In the mid-19th century, the Pony Express emerged as a remarkable and daring venture that revolutionized communication in the American West. Spanning a brief but impactful existence from April 1860 to October 1861, the Pony Express left an indelible mark on the history of the United States.

The Pony Express was born out of the need for a faster and more reliable means of communication between the East and West coasts. At the time, the existing mail delivery system was slow and often unreliable, taking weeks or even months for letters and packages to reach their destinations. The idea of a swift mail service that could traverse the vast and treacherous landscapes of the American frontier was conceived. Patrick Hearty was raised in Grantsville, Utah. His grandfather was a homesteader and cattle rancher, and his early years on the ranch left him with a deep love of history, and strong ties to the Old West.

Pat graduated from Brigham Young University with degrees in Chemistry and Biochemistry. He has retired after a career as a chemist with the U.S. Department of Labor and Battelle Memorial Institute.

Pat has been a member of the National Pony Express Association since 1978. He has served as president of both the Utah Division and the National organization and is currently a Re-ride Captain in Utah as well as National Trails Liaison. He has served on the Mormon Pioneer Sesquicentennial Celebration Coordinating Council for the state of Utah, and as a member and chair of the Utah Historic Trails Consortium, along with other trail-related assignments. He is a member of Utah Westerners and a charter member of the Oregon-California Trails Association. He lives in Grantsville, Utah with his wife, Linda. They are the parents of four children, and proud grandparents of thirteen.