White Mountain Sheriff's Posse plans Pony Express reverse ride and barbecue fundraiser in Pinetop Lakeside

Pinetop Lakeside — The White Mountain Sheriff's Posse will stage a Pony Express-style reverse ride that starts at the Blue River post office and finishes at the Lakeside post office, organizers said on the Talk of the Town program. Riders will camp along the route and aim to bring the mail into Lakeside between noon and 2 p.m. on the final day.

"We're primarily a search and rescue unit, the mounted unit, designated mounted unit here on the mountain," Richard Bilwe said, describing the Posse's role in local emergency response. Bilwe said the ride began as an annual opportunity to check equipment and make sure horses and gear were ready if called into service.

Bilwe outlined logistics for the multi-day event: riders will swear in as postal carriers at the start, camp at Buffalo Crossing the first night and at CC Cabin the next, then break camp and ride into Lakeside. He said organizers will try to phone ahead the morning of arrival and post updates on the town's Facebook pages so residents know when the mail will come in.

The ride will be followed by the Posse's one annual fundraiser, a barbecue that Bilwe said is always held on the second Saturday in August. Tickets will be available at town hall and at several local businesses, including some owned by Posse members; Bilwe also noted that Bill and Trish Gibson keep ticket bundles at Charlie Clarkson. The post-ride celebration will take place at The Orchard.

Bilwe told the host the event draws community involvement and helps the Posse maintain readiness. "That's the our barbecue is our 1 and only fundraiser of the year," he said. Organizers invited residents to come to any point along the route to watch the mail arrival and to buy tickets locally.

Details given on the program were those provided by Posse members during the interview. The county name Bilwe cited on-air ("Napa County sheriff") was not independently verified in the recording; some names and numeric phrasing in the segment (for example, Bilwe's phrasing of the ride anniversary as "50 third") reflect how speakers spoke on the show and are reported here as stated. Exact arrival times can vary because the mail is being carried on horseback and cannot be scheduled to the minute.

For more information, organizers said they will post updates on the Town of Pinetop Lakeside Facebook pages and that tickets will be available at town hall and participating businesses.