CEDAR SPRINGS, Mich. — Out where the mailboxes start drifting away, that's where you'll find the reason your letter was sent on its own way.
"He's the highlight of my day, don't tell my husband that," laughed Nicole Vanderhyde, gesturing to the chestnut horse next to her. "This is Cherry. He's my 23-year-old half Arabian gelding."
At her family barn on a dirt road in Cedar Springs, plants are a plenty, but houses are few and far. It helps that Nicole has a neigh-bor.
"We're best friends," she said. "I think he gets pretty excited to see me, and I know I get excited to see him."
Mail was once delivered by horses just like Cherry. Now, it seems, it's no different.
"Sixteen years ago, his owner had a professional photo shoot done to commemorate a successful show year," said Nicole.
That photo was entered into a competition to become a stamp for the United States Post Office.
Just three years later, Nicole adopted Cherry. Then the golden medals of his show years faded into the golden years of retirement. And the photo was forgotten.
When you adopt a pet, you usually don't ever learn about their life before you. But Nicole learned Cherry still had a surprise for her — all while scrolling through Instagram.
"[The USPS] made a post late fall of 2023 sharing what their stamp collections were going to be for 2024 and Cherry was on the thumbnail of all the stamp collections," she said.
Just like a love letter in your mailbox, Nicole knows best kind of delivery is the unexpected sort.
"Shock and excitement. I mean, that I get to share my horse with the world," said Nicole.
First stop on Cherry's world tour? Fittingly, it's Cherry Street in Cedar Springs, which is home to the local post office.
"Isn't that fun?" laughed Rachael Vestergaard.
Rachael has seen just about every letter, package and card in Cedar Springs. But never did she imagine what a new packet of stamps would bring.
"We had displayed what [stamps were] coming out, and there was a customer who told our clerk… I know this horse!" she explained.
"It's never been like, like, 'Cedar Springs has this,' or 'Cedar Springs has that.' For us to get a stamp, that was really exciting."
Small towns show up for their own. And this stamp would soon bring a stampede.
"Very popular. We've actually run out of it three times," said Rachael. "Buy five, buy 10. You should get 100 of them."
Out where the mailboxes start drifting apart, you'll find where Cedar Springs got to start its own Pony Express.
"You don't have to be the most famous horse out there to end up on a postage stamp," smiled Nicole.
So, on your next letter, go ahead and check. There might just be a Cherry on top.