History of the Oakley Pony Express Race

The horse-riding citizen(s) of the Oakley Valley chose July 24, 1946 to run the first organized race which was run on a “flat straight-away track with no oval.”  This was won by Marguerite Bedke with Jesse Bedke placing second.  This first “free-for-all” race was such a hit with the local riders that Jesse Bedke decided to promote the fun even further after she conceived the idea of a Pony Express Race.

July 24, 1948 the first Pony Express Race was off and running with the stop light of Main and Overland in Burley as the starting point.  The gun was fired at 4:30 p.m., which concluded at the Main Steet of Oakley and was expected to take two hours with a string of 4 horses running approximately 5 ½ miles each and each rider changing saddles.

The time keepers had to ride in pilot cars to keep track of the race and stated that “at times there was very little room on the highway for the horses to run because of spectator traffic.”

Bob Johnson of Rupert’s name will forever shine in the history of the Oakley Pony Express Races as the first winner.  He received $100 for his efforts.

The following year, in 1949, the race changed to a 5 horse string, with each running approximately 4 ½ miles and no change of saddle necessary.  The purse was enriched to $300 and won by Clarence “Pop” Elquist.

Jesse Bedke’s mind didn’t rest with just the race, she also thought up a plan to bring in more money, draw bigger crowds and make the races more interesting.  She started a raffle sale of tickets sold to spectators who jotted down their guess for the race’s completion time. Kenneth Dudley won the $200 raffle that year. Guessing that winning moment for the Pony Express Race has made lots of winners besides the riders through the past 50 years.

The race course from Burley to Oakley changed course several times over the years to accommodate the changing fields of farmers and new road construction.  In recent years this course has moved entirely to the Oakley area with five horse-teams and saddle changes for each horse to the now popular 10-mile with 4 horses each completing 2 ½ miles of the journey.  

Just like the original Pony Express Riders that carried mail across the United States in the 1860’s, the riders carry a mochila.  This leather pouch was used to transport the mail then- today it is a symbol of our pioneer heritage and a fitting one for the Oakley Pioneer Days July 24th Celebration.

All of this is made possible by the generous monetary contributions by the businesses and merchants on the proceeding (sic preceding) page.  Please let them know you enjoyed the Races and Rodeo by your patronage of these sponsors and mention your appreciation of their support next time you are at their business.  

Published in 1999 edition of Oakley Vigilante souvenir program