Pony Express Mochila

“Saddling up” for the Pony Express!

Gothenburg, Nebraska – An original Pony Express Station located within a picturesque city arboretum has been welcoming history enthusiasts from all around the world for more than 90 years. Located just a couple of minutes off I-80, an estimated 40,000-50,000 people visit the historical building/museum each year. Now they’ll have one more reason to make the journey – a unique Pony Express bronze statue.

“The past few years, our non-profit organization had been searching for an artist who’d be able to create a truly unique, one-of-a-kind bronze statue for us” said Matt Weiss, president of the Gothenburg Pony Express Association. “Last fall, we finally found that special someone, a well-known bronze sculptor from Loveland, Colorado, George Walbye.”

Walbye is an artist whose work authentically reflects life in the American West. He has sculptures in private and corporate collections in Europe, Canada and throughout the United States. He’s one of the original group of artists who envisioned and brought together the first "Sculpture in the Park" show at the celebrated Benson Sculpture Park in Loveland, Colorado. His original bronze artwork piece “High Plains Warrior/Wind Song” was the first sculpture in 1985 to be installed there. His creative talent, experience and knowledge of the American West was exactly what they had been looking for in an artist.

“Pony Express Mochila” is the official title given to the life-sized bronze statue. The word mochila (pronounced mo-chee-lah) is Spanish for "knapsack" or "pouch" and was the name given to an essential tool specifically designed for the Pony Express mail service in 1860. Mochilas had four locked, hard leather boxes and were designed to carry mail for the entire 10-day, 1,966-mile journey. Built to evenly distribute the weight of the mail, it would sit on top of specially designed saddles and allowed for quick and efficient transfer from horse to horse. Speedy exchanges were crucial to the “lightning fast” Pony Express mail service. The artist cleverly used two contrasting bronze patinas within his design to highlight the mochila portion.

This bronze artwork is the only one of its kind that will be created. The casting mold was purposely destroyed after the original piece was cast. Walbye has strong feelings about how others will be able to interact with his art. The sculpture design wasn’t meant to be observed from a distance or to be mounted up high on a pedestal. The design was intended for ground-level installation so it will be easily accessible for people to touch, feel and even briefly sit on. “I’ve always enjoyed watching people interact with my sculptures,” said Walbye, “You know it’s liked when the bronze patina becomes shiny over the years from people touching and handling the piece. I hope that’s what happens here.”

The statue was commissioned and purchased by the Gothenburg Pony Express Association, a non-profit organization that operates the Pony Express Station Museum. In addition, a personal donation from the Matthew & Lorri Weiss family along with a grant from the Gothenburg Chamber Tourism Committee were given to assist with the purchase. It was formally donated to the community of Gothenburg in October 2022 and then promptly installed by the city parks department in Ehmen Park next to the Pony Express Station.

“This was such a fun project for us mostly because of George. Not only is he talented, he’s also such a nice, down-to-earth guy. We became quick friends right from the start,” Weiss said. “Our hope is that the gifting of this statue will encourage others to share, donate and bring additional artwork into our beautiful community.”

Additional information on the Gothenburg Pony Express Station and its museum is available at the website www.ponyexpressstation.org.