THE YOUNG RIDERS
Set just before the start of the Civil War, a time the Pony Express is expanding into the rugged Dakota Territory, The Young Riders delivers one exciting adventure, breathtaking fight, and heart-pounding love story after another.
The pulsating premise: Six orphaned teens sign on as Pony Express riders. The first thing their new employer, Teaspoon Hunter, the eccentric former Texas Ranger who runs the Pony Express waystation in Sweetwater, Kansas, tells them is chances are they won’t survive the job.
The characters are confident, sometimes to the point of cocky. Their skills are versatile—from sharpshooting to trick riding. Each has a passionate reason for taking the job, one has a secret that must be kept hidden at all costs, and three will grow up to become legendary Western figures in American history.
— Aloysius “Teaspoon” Hunter is one of a handful of “survivors” of the Battle of the Alamo. He later became a gunfighter, a Texas Ranger, and U.S. Marshal. His job with the Pony Express is to teach this group of upstart teens the tricks of the trade—that is, staying alive long enough to deliver the mail.
— William F. Cody is a sharpshooter beyond compare. He can be brash and a tad full of himself. But he has a silly side, and best of all, he’s devoted to his friends. Later in life, he earns his spot in history as showman, Buffalo Bill Cody.
— James “Jimmy” Hickok is hot-tempered and fast on the draw. His reputation is based on a cheap novel that exaggerates and sensationalizes his exploits. Later in life, Wild Bill Hickok becomes a soldier, gambler, showman, actor and gunslinger.
— The Kid (no one knows his real name) was abandoned by his father when he was just a child. At age 15, after his mother died, The Kid struck out on his own. He may have that soft-spoken southern charm going for him, but he’s a justice seeker and a fighter.
— Louise McCloud was very young when her mother died. When she experienced a terrifying incident at her job as a housekeeper, she realized she would get nowhere as a woman on her own in the Old West. So, Louise dons boys’ clothes and calls herself Lou.
— Buck Cross is part Kiowa and part white. His tribe labels him Running Buck and considers him an outsider. In the white man’s world, he’s treated unfairly with outright bigotry.
— Ike McSwain suffered scarlet fever and lost his hair and ability to speak. He also witnessed his family die at the hands of a murderer. Ike is a determined justice seeker, an accomplished horseman, and a passionate defender of anyone who is a victim.
— Noah Dixon is a free-born Black man whose father was active in secretly helping slaves escape to freedom. At age 5, his parents were killed in a raid, and a woman who worked with his father took Noah in and raised him as her own.
— Emma Shannon may come off as tough, but deep down, she has a soft spot for each of the riders. Emma had a rough start in life. She traveled to Sweetwater with her abusive husband. Her baby died of smallpox and the husband soon abandoned her.
— Sam Cain made it his business to hunt down and kill the men responsible for the murder of his beloved wife. After he had an epiphany, Sam moved to Sweetwater to take the job of town marshal. He knows both sides of the law.
— Rachel Dunn is hired on as cook, caretaker, housekeeper and all-around mother hen. She is outgoing, fun-loving and beautiful—so, of course, the boys are mesmerized. Rachel and Lou develop a bond. But Rachel has her secrets, too.
The Young Riders wins over fans with action-packed stories and a depth of the characters, their relationships, and growth throughout the course of the show.