Pony Express through Douglas

California's Perfect Cash greeted Nevada's Cash with a whinny as he trotted toward Woodford's Station early Thursday morning.

This was Perfect Cash's first time coming down from Hope Valley Resort, according to rider Martin Bross of Pollock Pines, Calif.

"He spooked a little bit, but it was a good run for his first time," Bross said.

Perfect Cash arrived in Woodfords at 6:26 a.m. Thursday morning to transfer the leather pouches containing the mail, known as the mochila.

Bross signed the mochila and then Nevada rider Carl Malkmus of Gardnerville signed it.

Malkmus then rode toward the Nevada border down Emigrant Trail toward Fredricksburg.

The ride started Wednesday morning in Sacramento on the 148th anniversary of the founding of the Pony Express. Riders will take the mochila 1,966 miles to St. Joseph, Mo., according to Larry Carpenter. The route is part of the National Trails System that crosses Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas on its way to Missouri.

This year the mochila contained a global positioning system which allowed people to track the rider from their computers.

Malkmus said this is his 13th year riding in the Pony Express.

Cash is the latest of mounts to make the run.

Malkmus, Mike Murphy, Bob Moore, Glenn Austin and Nick Graziano covered the route from Woodfords to old Kingsbury Grade.

There Lynn Heller, wife of Rep. Dean Heller, R-Nev., carried the mochila into Genoa, where a prolamation from Gov. Jim Gibbons was read.

Riders Debi Royer, Sabrina Ferris, Rick Ferris and Marv Davis took the mochila from Genoa to the St. Charles Hotel in Carson City.

Nevada riders are scheduled to arrive at Ibapah on the Nevada-Utah line at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.