Buffalo Bill — Pony Express Rider

Text & Photographs Copyright Mike Jackson 1998-2009
  
  

Buffalo Bill: #819
This is a very colorful and dynamic set. He rides a Chestnut horse which is often molded in Chestnut color and then the stockings and blaze painted white. Several other horse combinations are believed to be correct. He has a special U.S. Mail Saddle, two silver pistols & turned up white hat. This is the only Hartland western set introduced after the Generals which did not have a current TV show.

The box does not show a rifle for this figure. I don't think it ever came with one, despite some claims. No literature has surfaced showing a rifle with Buffalo Bill.

As as historical tidbit, I found an article in a Hartland newspaper announcing the introduction of this set. It was simply called the "Pony Express" set, with no mention of Buffalo Bill. The article goes on to say that the set was designed after a Pony Express postage stamp, issued about the same time. This could explain why Buffalo Bill is not represented with his trademark fringed buckskin outfit.
  
Mane Up Semi-Rearing Horse with brown over white:
I have a pretty good feeling the first Buffalo Bill sets shipped with this horse. The brochure photon shown near the bottom of the page helps confirm this horse variation. It is molded in white plastic and then the chestnut color is painted over the plastic. In a fairly large collection I bought a long time ago, a Buffalo Bill tag was attached to the reins of this style horse which has caused me to believe it is a proper combination. Also, knowing the Cochise set was introduced in 1957 using a white horse, it seems plausible that this combination would have been the first horse. This “Chestnut over White” horse is used with Cheyenne—another set introduced about the same time.
 
Mane Up Semi-Rearing Horse with white over brown:
This is the more common horse found with Buffalo Bill. It is molded in a chestnut color and then the white stockings and blaze are painted over it. This particular horse has the thick mane and wavy tail.
  
Mane Up Semi-Rearing Horse with white over brown:
At first glance, this horse is much like the one above, however, it has the thinner, more slender tail used with many of the Semi-Rearing sets in the later years.
  
Mane Down Semi-Rearing Horse:
This a late addition to the Buffalo Bill variations. Strong evidence, including a collector having one since childhood, helps confirm this as a legitimate combination. As the chart below illustrates, this set was being produced during the same years other sets were confirmed to use this mold. The mane down Chestnut horse is less common than any of the other Chestnut semi-rearing horses.
  
Chart of Show, Actors,Years
Number ShowName Star's Name Figure'sName Studio Show
Years		 Brochure
Years
819 No Series Buffalo Bill Cody Buffalo Bill None NA 1958-1961
Some information in this chart from “Total Television” by Alex McNeil 1996, 4th Edition
  
Mold Mark
Buffalo Bill: "Hartland Plastics, Inc." on the back of the right glove.
  
Buffalo Bill Weapons, Accessories, Literature
Buffalo Bill's special hat has a turned up back side and is unique to him.
   
 
  
Buffalo Bill’s US Mail Saddle:
For a while it seemed that each new set got a new distinctive saddle. Later they often use the rifle holed saddle for almost everyone. Buffalo Bill was lucky and got a special one for his Pony Express duties. This one is fairly hard to find loose. It reminds me of a modified Cheyenne saddle.
  
Buffalo Bill got his own colorful box. Interestingly, he is illustrated in a buckskin outfit and not the brightly colored outfit found on the actual set.. The shape of his mail pouch style tag is unique to him, too. The photo on the right represents the way he is shown in the brochures during his production years between 1958 and 1961.
 
This page last modified Thursday, October 18, 2007