Change of Horses, Pony Express - 1947

This historic sculpture was created in 1947 by Avard T. Fairbanks, Ph.D., first Dean of the School of Fine Arts at University of Utah, as 1947 was the 100th Anniversary of the Mormon Pioneers’ entry into the Salt Lake Valley, it was created as a statue for a parade float. 

The Pony Express was a brief but instrumental step in moving the mail quickly from St. Joseph Missouri to Sacramento, California.  It lasted a total of 18 months.  Once the Transcontinental Railway was in place, the Pony Express was no longer necessary. 

Nevertheless, to commemorate the memory of the Pony Express, Avard T. Fairbank created a meaningful statue called “The Change of the Riders.”  Every 100-120 miles, there would be a relay station where the Pony Express Rider could pick up a new mount.  There was always a station caretaker who helped the youthful Pony Express rider.  
 
A large plaster “float” was created on the flatbed trailer with wheels which was displayed in the 24th of July Parade in Salt Lake City.  Before creating the large statue, Avard Fairbanks made small working copies.  He was even visited by Charleston Heston(see photo) who starred in a motion picture titled “The Pony Express.” 

Although the large monument was, unfortunately, destroyed, the small statuettes remain with sufficient detail that the statue was replicated to full-size at the Skylight Studios in Woburn, Massachusetts with many of Avard’s sons being involved in the re-sculpting process. 

The heroic statue was eventually cast in bronze and was erected on the grounds of “This is the Place” State Park, close to the west entryway to the park. 

A working model not available for reproduction or sale. We are showing this U.S. historical artwork of Avard T. Fairbanks as a gallery exbibit.