that it might be an old production. It is not. It is well done and relates the incredible contribution made by the operation of the Pony Express during the period before the American Civil War. I didn't know that the operation of the Pony Express was so short-lived, nor did I appreciate that without it California might have had a very different future.

Bad movie with little history and some wrong info. At one point someone explains that "a shot of whiskey" comes from the old west trading of a .45 bullet for a glass of whisky. This is so not true and a ridiculous legend. Just google the "etymology of shot of whiskey" and you will find how wrong that is. At another point they have a guy using divining rods looking for graves. Divining rods do not work, they have never passed a scientific test to find anything and they have been tested literally hundreds of times. I was waiting to see big foot or aliens come down to help with re-enacting. It is a BAD movie, poorly researched on anything but a museum and a bunch of want-a-be cowboys. It is mostly just a boring movie about re-enactors celebrating the "glory" of this 18 month failed business model with very little context. In a word boring. I would have loved to hear more about the history of the time and more about what we do know unless of course we don't know then why make a documentary.

Tis was an informative program but tended to drag on repeating the same message of needing to educate our youngsters on the importance of knowing US history. There were interesting facts presented but would have been more entertaining to have shown more of the re-enactments and including much more of the lives of those who ran on the pony express and how the outposts were maintained.